Linn County voters deserve more, supervisors less

I cry “foul” in regard to the recent Linn County Supervisor vote, which was unanimous to raise their own salaries nearly 5 percent.

Supervisors now make $125,967 a year, or a half a million dollars every four-year term. There are no term limits for supervisors. How many of millions of dollars have supervisors made over the years? How long does it take you to make a million dollars?

Supervisors make about $63 an hour. Average workers in the area earn $18 an hour. Supervisors make more than 3.5 times the average taxpayer. Do they work 3.5 times harder or longer? Louie Zumbach continues to farm and Ben Rogers found time to finish a master’s degree. Good for them, but not so good for Linn County taxpayers.

Supervisors complain about their workload. But how can supervisors in good faith promote “equity” and reduce poverty while making more than 10 times the income of a single person living in poverty and more than twice the average household income of Linn County residents?

Why do we continue to support supervisors, candidates and programs that reflect systemic inequality, which is elitist at worst and disingenuous at best?

Supervisors cannot continue to enrich themselves while purporting to help others. Inform your vote, Linn County.

Wendy Hartman

Cedar Rapids