City Compensation
Worth A Close Look
Editor:
Last week’s letter in your publication by Naomi Dodge commended Ocean City Council member Mary Knight while discrediting Council member Margaret Pillas and Veronica Potter, a letter writer who supported Pillas’ efforts to obtain the total compensation paid to various Ocean City employees.
Ms. Dodge believed that Pillas’ efforts were a waste of time and money because once a year local publications contain this information. However, the annual publication that Ms. Dodge refers to is just the Ocean City employee’s salary information. What Ms. Dodge failed to recognize is the factual distinction between an employee’s salary, the dollars paid to an employee, and compensation, salary plus benefits paid by the employer for the employee. Council member Pillas wanted, and eventually received, was not only the employee’s salary but also the added costs of benefits the employees received. Generally, the total compensation may be at least 15 to 25 percent higher than the salary paid to an employee.
What really annoyed me with Ms. Dodge’s opinion was when she commented in her letter “who cares if certain [Ocean City] employees make more money than the average statistic…” Informed taxpayers should always be concerned about the various ways any government spends taxpayers’ money.
If Ms. Dodge’s thinking is indicative of the type of people who support Council member Knight’s positions, I prefer to be on Council member Pillas’ team.
Amanda M. Garber
Ocean City
Keep It Simple And
Recall American Way
Editor:
As is often been said, "You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich." For over 150 years our country has welcomed immigrants from socialist countries where they were fleeing burdensome taxes and high unemployment. Many generations ago the labor unions were needed to help the under privileged gain a decent standard of living.
Now, the unions and our government need to realize they are killing the goose who laid the golden egg. Our jobs are being out-sourced to other countries. Socialism doesn’t work for the rich or for the poor.
Over taxing businesses who create jobs, taxing the so-called rich so they cannot leave their heirs the money they have worked for all their lives, taxing the middle class so they cannot send their children to college and enslaving people with the welfare system is not the American way. To me, it is so simple.
Joan Vetare
Berlin
Red Cross Benefit A Success
Editor:
On behalf of the fundraising committee of the Lower Shore Chapter of the American Red Cross, the staff and board members would like to extend their sincere thanks to all supporters of our recent Fire & Ice-Salute To The Troops Red Cross benefit. We hope that our guests, especially our military honorees, enjoyed the action packed evening.
Sincere thanks to Joe Reinhart, Chef Larry and the staff of the Ocean Pines Yacht Club, for the fabulous catering, and the special accommodations needed to put on such an unusual affair. Also, special thanks to Jill and Todd Ferrante of Park Place Jewelers for their generous donation and wonderful assistance with our Fiery Diamond Hunt.
We would also like to than the following businesses for their generous Hole Sponsorships and wonderful Silent Auction donations: Planet Maze, Stoli Vodka, Michael Lollar of Patriot Construction, Howard Eales, Inc., E.S. Gregory & Associates, Fager’s Island, Princess Royale Hotel, Embers, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Smith, Steve Hoeck the Sign Guy, O.C. Fishing Center, Dr. Julie Hattier, Classic Baskets, Carrabbas, Links at Lighthouse Sound, Mancini’s, World Gym, Galaxy 66 Bar & Grille, Hampton Inn, Fountains of Salisbury, Original Smith Island Cake Co., Grand Hotel, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Rudnick, Creative Day Spa, OCPHC, Flowers by Alison, Sea of Seductions, Oasis Touch Free Car Wash, Oasis Travel, Macy’s, Marlin Moon Grille, Grove Market, Hall’s Restaurant, Comcast Spotlight, Greene Turtle, OCDC, The Woodlands, the Harrison Group’s Oceanfront Hilton, Old Pro Golf, Krista Radena of Longaberger Baskets, Liljenquist & Beckstead Jewelers, Delaware Elevator, Builder Marketing Services, Bank of Ocean City, Mary Beth Lindsay, M.D., Patricia Ilczuk-Lavanceau, Gillis Gilkerson, Interior Savvy by Dave Laubach, Dough Roller, Carousel Hotel, Calvin B. Taylor, Hardwire, Inc., Ocean City/Berlin Optimist Club, Dr. Lawrence Barrett II, BB&T, Coastal Planning, Buddy and Laura Jenkins, Sharon and Newt Chandler, Mr. Ray Grant, Parties Your Way, Delegate Jim Mathias, SDHS ROTC, Andrew Heller and his SU student actors, Eastern Shore Quartet, Sarge Garlitz, DJ Wax and Linda Dearing of Copy Central for our beautiful programs.
And finally to your news organization for the articles, coverage and support that you show for the Lower Shore Chapter of the American Red Cross. We are sincerely grateful.
Committee members Patti Miller, Alison Sappington, Stephanie DeRito, Cynthia Walston, Madaline How and Sophia Lanza
Stimulus Money Not
Helping Little Guy
Editor:
The little guy loses again.
I am a working man with a family and a house here on the Eastern Shore. Due to the economy, my source of income slowed (I work construction) and then I became ill with MRSA and my income stopped for about two months.
During this time my credit card payments fell behind and went into collections. Mind you though my house payment never went late. I have been with GMAC Mortgage for six years and have never been late on a payment and felt with their stimulus money I could refinance and pay off all my credit cards and lower my mortgage payment. Wrong. They only have money if your credit score is high enough, not whether you have been a excellent customer of theirs for many years. They say my credit score is too low due to the collections on my credit cards. I countered that if they refinance me I would have no credit cards in collections and actually have to pay less per month, saving my house from going into foreclosure and placing me in a much better economic picture by increasing my credit score. Sorry, not able to help was their response. Proves that the big banks are still doing business as usual.
If you need money, they don’t have it for you. If you don’t need it, you can get as much as you want. While I’m still stuck in a catch-22, big banks continue getting stimulus money to help themselves and still they stick it to the low man on the pole. We really are headed for a depression when business is conducted like this.
Gary A. Michael
Ocean Pines