Public Employees And Public Service

New York's subway system is mostly back in operation. New Jersey's not so much.

Half of the system's underwater tunnels (seven out of fourteen) were partially or completely submerged by Hurricane Sandy. The story has all the drama of a disaster movie with the added bonus that it is true. Today's New York Times tells some of the story.

I get a bit annoyed at confident assertions by Republican candidates, millionaires all, who have never done a dangerous days' work in their lives, that the "private sector" can do it better. Do what better? Why, anything, of course. Balderdash!

A Times reader from Massachusetts put the accomplishment in perspective:

"Going into a wet, dark, possibly electrified tunnel is beyond my abilities. I am not that brave nor am I smart enough to know how to fix it. So I would like to take a moment to celebrate the intelligence of what we typically call blue collar workers. Without these smart people who build and repair homes, cars, trains, roads, and all the devices we take for granted, the rest of us would be helpless. Intelligence comes in many forms; let's celebrate the hands-on form -- mixed with superior problem-solving skils -- that fixed the transit system of one of the world's most important cities. I hope that they get paid well for this! In fact, give anyone who worked on these repairs a jacket or something (after the extra pay, of course) so others can identify and thank them."

How many of the financial "geniuses" of Wall Street who brought our economy to its knees four years ago could make the slightest contribution to keeping our real systems going? Rhetorical question. We all know the answer. The "Masters of the Universe" don't know how to design or manufacture anything or indeed to make anything but deals. Why should they be so handsomely rewarded for what they do?

Better we reward people who actually produce useful goods and perform useful services. People who work hard and do challenging, often dangerous work on behalf of all of us.