Duane Tron: Where does this stupidity emanate from? It's time to dump the mindset of entitlement and privilege!

Duane Tron to John Curry, November 21, 2008
Subject: Re: Looks like we're getting some national attention...the "big boys" read this rag

John,

Since when do we pay people bonuses to do the jobs for which we hire them? Just a question? If it requires paying people bonuses to do a job above and beyond expectations then we should approve bonuses for every classroom teacher, because if we don't, they won't do a good job educating our children? We should pay police and firemen bonuses in order that they do a good job patrolling our streets and saving lives. Our military deserve huge bonuses or they might not want to go into combat and do their very best to win??

Where in the hell does this stupidity emanate from??!! In other words if we expect to get the best from anyone, in any job, we need to pay them bonuses above and beyond the salary we hired them to work for! How utterly asinine!

I spent a lot of years serving this country in the Navy and I made very little money to place my life on the line, and I did so above and beyond what was expected. I never expected, nor would have asked for a bonus for doing my job. I spent 20 years as a volunteer firefighter, and member of the EMS, and we weren't even paid for our services most of those years. We didn't expect a bonus let alone being paid for placing our lives in harms way, for placing our lives on the line.

I guess we must have been way below the best at what we did since we were so stupid that we worked without pay, let alone a bonus??! My wife is the best at what she does and she doesn't expect a bonus and once in a great while she receives one and we are thankful! We don't expect it and are thankful when she gets a small bonus.

Where has all of this stuff gone wrong? Where did we become so crazed and stupid about bonuses for doing OUR job, for doing that for which we are paid, jobs for which we know what the salary is when we're hired onboard? They can accept the salary or they can turn it down and go elsewhere. I am having surgery December 16, so I guess I'd better ensure that all of the doctors and nurses are provided bonuses or they might not give their best and it might cost me my life?!

Bonuses? Bonuses? Bonuses? Bonuses? I have a word of advice for ALL Americans! Just do the job you were hired to do! Just do the job you're being paid to do! And do it to the best of your ability! In the classroom my bonus was just knowing that I was the very best at what I did and proud of it! I never gave anything less than my very best for my students and the idea of a bonus never crossed my mind! I never worried about putting in as many hours as I needed, to do the best job I could!

Now everyone knows why Wall Street is all screwed up right now! Now we know why our economy has tanked and things are going south! The people running everything think they should get bonuses in addition to good pay or they aren't going to do their best and give their very best! If investment staff want bonuses they should get a job waiting tables and then they'll be rewarded on the basis of the service they provide.

When they draw six figure salaries they don't need bonuses and we shouldn't be paying them! My advice to them?! Just do your jobs and if you don't like it get another job and go elsewhere! There isn't a single one of them who can't be replaced! There are so many unemployed investment brokers across this country right now we could replace them with people just as good, and maybe better, and tomorrow!

It's time to dump this mindset, of entitlement and privilege, that's been groomed and screwing the American people during the past 30 years! This is precisely why we're in the mess we find ourselves.

Duane Tron
St. Paris, Ohio 43072