A higher calling

I read a couple of columnists (Melanie Sill and Ted Vaden) in the Sunday News and Observer. They said some things which caused me to change what I was preparing for you this week. Kudos.
I will say some things which some of you will disagree with. I make no apologies for that. To do less would shame this newspaper.
As is our responsibility, I call on our town board to make the “right” decisions for our town as they consider the coming budget. I cast no illusions. I believe these are troubling times ahead for the town, and I believe it will take men of courage to do the “right” thing.
What is the “right” thing, and why do I put it in quotes? For some the “right” thing is always clear. As long as you agree with them, you are in the “right.” For many of those people, the right thing is always cutting taxes, or at the very least not raising them. Clear cut and simple, right?
Before I soil my roots and my heritage, I was raised in those traditions. I believe well meaning people too often, particularly at the federal level, have believed that the federal government was better at spending money than individuals are, and they have labored long and hard to make money decisions for people before they had the chance.
While I still hold to those beliefs, I have found that there are times when it is for the collective good, the “right” thing, again just sometimes, for the government to make investments. I try to secure my wallet when I hear of that, but nonetheless, there are times when it is warranted, at least in this man’s opinion.
The Princeton Town Board is faced with the decision to raise taxes. I think it is a given that taxes will have to be raised, and I’m sure that has some on the town board, maybe all on the town board, cringing a bit at those who will offer their criticism of any such move, convinced they are “right” and the town board is “wrong.”
The board can try to get by with as few of cents increase as possible, but I ask them to consider getting by with as little as “humanely” possible.
I was reflecting earlier about the number of town clerks we have had working for the town in recent years. I can name four without trying. In fairness, two were near retirement age, but still, four?
How many police chiefs can you name? Some of those were good guys I would have liked to have stay.
You want to talk about maintenance workers?
Is the town better served by having new people working here every few years? What does it say to those who look to come to work for the town?
Let me offer a few reflections. It gets frustrating when you are trying to do a good job and you are constantly training new people. It sends out a bad signal when those who have been there longer are leaving because they aren’t getting treated fairly. It gets old when you get told over and over again, even though you are doing a good job, you won’t get a raise because there isn’t any money for a raise.
For those of you feeling justified with those words because they apply to a public employee, put yourself in your job experiencing that. Just because someone works for the taxpayers doesn’t make it right.
So I don’t sound above the fray, let me say I made some recent tough decisions around here. We let a man go, who was doing a good job, not because we wanted to, but economics dictated it. Sure, I could have endangered the long-term health of the company, or I could have asked everyone to take a 10% cut in pay, but I will ask many of us to work harder to make up for the loss. If we wallow in economic hardship for long, we won’t be in any better shape than the town is. My experience is that some will endure a hardship for a while if necessary, but it gets old.
We lost another employee, and while I have worked hard to ensure that everyone feels confident after the changes we made, I don’t know that his leaving wasn’t at least in part a lack of confidence in our emerging a strong company.
That brings me back to the revolving doors in Princeton, where new people are always seemingly coming and going. Is the Town of Princeton a good place to work? Does the town board truly appreciate those who work here, more than just signing a proclamation saying they do? Or would they rather train a new group of employees who will work cheap?
I believe the town board is a good group of men who try to do the “right” things for the Town of Princeton. I believe they serve for all the best reasons. I believe they want the best for the taxpayers of Princeton.
As they consider the new budget, I ask them to consider “Do unto the town employees as you would have your employer do unto you.” There’s something Golden about that.
They’ll work with you, but saying “there’s no money to pay you” is getting old, and it’s starting to stink.