Waterloo Records
Let Them Eat Cake
RECEIVED Mon., Oct. 7, 2019
Dear Editor,
On Oct. 6, county attorney candidate Dominic Selvera pledged to donate 25% of his salary to charity once elected. Mr. Selvera explained, “Earlier this summer, the Travis County Commissioners Court decided to give themselves and other elected officials huge raises for fiscal year 2020 after complaining all year about pending budget constraints during the fight for a public defender’s office. This new raise occurred after giving themselves raises the year before as well. The Travis County attorney is set to receive a raise of $22,176 in fiscal year 2020. There are a number of local organizations that [are] working hard to improve the lives of those in Travis County and because I believe that these raises are hypocritical, I have pledged that if elected, I will donate 25% of my salary each year I’m in office to four local charities. Out Youth and Lone Star Victims Advocacy Project will be two to receive donations in first year.”
I urge all candidates and elected officials to follow the lead of Mr. Selvera. We need our leaders to understand the basic needs of all residents in order to properly represent us – the higher their salary, the further away they get from our reality.
Gov. Abbott, who recently threatened to send in DPS troops over the homeless in Austin, makes $153,000. Perhaps he wouldn’t be so quick to judge if his rent weren’t paid for by the state. After all, the average salary for people in Travis County is a measly $33,000.
We must elect candidates who are not above us. Let’s be sure we don’t have officeholders proclaiming “let them eat cake” to the homeless camps. Let’s have elected officials we can be proud of, and who stand to represent all people with fairness, justice, and equality in mind.
On Oct. 6, county attorney candidate Dominic Selvera pledged to donate 25% of his salary to charity once elected. Mr. Selvera explained, “Earlier this summer, the Travis County Commissioners Court decided to give themselves and other elected officials huge raises for fiscal year 2020 after complaining all year about pending budget constraints during the fight for a public defender’s office. This new raise occurred after giving themselves raises the year before as well. The Travis County attorney is set to receive a raise of $22,176 in fiscal year 2020. There are a number of local organizations that [are] working hard to improve the lives of those in Travis County and because I believe that these raises are hypocritical, I have pledged that if elected, I will donate 25% of my salary each year I’m in office to four local charities. Out Youth and Lone Star Victims Advocacy Project will be two to receive donations in first year.”
I urge all candidates and elected officials to follow the lead of Mr. Selvera. We need our leaders to understand the basic needs of all residents in order to properly represent us – the higher their salary, the further away they get from our reality.
Gov. Abbott, who recently threatened to send in DPS troops over the homeless in Austin, makes $153,000. Perhaps he wouldn’t be so quick to judge if his rent weren’t paid for by the state. After all, the average salary for people in Travis County is a measly $33,000.
We must elect candidates who are not above us. Let’s be sure we don’t have officeholders proclaiming “let them eat cake” to the homeless camps. Let’s have elected officials we can be proud of, and who stand to represent all people with fairness, justice, and equality in mind.
Ryan Pollock
