Columnist Ruthe Deskin: Aghast at six-figure salaries

Ruthe Deskin

Thursday, April 24, 2003 | 8:16 a.m.

My goodness. For Heaven's sake. Oh, my.

This being a family newspaper, my initial reaction to the detailed listing of public employees making more than $100,000 a year had to be toned down a bit by substituting the above for several much more forceful epithets.

We've all heard of the "trickle-down" theory. This is "trickle-up."

Most taxpayers, including this one, were astounded and overwhelmed by the number of public employees in higher income brackets.

How in the world did the cost of government get so out of hand? No matter the justification offered in defense of these salaries, it would be my guess that half of the beneficiaries do not deserve that kind of remuneration.

The fact that these salaries do not include health benefit packages nor retirement plans is cause for concern.

As these high-salaried employees opt for retirement, the cost to the taxpayers of sustaining both employees and retirees will be horrendous.

What to do about it? Gripe for a time and then it's laissez-faire -- let it be.

Consideration can be given to salary limits, across-the-board raises and a comprehensive study of compensation packages.

Unfortunately, the old adage of "What goes up, must come down" doesn't apply here. What goes up just keeps going up, and the average guy making $40,000 to $50,000 a year bears the burden.

Part of the aging process is that feeling of time passing swiftly.

For example, it is almost May and it was just January a short time ago. There isn't even time to remember what happened yesterday; although I do have a vivid recollection of Easter several years back.

It was an event planned in good faith and ended in chaos.

At the time I was working in publicity at the Last Frontier Hotel. The sprawling buildings and spacious lawns of the hotel and the Last Frontier Village were ideal for the annual Easter egg hunt so eagerly awaited by children of Las Vegas.

All the preparations were made. Entertainment Director Helen Connors rallied her troops to hide hundreds of colored eggs. Chef Irwin Schneider was assigned the task of egg preparation.

The day of the big hunt was weather-perfect. Everything went without a hitch. Moms and dads gave toddlers an assist as the older kids went off on their own.

Suddenly the air was pierced with a strange sound. Larger boys were hurling eggs at each other, which wasn't too bad until we realized the eggs were not cooked.

Somehow a batch of Easter eggs got colored, but not boiled. They were scattered around the Last Frontier grounds and became the ultimate prize for the egg hunters.

The scene was chaotic. Little girls in pretty Easter dresses had egg yolk spattered down the front. Boisterous boys were enjoying the entire affair as they aimed the uncooked eggs at innocent bystanders.

In a matter of minutes the Last Frontier annual Easter egg hunt was canceled.

It was quite a day, and I imagine there are a few longtime Las Vegas residents who might recall the last great egg hunt at the Last Frontier hotel.

Those were the days, my friend.