To the editor:

As I write this, the Cape Coral City Council will hold a Committee of the Whole meeting on April 10. One of the items to be discussed is a re-write of how the Mayor and Council get paid. Subject to some political pantomime, the proposal would basically allow them to set their own salary. Nice work if you can get it. I mean, even Marcel Marceau — the great French pantomimist himself — would have difficulty being so ridiculous.

Instead of letting our part-time hired help set their own salaries, why not tie that salary to an independent standard? How about the Council’s salaries being one-third of the Lee County Commissioners’ base salaries (i.e., roughly what it is now)? Or, double the base salary of Florida State Representatives (i.e, roughly what it is now)? Even, one-tenth what is paid to the President of the United States (i.e., roughly what it is now)?

OK, lemme put it this way: would you hire a contractor to replace your roof and then allow him to set the price after he has begun?

(No? Quelle surprise!! I didn’t think so).

Larry Gillis

Cape Coral

PS: FYI, I attended the COW meeting on Wednesday. I will add that the Cape Coral City Council is a highly important part-time policy-making body, elected directly by The People. It is not management. The members should be paid appropriately, because as noted in 1 Timothy 5:17, “A workman is worthy of his hire.” With all due respect to Timothy, that still doesn’t mean that the workman gets to fix his own salary. A fair independent measure would be so much per each resident of the city.