1000 x 90

LETTERS / Getting Fed Up With Both “Parties”

Dear Editor, 

On the morning of July 24, 2013, The Right Side program was, I hope, an eye-opener for Mr. Hastings. His sidekick, and alleged ‘conservative’ Jim Goff, displayed his true colors and neo-con hypocrisy. Goff, of ASU, argued that it was unfair that the state employees, especially teachers, are not receiving a pay raise. Hastings pointed out that in this very shaky economy, it is imperative that taxpayers be relieved of at least some of this onerous tax burden, and private businesses, existing and potential, should receive much-needed incentives. 

Goff was adamant that the state employees should receive some pay raise to maintain their morale, etc. However, just within this county and state, Goff ignores the advantages the public sector, county, municipal, and state employees, have enjoyed and still receive, despite the obvious hardships of what remains of the private sector. The overall public sector for decades has increased substantially in numbers; plus, their salaries and benefits have grown to even surpass their private sector equivalents. In Mr. Goff’s field, as an ASU history professor, he and his colleagues have enjoyed consecutive considerable increases in salaries that occurred within the last decade of 2000 – 2010. Plus, the public sector has enjoyed job security, a longtime status, that the private sector can only dream of. Goff, in effect, supported the position that public sector employees are a ‘special group’ that should, even in times of economic and political uncertainty, still be granted pay raises. Mr. Hastings, a well-known businessman, was undoubtedly stunned at his ostensible ‘conservative’ Republican colleague’s viewpoint. 

Hastings and Goff’s disagreement was illuminating. Goff’s attitude is indicative of a severe undue influence problem that all elected officials have to confront, and many cannot or will not make sound fiscal decisions because of this undue pressure. With the combination of county, municipal, state, and federal employees, a powerful, growing, active, and voting bloc, our elected local and state representatives find it very difficult, if not impossible to resist such pressure, even when the elected officials know the private sector desperately needs considerable, if not, drastic tax relief. 

Hastings and Goff’s disagreement is also indicative of the problems within the conservative and Republican groups. There are many supposed conservative people who are not true conservative-minded, free enterprise supporters. And many of these neo-conservatives are, in truth, hypocrites and, in fact, fascists, totalitarians, just as their colleagues on the Left are. 

Karen Carter