By John J. Duncan Jr.

duncanj@knoxfocus.com

During my entire 30 years in Washington, I saw two things over and over: 1) The easiest thing in the world to do is to spend other peoples' money, and 2) It was impossible to satisfy the government's appetite for money – they always wanted more, more, more.

This nation is a mind-boggling $31.5 trillion in debt and in a very vulnerable condition financially because for many years most Democrats and a few Republicans seemingly have had no qualms about spending money we do not have.

What we really need in this country is more elected officials with the courage to occasionally say no, stand up for the taxpayers, and insist that our government – at all levels – live within its means.

At the national level, Democrats are insisting that not only can nothing be cut, but that we must continue to increase spending on everything. Their solution is to print even more money and inflate our way out of any problem.

Throughout history and all over the world countries have tried this with disastrous results. Most African nations and other third-world countries have gone the inflation route.

Even many educated and once-prosperous nations have tried this, too. In the late 1980s, inflation got so bad in Argentina that they had to raise prices in the grocery stores every four hours. Inflation got so out of control in Germany in the 1920s that the economy completely shut down, and it gave rise to Hitler.

I am not one bit surprised that the Democrats in Washington are still demanding increased spending because they always have. But this will create even more inflation, and inflation has often been called the cruelest tax of all.

I am very surprised, though, that a similar thing is happening at the local level with the Knox County Sheriff demanding a 30% pay raise for deputies. I don't believe I have ever heard of any government agency – federal, state, or local – asking for such a huge one-time raise.

I supported the sheriff in both of his elections and even did a TV ad for him. My late wife, who was confined to a wheelchair at the time, called everyone she knew – which was a very long list – to ask everyone to vote for the sheriff in his first campaign.

But if we gave every, or even most, government agencies and their employees immediate 30% pay increases, this nation, this state, and/or this country would be in very serious or even worse trouble.

I have not talked to Mayor Jacobs about this, but I assume he felt he was being very generous in recommending an 8% pay increase for deputies when all other county employees were being offered 3%.

When I was growing up, my brother and sisters and I were taught to have great respect for law enforcement. During my 16 years as a lawyer and judge, I treated all policemen and deputies with great respect and made sure they were treated that way in my court.

Thus, I am still grateful that when I first ran for Congress in 1988 almost every member of the Knoxville City Police Department and the Knox County Sheriff's Office signed ads endorsing me.

I have spoken out many times about our law enforcement money being out of whack with some federal officers being paid too much and those who serve at the much more dangerous local level being paid too little.

I support the generous 8% pay raise recommended by Mayor Jacobs, and I have supported every raise our deputies have gotten over the years, but 30% is too much.

According to information from the mayor's office, if the 8% raise is accepted, then patrol officers would have received an increase of 25% since he came into office a little over four years ago. Knox County deputies have also received $6,000 in cash bonuses since then, too.

The mayor's proposal would mean that patrol officers would start at $48,399 ($63,303 when you include benefits), and experienced officers are paid much more. According to the Chamber of Commerce, the median income in Knox County is $41,200.

I once read a Bible study that said if you were not grateful for your job, think how you would feel if you were fired that day.

I like the sheriff personally, and I like and appreciate every Knox County deputy I have ever met. I am sure that most of them are very grateful for their jobs.

I don't blame them one bit for trying to get the biggest raise they can. But I hope they will think about the fact that very few people in Knox County are getting 8% raises this year, and I know of none who are getting 30% raises.

I have driven by two schools recently that had signs out for Teacher Appreciation Days. I taught school many years ago. I have had many teachers in my family, and I am married to a teacher now. I am all for Teacher Appreciation Days, but I think we also need "taxpayer appreciation days."

I think an 8% pay raise for deputies shows appreciation for them in a significant, meaningful way.

It is certainly understandable that the sheriff would play to his main audience – the deputies he works with every day – and want to do as much as possible for them. But once he assumed office, he became obligated to also remember the 490,000-plus Knox Countians who do not work for the sheriff's department, many of whom have a hard time paying all their taxes.

I know it will take courage for Knox County Commissioners to not vote for a 30% increase with a room full of deputies present. But I hope the commissioners will show appreciation for the taxpayers, too.

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