I was both impressed and distressed by the recent editorial, “State school board hands out an ill-timed, unwarranted pay raise” (Aug. 13). Impressed by the thoughtful and detailed way The Sun exposed this unbelievable action by the Maryland Board of Education. And, of course, distressed by the poor timing of this action in light of all of the financial challenges facing many of us.
I have a family member with a new baby who is one of the state employees mentioned in the editorial. He is facing the loss of a planned pay raise as well as the real potential of an actual salary cut, as The Baltimore Sun editorial board notes. This unwarranted 17% bonus to Superintendent Karen Salmon is a smack to him and all of the thousands of hard-working state employees.
I am most distressed by the closing sentence: “This is one error that can’t be erased but can be revised.” This is not the time for the school board to be handing out early Christmas presents.
Charles Pepersack, Towson