By Joe Wesley, Somerset, Ky.
Dear Editor:
At first, after reading Chris Harris’ column in the “Opinion” section of the Feb. 10 Commonwealth Journal, I couldn’t believe what I was reading. However, after looking closely at the column and doing some other research, I believe Chris was just “putting us on.” Nobody could actually believe the readers would swallow his logic.
He talks about 70,000 people paying the magistrates’ salary. Actually, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are only 21,787 people employed in Pulaski County. Of course, the amount each individual pays for the magistrates’ salary is not important. The bottom line is that we pay $168,000 in salaries and expenses alone. What about the other expenses, such as health insurance, pensions, etc.
As has been reported, a magistrate has no power outside fiscal court meetings. They are not allowed to ride road equipment and direct improvements. Many of the magistrates running are calling themselves “full time.” Ask yourselves what could they be doing that would take eight hours a day, five days a week.
Oh, yes, they take phone calls, they drive out and look at a problem. Then they attend two meetings a month.
People, a full-time employees works 2,080 hours per year. Most clock in at a certain hour and clock out at a certain hour, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average worker in Pulaski County makes $12.12 per hour.
Does this sound like any magistrate you know.
I noticed where Tim Daulton, 1st District Magistrate, brought this subject up at the recent meeting. He suggested reducing the salaries, and what happened, he could not get a comment from the other magistrates.
Well, gentlemen, you will be getting comments from the voters this year. Any magistrate who does not vote to reduce the salaries of the magistrates before May 1 of this year should not get any votes later this year.
Yes, Chris, this country has been a Republic since the Constitution; however, the trend over the past 200 years has been to make it into a democracy as well, a representative democracy, also know as a democratic republic.
And our vote still counts.
Sincerely,
Joe Wesley
Somerset, Ky.
