Political candidates should promise to freeze salaries

With election time near, I would offer a little mentioned problem. It is not high taxes we are subjected to but the excessively high cost of government that upsets me.

That fact hits home when I see that Jerry Clements is running for elective office once again. This is the same man who hired a consulting firm to study pay scales of other counties shortly after he was elected. Wonder of wonders, the consultants found Bonner County's pay scale was low compared to other counties. An astute official would have surmised that other county's pay scales were too high. But he gave himself a raise, along with all the other newly elected officials, who knew what the going rate was before they were elected.

In an effort to hold down the excessive cost of running our county, I would ask each candidate to promise to maintain the existing pay scale while they are in office. I'm not talking about the pay scale for the hired employees, I'm referring only to the elected officials. During this campaign, I hope that each candidate will favorably and publicly respond to this consideration. Yeah, and I also hope to see pigs fly.

BILL GOLLIN

Hope