STOP THE FLAG LOWERING AND RAISING for STATE EMPLOYEES

Washington State, no one denies, is a union-Gestapo state. Okay, Big Labor Democrats deny it. In this environment, a pro-union governor whose hands are tied (fortunately) by budget shortfalls which the public will no longer tolerate raising taxes to fix, can’t stop issuing proclamations slobbering over the state work force. If you can’t pay ‘em; praise ‘em. One of the tricks in her bag is her ordering the lowering of state flags to half staff when an employee dies at work. This includes police and fire fighters, over which she has no direct authority but who are lopsided in their contributions (forced from all in the ranks) to all things Democrat.

I am a state flag ascender and descender (I love fancy titles)and wonder if we should not have the flags motorized, like a garage door opener. It might save millions or – yes - trillions of dollars in the salaries of the employees raising and lowering the flags. Yes, even salaries like mine!

What irks me is the message that we as government employees are more important than the rest of the public. We are not! We are not special and we are not heroes. Flag lowering used to be an honor bestowed only upon long time and accomplished public servants. There are no heroes in any paid ranks. Fire fighters and police are paid beyond what is reasonable. Death and injury are a part of those jobs and if the risk is too great, they need not apply. This is America; until Obama is through with us we still have choices. The prison guard who was recently killed? I am sorry for her family (The prison guard is not concerned about the incident any longer), but we should NOT lower the flags in her behalf. Now, had she, off-duty, pulled an unconscious person out of a burning car on the freeway, she would indeed be a hero. The difference is that pulling the person from the car exposed her to great risk for which she was not paid. Still, we do not LOWER the flags for public sector employees – at all.

I work for the state. I have a desk job but what happens if a runaway computer monitor falls on me and kills me; am I a “fallen hero”? I don’t think so!
Fire fighters; police, prison guards and highway flaggers are not heroes; they are doing simply what they are paid to do.

Knock it off. Leave the flags up and stop placing public servants on pedestals.

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