Workin' for a Livin'

"If I work really really hard for a private company, I'm considered a good worker and a hero. If I work really really hard for the government, I'm considered a leech on the system and I'm taking advantage. Sadly, I am starting to get used to being treated like a villain. But all I really want is to get paid for the work that I do." ~A State of California (Department of Transportation)Employee

It's important to remember that we sometimes don't see the whole picture. We need to realize that we don't have all the facts. Perception is not always reality. And contrary to the old saying, ignorance is not bliss. There might be something you don't know about a certain situation. And if you were further educated about it, you would have a very different perspective.

Imagine being hired to do a job. You have been college educated for this position and passed a very rigorous screening process to qualify. And you work your tail off to excel at your work, often working above and beyond your official duties. Soon, you become capable in all facets of your job, even your boss's job. You are so good at your work, not only do you "earn your own keep", but you literally save your employer tens of thousands of dollars. Your work is difficult both mentally and physically and you are constantly in danger of physical harm. You commute over an hour both to and from work. And often at the end of a 12 hour day, the cell phone continues to ring. And you answer it. Because the job demands it. The work is challenging, the days are long, but you do it because you deep down inside you actually love this job, and you are compensated well for it.

And then things change.

Your pay is cut. And that overtime you put in? Yea, you are still gonna need to do that--but you will no longer be paid for it. In fact, they require you to work some days with no pay at all.

And the public?

The public thinks that you're lazy.

That you're a mooch.

That you don't deserve all your "perks". They think you should have your pay cut. In fact, many outright say you should be fired. And not only does this cause you to merely feel unappreciated, but vilified.

That's the common experience lately for many State government employees.

We've all heard the cliches. "Ten guys standing around one shovel." And we think that's reality.

What we don't see are the faces of all the hard working individuals that help provide those things which we so readily take for granted.

We don't feel that punch and that pull from both sides that they do:

"You're working too much."

"You're lazy."

"You earn too much."

"You need to get this emergency job done now because a whole town has been cut of from the world and they're running out of food and fuel."

"This road is trashed and full of potholes!"

"It takes too long to wait for this road construction!"

The message is: "Do whatever it takes. But not that."

And we forget that state workers are tax payers too. That even though we cut their pay, they still have bills of their own, just like the rest of us. Mortgages do not go on furlough. There is still the need to put bread on the table. Not looking for welfare, just wanting to be paid for an honest day's work, not a mooch on the system, but the very backbone of it, these are the hard working men and women who keep us moving.

"Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid so they can keep on doing the work God intended them to do." Romans 13:6 (NLT)

There is a lot that I wish that government would just get out of our way and let us take care of ourselves. We can be quite resourceful when we need to. For example, I do not feel the need to have my garbage and recycling services mandated to me, right down to how I prepare items before I put them into the bins. However, there are some things that I truly appreciate that government provides for me that I would not otherwise be able to accomplish. Law enforcement. Defense. Infrastructure.

And it is my opinion that not paying workers, government or otherwise, is not only illegal, but unethical and immoral as well. There is a word for uncompensated labor and it's called slavery.

"Do not take advantage of a hired man...Pay him his wages each day...because he is...counting on it. Otherwise he may cry to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin." Deuteronomy 24:14, 15 (NIV)

"Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight." Leviticus 19:13 (NIV)

"'So I will come near to you for judgement. I will be quick to testify against...those who defraud laborers of their wages,' says the Lord Almighty." Malachi 3:5 (NIV)

"Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation." Romans 4:1 (NIV)

"Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty." James 5:4 (NIV)

I do believe that there is a lot of waste in government, and that waste should be trimmed. Let us look closely at what we need and what we do not need. And let us do that with an eye for what would be best for the people as a whole. It would be in our ultimate best interest to have qualified, driven and successful people doing the work of our state. The very least we can do is justly compensate these folks for their hard work. That, and be grateful for their labor.

If you have questions about things you see, ask them. Learn more. Educate yourself about what goes on at a job site. Leave your prejudices and worn out cliches behind. You might just be amazed at what you learn and walk away, or rather drive away on a nice smooth road, with a new appreciation for what you've seen.

"Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Take note of the highway, the road that you take."

Jeremiah 31:21 (NIV)