I have been a social worker with Child Welfare Services (a.k.a. Child Protective Services) for over ten years. Currently, Santa Barbara County is proposing cuts that would total a 16.76 percent cut in my pay. The members of our community are being mislead into thinking that, by making these cuts, the County is addressing the concerns voiced by the community about overpaid county employees with their “big pensions.” However, the cuts proposed affect only those of us who are already on the low end of the pay scale. Those in management positions, those who have six figure salaries and who receive bonuses, will not be taking any cuts at all. In addition, the Board of Supervisors is being misled into thinking that, by making these cuts, the County is doing what they can to address the County’s deficit. However, what the county is doing is taking advantage of the current economical and political climate and the cries for pension reform and they are making a big show of “digging deep” and “making big cuts. In actuality, the proposed cuts would end up saving them only 0.1 percent. Is it reasonable for the County to continue to give managers six figure salaries, with bonuses on top, while they suggest that I take a 16.76 percent cut to my $60,000 a year salary?

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