To The Reader’s Forum:

Regarding Mr. Seger’s contribution to the Reader’s Forum, I wasn’t aware that the superintendent had a spokesperson. In any event, thank you for your 35 years of educational experience. With 35 years of education one would think that you would have understood the essence of the article and not have been so digressive to the subject matter. The article was not martyr material. The article was not about being capable and dedicated. The mayor is capable and dedicated. The county executive is capable and dedicated. The police chief is capable and dedicated. My garbage collector is capable and dedicated. And no one works 24/7 or even close to that. That’s nothing more than braggadocios. There is no need to pound someone’s chest and start whining about how difficult one has it. And there is no need to grovel about school boards because they don’t have a difficult time recruiting people to serve. But what do I know. I’m a primitive thinker.

Let me enlighten you as to what the article was about. The last sentence of the article sates “it was a disappointing typical bureaucratic attempt (by the writer) to solve what is perceived to be a problem. Just throw more money at it and it will go away.” Have you ever traveled around the county and seen the dilapidated and condemned houses that some of our citizens have to live in? Have you ever traveled around Jamestown and seen the dilapidated, condemned and squalor that some of our citizens have to live in? Have you ever sat down with a pencil and paper and figured out how much a family of four needs to make in order to raise a family in our communities. If your calculations were right you would find out that a family of four cannot make it in our community on $50,000 annually. We cannot keep throwing our money around like it’s confetti. But, what do I know. I’m a primitive thinker.

So the essence of the article was what is a fair wage. A fair wage is market value. Market value is what a person is willing to work for and what a community can afford to pay. It was not about being capable and dedicated. Don’t forget the paper did report that the amount spent per pupil on education jumped from $15,442 to $21,670 which was an increase of 40.33 percent. However the cumulative rate of inflation for the same period, according to the United States Labor Department, was 13.6 percent. Where did that 26.73 percent go? So, how much more can the residents of our communities afford to pay and when is it going to end. We are beginning to be a community of haves and have nots. If you don’t believe me put down your pencil and paper and drive around. I do, and what I see concerns me deeply. But, what do I know. I’m a primitive thinker. Just call me Mr. Primitive.

Bruce Piatz,

Jamestown