A Eugene resident has also taken offense to Al Pettit’s tasteless representation of public employees as “comfortably living off the backs of others” and written a terse rebuttal in the Register Guard. Another public employee, Randy Sanne, recently called for Pettit to be expelled from a county advisory committee tasked with making departments more efficient.

Public employees aren’t parasites

As a public employee, I find it appropriate to remind Alan Pettit (letters, Aug. 23) that everyone lives off the back of someone else in one way or another. That’s how societies work.

Public employees are not parasites and, unlike some members of his tough private sector, we do our level best to provide services that the people of Oregon actually need. And most of us do so, I might add, for significantly less money than is paid for similar work in that glorious private sector.

Pettit also should remember that part of his beloved private sector is entirely responsible for the latest recession and economic downturn. (Yes, government deregulation had something to do with it — at the ceaseless importunities, financial and otherwise, of, yes, the private sector.)

If Pettit is looking for a scapegoat for our economic woes, as a member of the private sector and (presumably) the voting public, he needs to do one thing:

Take a long, hard look in the mirror.

MICHAEL E. STAMM

Eugene

Hopefully the commissioners will have the class and the character to remove Pettit from the committee.

(hat tip/dragon)