Federal employees make less than private counterparts
Re: “Want to get rich? Work for feds,” editorial, April 29
Your editorial once again makes a superficial and simplistic analysis of average salaries, erroneously concluding that public-sector employees earn more than their private-sector counterparts.
The only meaningful way to compare public and private compensation is by looking at comparable work. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has taken a detailed look at the actual work performed in a given job and the location where it is performed. It concludes that the actual pay gap ranges between 22 and 26 percent in favor of the private sector.
Both the Federal Salary Council and the President’s Pay Agent have used BLS survey data to come to the same conclusion: Federal employees could earn more in the private sector than they do in the federal work force.
Instead of advocating a reduction in “lucrative government compensation,” you ought to celebrate having a skilled work force performing dedicated service for the American people.
Colleen M. Kelley
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Sensational headline implies victim was at fault
Re: “Murdered principal called sex chat line,” May 4
Why was this the headline used for a news article concerning the arrest of four individuals in connection with Brian Betts’ senseless murder? I am sure thousands of people use a sex chat line on a daily basis. Your headline suggests to readers that Mr. Betts did something wrong.
From what I have heard from his current and former students and co-workers, Betts was an outstanding educator. More importantly, a good person who touched many lives in a positive way is now dead. Let him have some dignity.
I know the news media often use headlines to draw reader attention and increase sales for advertisers. But is this type of headline really necessary? When are we as a society going to stop blaming the victim?
Hugh Fox
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