Letter of the Day: Government bonuses

Government bonuses

EDITOR: Friday's article detailing the decades-long practice of paying bonuses and premiums to state employees describes perfectly the hot mess that is government today ("A bonus to climb stairs?"). Two things stood out: payment of $516 million this year and a quote from the Patricia McConahay, the spokeswoman for the state Department of Human Resources, "The extra pay categories are a way to reward skills or knowledge the state needs and can help fill less desirable positions without requiring the state to constantly add or revise its more than 4,000 job descriptions."

So here's a thought, how about we hire 20 people, pay them $100,000 a year and revise all those pesky job descriptions - saving the taxpayers about $514 million a year. Oh, wait. That's what we would do in private enterprise. And that, America, is why government is the problem.

BRIAN BAKER

Santa Rosa