Letter: Disparity in pay reveals misguided priorities

Friday, July 21, 2006 | 7:48 a.m.

On July 18 the Las Vegas Sun ran the story, "Putting out the welcome mat."

It's a story of what the Clark County School District does to welcome new teachers into the district. This story talked about one of their new teachers, an ex-Marine, who will be a driver's education instructor. This new teacher will be paid $38,000. It would have been $33,000, the starting salary for new teachers, but he has a master's degree and experience.

Now I take you back to another story that appeared in the Sun on July 14, "Builders get their pick." This story also features the Clark County School District, but instead of talking about teachers, it talks about the competition they are in with casinos and builders, both commercial and residential, for contractors and their workers.

It's a story about supply and demand, and the School District is paying top dollar to build the new schools and support buildings they need to keep pace with continuing growth in Clark County. The article talks about a young man (six years out of high school) who is working as a plumber's helper and being paid approximately $46 per hour (roughly the equivalent of $92,000 per year).

Before I go any further, I applaud both gentlemen in their endeavors and wish them both the best.

But what does this say about Nevada when we pay more to those who work on the buildings our children learn their lessons in, instead of to those who work in the buildings educating our children once those buildings are done?

We need to get our priorities straight around here.

John A. Liveratti, Carson City