Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM JULY 6 - 12, 2022 UCW 5 President Ronald Reagan once quipped, "e nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government, and I'm here to help." Certainly good for a chuckle, but also enormously insulting to public service employees, 76,000 of them in North Carolina, according to the Of- fice of State Human Services. If you live in Cumberland County, the chances are good that you, some- one in your family or a friend is a state employee. Cumberland County is well within driving distance to the Triangle, home to our state capital and the workforce that supports state operations. In addition, various state depart- ments and agencies have offices all over North Carolina, employing work- ers at all levels, including hundreds in our community. Most of them take their job re- sponsibilities seriously while under increasing pressure and enjoying little public support in this era of anti-gov- ernment sentiment. More and more public service employees at the state and local levels are deciding with their feet and taking their skills and experience elsewhere, many enticed by higher pay in the private sector. While the Office of State Human Resources touts 76,000 state employees, the current reality is much different. e News and Observer recently reported that the current vacancy rate among state agencies is now 21%, with almost a quarter of all jobs unfilled. ree years ago, that rate was 12%. COVID probably accounts for some of this, but for whatever reasons, the number of state employees has dropped from 61,800 in April 2020 to 57,200 today. Ronnie Condrey of State Human Resources told e News and Observer that unfilled jobs and high turnover are a serious problem for our state. "We spend a lot of time training people, and they turn around and use that elsewhere." It is hard to blame them. Private sector jobs traditionally pay more. Public sector jobs generally come with more job protections and more generous benefits, although those have waned in recent years. At the end of the day, though, public sector pay has to be enough to live on, and that simply is no longer the case in North Carolina and many local communities. e North Carolina General As- sembly has enacted a 5% pay raise for most state employees over two years, which is significantly lower than the current inflation rate. Cities and coun- ties are scrambling to give raises as well, but even when there is the will, the way is difficult in poorer commu- nities. Other factors affecting the public workforce include aging public em- ployees and a younger population that is more mobile than ever before. I cannot speak for you, of course, but I want and expect certain services from my government at the local and state levels. From the state, I want the roads my family and I drive to be safe, well- maintained and patrolled. I want the schools my grandchildren attend to have well-trained teachers and administrators and enough of both. I want North Carolina prisons to have enough corrections officers to keep themselves and those in their cus- tody safe. I want adequate numbers of health care professionals at state facilities to provide care to people who need it. From local governments, I want law enforcement officers to show up when we need them. I want someone to an- swer my 911 call in a timely manner. I want safety inspections for buildings, bus drivers for public transit and life- guards at public pools. I am also grate- ful for public parks where families can enjoy each other and public libraries we can all explore. I will go out on a limb here and speculate that you want those services as well. ey are not the "help" Ronald Reagan joked about so cavalierly. ey are the services that keep our com- munities safe and the amenities that make them attractive places to work and live. If we want to keep them, we must insist our state and local decision- makers fund them. OPINION MARGARET DICKSON, Columnist. COMMENTS? Editor@ upandcomingweekly.com. 910-484-6200. We must insist lawmakers do the right thing by MARGARET DICKSON C u st o m C a teri n g by T w o B r o t h ers Private Romantic Aordable Specializing In: Weddings, Corporate Events, Holiday Parties, Special Banquets & More! eVineNC.com or TwoBrothersCateringNC.com 806 Katie Street Fayetteville NC (O Owen Drive behind O-Reilly's) Custom Catering By:Two Brothers Call us to schedule your next event! Call 910-584-9892 Serving You Since 2004 910•484•6200 for EDITOR position APPLY TODAY! NOW HIRING NOW HIRING For more information, call email your resume to editor@upandcomingweekly.com