Re: 'FPUD, employees at impasse over raise' [Village News, 10/7/10]

The story by Joe Naiman stated that the FPUD board of directors would defend in court its refusal to give FPUD’s hourly paid employees a cost of living adjustment.

However, FPUD’s board of directors willingly provided “staff” (AKA FPUD management) an increase in salary of 2.5 percent. In my opinion, if hourly paid employees are not paid COLA’s, then management should not receive any salary increase.

Social Security recipients and federal retirees did not receive COLA’s for 2010 even though the overall cost of living increased by 2.7 percent because the Fed’s claimed “no inflation occurred.” If the Feds make their people suffer, then, to be fair, everyone should suffer, including FPUD’s management team.

A recent article in the San Diego Union-Tribune states FPUD’s Keith Lewinger receives $279,922.17 in total compensation for managing “9,065 meters served and 12,830 acre-feet of water sold in FY2010.” This is about three times the salary of the mayor of San Diego, and Lewinger’s compensation is the third highest of 16 small water districts in San Diego County. How many Fallbrook ratepayers make $280,000 a year? FPUD’s GM only spends about one day/week in tiny Fallbrook for approximately one-third of a million dollars/year and he doesn’t even live in Fallbrook to experience the living costs of his management.

Archie McPhee