Coupeville: Mayor's raise not deserved

Coupeville’s town council decision to hike the mayor’s pay with benefits is outrageously insane and should be rescinded and reconsideration made in using the pay hike for an incentive in the 2004 mayoral election campaign. The mayor’s higher-than-average salary sends a bad message to all employees, especially those in Town Hall who don’t make as much working 40 hours a week in more demanding positions. The thing that bothers me is so many employees have to work for less, but the mayor wants more pay for allegedly working 20 hours a week when 8 hours is all that is called for.

It is a shame that the town council fails to recognize a self-serving vision and has blinders on to the future of Coupeville. Sometimes leadership requires actually leading with ideas and not just posing for the sake of political positioning and self gain.

It’s indubitably astounding that the present mayor has somehow found a way to work the words “salary increase” and “fair compensation” into her remonstrations. However, you may find it even more astounding that she says that this is the best of all possible worlds and that she is the best of all possible people. That’s her unvarying story, and extremely insane. Unfortunately, it is accepted unquestioningly, uncritically, by council members and lackeys.

Each council member has to look in the faces of Coupeville families as well as themselves in the mirror and ask if they stood for what they truly believe in, and what was right for Coupeville. Or will they soon after making this premature decision realize that they were manipulated and mislead and have created yet a bigger monster in the Coupeville government.

It is not a hard decision. But someone on the town council has to be grounded in reality before a proper and prudent decision is made. There has to be a reliable governing body here in Coupeville and it is not with the current cast of characters. But maybe with a qualified and experienced mayor or city administrator there can be.

If you are stimulated by new ideas, and if you can think for yourself rather than simply accept what is thrown out, I think you will find this letter of interest.

Mark Stup

Coupeville

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