My opinion in regards to the issue about Bell officials and others in similar situations …

I have read quite a few articles and it seems that most are about how public employees and their retirements are abuse of the system.

But the real abuse being done is by the high ranking officials. The average public employee does not get 47 percent increases in one year, which is something that does not get mentioned in your stories.


It is the decision-makers who abuse the system and not the average public employee.

– Carlos Gonzalez, Marin

I wish that you would clarify something while media outlets (including PublicCEO.com) revel in the apparent over-whelming excitement that’s being expressed by inundating us all with horror stories from the evil City of Bell; the majority of public employees are self-less, hard-working public servants, and are not like the people who ran Bell (who were, in fact, top management and administrators, and not the rank-and-file staffers).

Is there corruption and greed in the public sector? Of course. But most of those who get into local government do it to serve, not be rewarded. I think that message gets lost when all people see is the glut of negative stories, such as the stunning amount of press the media has given to the City of Bell.

While I condemn the actions of the employees of Bell, I have to admit that I am puzzled as to why this story is given so much press, yet the state legislature, and their federal  counterparts, have been wasting taxpayer money for decades, and that doesn’t seem to be a story anymore.

I think all those in the legislature up-in-arms over the City of Bell, should take a look in the mirror, and explain how they’re any different!

Joe, Sacramento area


Send your letters to the editor at jspencer@publicceo.com