2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session 2013 special election arts arts and culture author ballot measures bomb books budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration international internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal portland mayor president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes television terrorism theater third parties timber payments transportation union university of oregon violence washington water wildfire women

I appreciate having this forum available to add my comments.  This subject makes me very angry and hits close to home.

My husband, due to construction industry cutbacks 6 years ago applied for a state job at the DMV because that was the one job for which he had transferrable skills.  He started out at about $11.00 an hour.  This was about half what he made previously in wages.

In the interim things have changed.  Everyone ranted and raved about illegal aliens so they instituted stiff regulations.  Homeland security instituted more regulations.  Now, he makes a whopping $14.00 an hour 6 years later, and, in effect, the DMV is the front line security in Oregon.  We can deal with the freezes in pay and the years with no raise, its the constant ridicule and scorn from the "private sector" that is hard to handle.

Some very hateful and vociferous talk show hosts create a lot of animosity toward State employees, and every day people feel they have the right to swear, yell, insult, and even throw things at the DMV employees because they are "state employees" who make more than anyone else and it is their fault that things aren't going right.

I want to know who the State Employees are, on the front lines, that get an "average of $40,000" a year.  There is not one non-management employee at this DMV that makes $40,000 a year.  The managers barely make that.   These are real people who are taking the crap and abuse from the "public" for whom they serve.  Not fortune seeking players who are laughing behind their big fat paychecks.  These are not the people making the policies.  These are people who are charged with observing the rulings of the governor and legislature, but take the abuse every single day because people feel they have the right.

posted 2 years, 11 months ago
view in context