BILL PAULOS COMMENTS ON RECENT EVENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY

To Whom it May Concern,

Please pass along this letter to the Parish Council and anyone else you feel may have an interest.

As a member in good standing for many years of our community, I would like to commend the Parish Council for their stand to bring our community back into financial solvency.  The decisions necessary to run our community without debt are difficult, emotional and exactly correct.  It is far past time to make the decisions which will leave our children a community without debt. 

It is my personal opinion that, if the recent Parish Council decisions hold, there will be an increase in stewardship.  I’m aware of many parishoners who have withheld funds due to lack of support of the leadership in this community and the direction it has taken for many years.  This is an opportunity to change the trajectory of our community through avoiding debt and balancing our budget.

The decisions facing our current Parish Council are not unlike the decisions which have been faced by many thousands of businesses and organizations in the past decade.  If these organizations wish to live past tough economic times, they need to make decisions which unfortunately affect the lives of their employees.  Those unwilling to make these decisions do not survive.  I support the decision to survive and thrive.

These economic decisions are far greater than any individual.  We all soon shall pass.  Our great community must survive. 

Our Parish Council did more for our priests than almost any organization facing tough economic times.  They offered them 60% of their current wage. Ask any of the millions of American workers who have been laid off of their jobs in the past decade if they would accept those terms.  My opinion is that almost all of them would take reduced salaries over being laid off.  Why do our employees feel they are any more special than any other worker who has been asked to do more for less? Or, worse yet, asked to leave their job for no pay?

As a funding member of this community, I recommend that we expect our employees to do their job for the pay we can afford to allocate to them.  It is completely their prerogative to show up to work and do their job.  If they choose not to do their job, they should not be paid a penny.  Period.

If they choose not to do their job, we must move on.  This will afford our community a fresh start.  As I understand it, these are pretty good jobs; even at 40% reduced salary. These are salaries many in our community would love to have.  This childish, petulant behavior must not be rewarded. 

Please stay strong in your decision. I, for one, support the Parish Council. 

Sincerely,

Bill Paulos