Re: Staff Unappreciated

Mike Fetzer | Sep 19, 2024

I agree with Ms. Jo Devries that action by public employees to close a dump for five hours early on one day in recognition of Staff Appreciation Day was incredibly insensitive. Imagine the stress and fatigue associated with loading your vehicle with trash and waste, only to find the dump had closed a few hours early! The only thing more distressing is a citizen’s rage at public servants enjoying a modest expression and celebration of appreciation for their public service lasting for as few as five hours, when even a full day off would have been a more appropriate, albeit still meager, expression of thanks. Yes, public servants receive pay for their work, but their compensation is usually modest compared to private sector pay, and they are much more susceptible to insult and outrage from the population at large, and more limited in options for responding to abuse by some arrogant, self-entitled taxpayers. Admittedly, and perhaps hypocritically, I am lambasting my postal carrier for his failure to remind me that Labor Day was a no-service holiday. I walked all the way up and down my driveway to retrieve mail, only to find none. I’m still raging…further fueled by the township’s non-pickup of my trash that same day!

Mike Fetzer