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Today's Poll: Do you think public employees should be allowed to receive performance bonuses?

By Howard B. Owens
Lisa Falkowski

It's not that I don't believe in performance bonuses, but -
1. We all get paid to do a job.
2. A bonus should not be so much it could feed a third world country.

How about -
1. a pat on the back?
2. a small gesture of financial appreciation?
3. pride in knowing you've done what you were hired to do?
4. a transfer or move up the ladder?

Mr. Hyde may very well have done a good job, but this bonus is not appropriate in the eyes of today's economy.

Dec 22, 2011, 8:16am Permalink
Dave Olsen

It's like my friend, John Roach said on another thread; (paraphrasing) As long as we keep electing people to the County Legislature who will keep doing the same things, the same things will keep happening.

Dec 22, 2011, 8:50am Permalink
Ed Gentner

There is no good reason that public employees should not get performance bonuses as an incentive to provide superior or outstanding service on the job. Most public employees work hard at whatever job they are assigned often times under difficult circumstances and in less than pleasant conditions. A good example is the efforts on the part of public employees who respond to disasters, clerks and support staff, not just the first responders but those who work in other sections of government that rarely requires the long hours or challenging environment they are put into. Then there are the outstanding civil servants who go beyond the minimum in offices everyday at the county clerk's office or motor vehicles. My experience with public employees from the clerk in the village office to those in the federal government has taught me that for every slow-walker, pencil-pushing, clock-watching, dip-*#@& that provide the anecdotes and tales of waste, fraud and abuse there are hundreds who keep the system working, the garbage collected, the fires put out, the social security checks on time, and your mail delivered.

Dec 22, 2011, 10:51am Permalink
John Roach

The GCEDC board approves the amount for bonuses. It then gives the boss a certain amount, in this case $72,000. It then has the boss decide how to give away the rest, and he can give it to the same people that gave him his money. What a great deal. I give you a bonus and you give me one.

Dec 22, 2011, 11:28am Permalink
Jeff Allen

Ed makes great points. Many public organizations are top heavy with administrators and redundantly tasked positions. Public entities are full of hard working folks who do work worthy of bonuses everyday and do so in environments full of asinine rules and policies and yet when there is a measure of success in the organization, it is those who create and feed the bloat that enjoy additional spoils.

Dec 22, 2011, 11:50am Permalink
Mark Potwora

I can see some low level public employees make some sort of bonus,But when you get someone like Mr.Hyde who is allready very well paid .120,000 dollars a year he does not need a bonus..I don't see him giving money back when they don't meet there so called goals..Also who sets these so called goals,I call it doing the job you were well paid to do..The county should not be funding this...

Dec 22, 2011, 12:29pm Permalink
Doug Yeomans

My performance bonus after 19 years of service is that I get to keep my JOB. We used to get a $100 card for Top's grocery store if we had perfect attendance but we don't even get that anymore. When you are given a job, you're supposed to perform it well and to the best of your abilities.

Dec 22, 2011, 12:59pm Permalink
Jeff Allen

Total amount of my bonuses after 23 years of service = $0. I entered into a contract with my employer to perform a service. I perform it to the best of my abilities and as compensation for my work, my employer pays me the agreed upon amount, no more, no less. My personal reward comes from the pride I take in my own work. Perhaps a better use of incentive dollars would be adding that amount to next years operating budget (non-salary) allowing more work to be done in bringing jobs to Genesee County. The incentive for many public administrators is the opportunity to build an impressive resume on tax payers dime and turn that into lucrative private sector prospects where the sky is and should be the limit.

Dec 22, 2011, 1:37pm Permalink
terry paine

My interpretation of Mr.Upson's comments: "Mr.Hyde you did such a great job relieving a small handful of corporate entities from the oppressive tax system. In return, lets take another $70,000 from the dumb, oppressed tax payers as a reward. Should any of them have trouble paying their share of this windfall, we have the full force of the system
to ensure they are locked up where they belong. That will teach them for needing us."

Dec 22, 2011, 2:02pm Permalink

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