Editorial: Two groups of employees

While teachers can look forward to a nice pay raise if Gov. Mike Easley's budget is approved by the N.C. General Assembly, the governor's spending plan contains little more than a snub for the rest of the state's work force.

Easley's plan includes a 7 percent raise for teachers and 6 percent pay increase for school administrators, but non-teachers will get only a 1.5 percent raise and a $1,000 bonus. That kind of disparity is certainly not going to build goodwill among the rank-and-file employees who actually run the state government.

The governor's $21.5 billion spending plan increases spending by $870 million over the current budget.

Easley proposes adding more than 750 new positions in state government, but calls for increasing the state taxes on cigarettes and alcohol to fund the teacher raises and pay for reforms to the state's mental health system.

Through its policies, this administration has created two classes of state workers: teachers and everyone else. The only folks who fare worse in this budget than state troopers, corrections officers and other second-tier employees are people who smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol. Quitting cold turkey may be the best remedy for all involved.