In a heated discussion between the council members and the audience, the Goodrich Village Council voted Monday to essentially freeze employees’ wages, at least until October, when the council will review the issue.

Councilmember Dave Lucik recommended a 2.5 percent pay increase to the village’s five full-time and four part-time employees to cover cost of living increases.

Councilmember Patti Wartella and most of the audience members that night were adamantly opposed to any wage increases — which would amount to about $21,000 total — citing tough economic times and cuts or freezes in their own wages.

Maybe I’m slightly more optimistic, but I don’t see how someone else getting a cost-of-living pay raise should be a great cause for concern. Even if I’m not getting a raise, I don’t get bitter towards those who do — we should all get raises, I say.

To keep good employees and keep them happy, regular raises or incentives are necessary, even in tough economic times.

I’ve been covering the village for two years now and I can say that I don’t know nearly enough to be able to run it on a daily basis. Neither does the council or many of the citizens who protest at the meetings.

If residents want services at the current levels, they have to be willing to pay. Pay the 2.5 percent; keep employees happy. It will cost the village less in the long run than diminishing morale, or worse, abandonment, from the employees.

Politicians failed us in Iraq proposal
Michigan’s own Sen. Carl Levin, and his colleagues in Washington really failed us this week.
After President Bush vetoed a war spending bill last week that called for specfic troop withdrawal dates from Iraq, Democrats returned with a weak follow-up bill. The new proposal includes a supplemental war financing plan and a condition that would call for the president to begin troop withdrawals by a certain date.

Except the bill contains a presidential waiver that allows him to ignore the withdrawal option, presumably to save Dems the embarrassment of another veto.

What the senators should do is use the opportunity — only 28 percent of Americans approve of the job Bush is doing - and tell Bush it’s time for him to come up with a definitive plan for ending the war and bring troops home safely.

They missed their chance with all the political posturing, designed to allow Dems the right to later say, “I told you so,” without really solving anything now.

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