I just saw a recent clip of Congressman Cliff Bentz being interviewed on CNN.  He seems to have no empathy for federal workers who are losing their jobs. He also dismisses the vital services provided by people working in federal agencies.

He said that many people who are upset about losing federal jobs are themselves federal employees. How about the rest of us who will lose their services? He mentioned that in Eastern Oregon federal jobs are sought after, high paying jobs. 

I spent my career as a firefighter for a local agency. Anecdotally, I knew that federal wildland firefighters did not make much money. Doing a search on USA jobs you can find few openings to check on current salaries for wildland firefighters. This one came up:  Wildland Firefighter (Assistant Engine Captain), starting at $44,117/yr. This is not an entry level position, so I don’t know what an beginning wildland firefighter is currently being paid. The point is that $44k/year is not a “high-paying” job.

Rep. Cliff Bentz needs to re-evaluate his perception of federal employees and speak up for them instead of downplaying the contributions they make to our communities.

Manuel De Aquino

Ashland