Municipal Darwinism
To the editor:
After talking with my neighbor the other evening, I must admit that I have underestimated how cunning our city administration is. The city manager has announced a goal of increasing g the salaries of city employees to raise them into the25th percentile of government employees in the state.
This, at first, seemed curious to me. Why should the salaries of city employees be in the 25th percentile which the median family income of Cape Coral residents at $54,983.00 is slightly below the 50th percentile ($55,774) of state wide family incomes? It seems strange that those we employ should make significantly more than those who pay their salaries.
However, that is only half of the story. The administration is engaged in a plan to raise the income of the entire community. This will be accomplished via a two-prong approach. The first prong is to increase city employee pay. Having a work force of approximately 1,800, their increased pay will favorably impact the median income of the entire community.
The second prong is through ever-increasing taxes, fees and assessments (the UEP, Public Services Tax, Fire Assessment) to drive out the poorer elements of our community (approximately 14 percent are below the poverty level). Those who leave voluntarily or are forced out by foreclosure will be replaced by more affluent newcomers who can afford to live here. According to a real estate study we have a 28 percent turnover rate vs. a state wide rate of 19 percent. Over time, this will raise the Cape median family income out of the 50th percentile. It will take some time, however, for everyone to reach the 25th percentile goal set for city employees. This is a very imaginative method to improve the wealth of our community. Raise the salaries of city employees while simultaneously driving out the poorer elements who can no longer afford to live here and replace them with the more affluent. A very ingenious plan indeed! Everyone benefits except those who are too poor to remain. But, hey, that is the administration’s implementation of municipal Darwinism, survival of the fittest determined by wealth.
“Let them eat cake”, or as one Councilmember is reported to have said “if you don’t like it move to Lehigh.”
Do I need to tell you to go and vote them out?
Bill Deile
Cape Coral