LETTER: Government unions and the coronavirus crisis

I agree with Art Kane’s Monday article which points out that public-sector unions are fighting coronavirus budget reductions by local governments, placing their interests ahead of the public interest.

I think about all those small-business owners and the men and women trying to provide for their families while at the same time upholding the public employee system via their tax dollars. They don’t receive the nice compensation packages that are common for those whom they’re helping support, yet they’re the backbone of our local economy, especially when tourism is flat. Some of these folks may lose their businesses and others may not be able to return to a job.

Union officers justify the compensation disparity between public and private workers by citing experience, education and skill sets of the former. I worked on numerous political campaigns in my former hometown and was offered a job each time our candidate won, whether or not I was qualified. Those who took such jobs were known as political hacks, and I assume it’s no different in any other town. I didn’t accept the offers.

When I moved to Las Vegas and applied for work with local government for a job that I was highly qualified to do, I was told point blank by one interviewer that this was a “good old boy” town where you had to “know the right people.”

While I’m certain we have many fine, qualified public employees, I wouldn’t go so far as to place their qualifications above those of private workers and use that as justification for protecting their already generous compensation for serving the public.