THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, February 27, 1995 TAG: 9502240025
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A6 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 41 lines
As a reader of your newspaper, a registered voter and a state employee, I write regarding Governor Allen's proposed plan to ``downsize'' state government by turning over to the private sector some of the functions now performed by state employees.
He says this will save the state money. No way. In all probability it will end up costing the state and Virginians more money in the long run.
You get what you pay for. Three former Virginia governors stated that Allen's plan for Virginia would wreck our economy. But Allen still wants to lay off state employees.
I have been a state employee for more than 30 years. Never have I had to worry about job security until now. In past years, the state took our pay raise. Another politician is trying to take our jobs. Whenever a politician talks about cutting anything, the first thing mentioned is our jobs.
I enjoy my job. I am proud of the service we provide the public. The experience and training that we have received over the past years is something a private contractor could not bring to this job and do as well as it is now being done.
This governor has only three more years in office, then he is gone. But the damage he does while still in office may take another four years to correct. The legislature rejected Allen's budget proposals. Allen remarked that the citizens would get them back in November.
In November I will vote for any candidate who is against George Allen and his Republican regime.
Now is the time for those of us who care about our jobs to come together to defeat any move to give our jobs to private contractors.
C. W. CATLETT
Portsmouth, Feb. 3, 1995 by CNB