Direct your anger
Another letter from a hardworking restaurant employee chastising the patron for not paying their wages. Oops, that's right, the patron isn't the proprietor and not the one that should be paying those wages.
I believe servers work hard for their money, and I do tip. I don't believe that disgruntled servers should blame the public for their lack of wages. Place the blame for not making a decent wage on the place that employs you.
I don't know when or how this tradition of paying servers a subsistent wage and bullying the patron to make up the difference started, but I would be more than happy to pay more for the food I order if the restaurant owner would pay at least the federally mandated minimum wage.
I know my letter isn't going to change the system allowing restaurants to get away with paying next to nothing, so I will continue to tip. But every time I am told it is my fault that a server can't feed their family it makes me want to lower my tip amount because I am insulted and I object to being falsely accused.
Servers, direct your anger in the right direction; at your employer.
Cynthia Mayeaux
Williamsburg
If it doesn't work ...
In medicine, if an appendage is non-viable, it is amputated.
If a tree has a diseased limb, it is removed.
So it seems correct to assume that if a government has a non-productive branch it, too, should be removed.
In Michigan we have a full-time Legislature getting full-time wages and benefits while the people of Michigan face the highest unemployment in many years.
I move that our legislative branch volunteer to accept part-time pay and benefits.
Heck -- let the Congress work for part-time pay and no health care coverage like many Americans and we will see just how productive our government can be in finding a solution to our current health care crisis.
Walt Pomianek
Traverse City
Will donate cost
I wholeheartedly agree with the Feb. 23 editorial, "with health care costs spiraling and many of the people who pay the county board's salaries going without coverage themselves, giving Commissioners full-time health benefits is just wrong."
That's why Commissioners Maxbauer, Stepka, Friend and I have consistently attempted to eliminate this perk. Unfortunately, we have been on the losing end of 5-4 votes.
As has been reported, I do accept the health benefit from Grand Traverse County for myself.
Last year, from February (when I became eligible for the County plan) through December, I wrote a check to the Traverse Health Clinic for $368.49 each month, which is the County's cost of my health insurance.
This amount increased in January 2010 by $22 a month, and I am now sending checks to the Traverse Health Clinic for $388.63 each month.
I don't believe County Commissioners should receive free health coverage, with or without a small co-pay.
But as long as it's available, and as long as I'm a commissioner, I will donate the entire cost of the benefit to the Health Clinic, whose mission is to serve the ever-growing population of uninsured citizens of our community.
Ross Richardson
Traverse City
The writer is a Grand Traverse County Commissioner.
Why not natural gas?
I do not understand why, in the debate about whether to build a biomass plant in the Traverse area, natural gas is not being considered as a power source.
With biomass there are concerns about the quantity of wood needed, where it will come from, and whether future supply can be guaranteed; the number of trucks needed on a daily basis to deliver the fuel and the associated congestion and wear on our roads; where and how to safely dispose of the mountains of ash the plant will produce; the health affects of air-borne soot and particulates; the fact that a biomass plant will likely produce as much air pollution as a coal fired plant, etc.
None of these issues exist with natural gas.
Natural gas is twice as clean as coal and Michigan was identified in a recent Wall Street Journal article as having abundant supplies.
Could it be that it is not considered because it is not considered a renewable fuel? I would like to see natural gas much more widely used for power generation -- as an alternative to coal and/or biomass -- or a public explanation of why it is not a good idea.
Al Evans
Suttons Bay
Reno 911 could help
It is my feeling that the law enforcement officials of Grand Traverse County could use a refresher training schedule regarding protocol at traffic stops and auto accidents.
My suggestion is to utilize the television show Reno 911 as a training video. Both departments share many similarities ... hilarious!
Tassie Belanger-Uryasz
Traverse City
Plan short-sighted
I attended the biomass meeting at the Hagerty Center. It was quite apparent that Traverse City Light & Power was going to go ahead with trying to build and run a biomass plant here no matter what the residents of Traverse City wanted.
I am appalled at how short-sighted this plan is.
We would be on the cutting edge if, instead, Light & Power Co. spent their (our) dollars on retrofitting the dams on the Boardman River and installing at least eight to 10 wind turbines in Leelanau or Benzie Counties.
We don't need to put them in Lake Michigan. Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota and Montana built their turbine farms on dry land, so can we.
Joy Platteborze
Traverse City
'Swimmers-only' city?
Traverse City should give up its bid to be designated a "Coast Guard City." Instead, consider alternatives such as "world's largest swimmers-only zone messed up municipality."
Grant Mendicki
Traverse City
