According to news reports, some members of the City Council think they have great rationales as to why they deserve a 64% increase in salary. I’m sorry but I, along with many others on Oahu, do not agree with the rationales: that the job is really a full-time one, the raise would attract more qualified people from the private sector to run for office, etc.

I believe this raise would more likely attract those who are out for the money, instead of those who truly wish to serve. Except for City and County leadership positions, show me other public servants who are receiving such boosts in salary. If this is going to help our City Council members do a better job, how about raising all public servants’ salaries so that they can also do a better job?

To me, this is just another rip-off of public funds at a time when there are too many needy families who deserve better.

The City Council has had wonderful caring and committed people who truly served, such as Patsy Mink and many others. I doubt very much that this raise alone would result in bringing about similar memorable performances. Some current City Council members seem to be deaf to the voices of the people as well as to the neighborhood boards, and are just digging in their heels to obtain more money before they have proven they deserve it. Generally, most salary increases depend on prior performance.

City Council members are elected officials, a different category from general public servants. Even though they have special duties to accomplish, their prime duty is to represent their constituents, rather than just themselves! Some current members may feel their job requires their full-time attention. However, they do not work alone. Note that each Council member has at least four aides (some up to six) who do a lot of the footwork for them.

The Council also selects staff for the Office of Council Services, which “provides comprehensive research and reference services for the City Council, conducts research for the enactment or consideration of legislation, and serves in an advisory or consultative capacity to the Council and its committees.”

Among the reasons given by some Council members to justify the pending increase in salary is that their work really needs to be full time in order to truly solve many of the current issues facing the city, and if this happens, none would hold an outside job. Does this mean that if all civil servants’ salaries were also increased by 64%, they would also do a better job? I believe that a great majority of public servants are primarily committed to serving our community, and the majority of them are doing the best they can, even under current staff shortages.

Rather than addressing the salary issue being raised by the public, the lack of facilitating proper public input has led to many more questions as to why the Council is not willing to ethically deal with this very controversial matter; instead, it continues to pursue an unsubstantiated salary increase with little regard to public opinion.

I am not against a reasonable salary increase, across the board for everyone in government, especially during this time of heavy inflation. However, City Council members do have a great deal of supportive services and aides to assist them in their work.

Therefore, I believe that a 64% increase in salary at this time is just ludicrous and beyond reasonableness.

Wahiawa resident Dina Brown is a retired government administrator and former university lecturer.