Dear Muskegon Chronicle

Dear Muskegon Chronicle Publisher and Editor Keep,

I have read that you offered a pay cut to columnist Tracy Lorenz and he has chosen to pass on your offer.

I've always enjoyed Tracy's columns but I understand that companies must make tough decisions during hard times if they expect to remain in business.

I've also read that you've imposed significant layoffs of staff, early retirements, cuts in pay and mass firings of school age newspaper delivery kids.

I can only assume that you and the top level staff of The Chronicle have endured similar pay and benefit cuts.

All of us in Muskegon understand (well, most of us) what President Obama and Governor Granholm have warned is to come.

More hard times.

Most of us in the real America are experiencing real pain and making some of the same tough choices that you and your company have made.

But not all of us.

Those on the public payroll.

Education union members, city, county and state union members all seem immune from that disease that plagues the rest of us in the real America.

There really are two Americas.

We who toil in the private sector and those who live off our hard work.

We cut back. They get guaranteed annual step-ups in pay.

We cut back. They get annual cost of living increases.

We see our retirement savings shrink. They see their retirements as guaranteed and larger every year.

We find we must work for more years than we had planned before we can retire. They concoct bogus schemes to increase their retirement income, retire earlier and tell us toilers that it will "increase jobs".

We make tough choices in our life insurance, accident insurance and health insurance plans. They demand guilt edged, low co-pay, low deductible plans that funnel money to their politically connected union bosses.

We see our companies get lean and mean (just like your company, Mr Keep). They tell us if we don't give them more of our money WE will suffer cuts in services like school roof repairs, road repairs and police protection.

Mr. Keep.

If you really do care about our community, please address the widening gap between our two Americas right here in Muskegon!

Our ever-decreasing incomes are stretched to the limit as the public sector demands more and more of our hard earned pay.

Isn't it time that your newspaper exposed the true disparity that is the cancer that may destroy our community?

You have made the tough decisions!

We are making the tough decisions!

Why are education unions and the public employee unions immune from joining us all in fixing our shared challenge.

Mr. Keep,

You and your newspaper are the only voice we, in the other America, have left.

Please help us now.

GordoMuskegon