Other working people aren't the problem

The Dana Summers editorial cartoon that you published on Dec. 8 completely misses the point. It depicts a government employee panhandling from an unemployed panhandler. I assume your point is that public employees should shut up about having their wages frozen because many others are out of work. Look, we public employees get it. Private sector workers are dealing with very difficult times.

It does not have to be this way. Private sector businesses enjoyed record profits in the third quarter of 2010, yet many remain unemployed. The wealthiest Americans refuse to give up their tax breaks to help close our federal budget gap. The same holds true for the wealthiest New Yorkers.

This cartoon would have made more sense if the government employee and the unemployed private sector worker were reaching out to some jewel-encrusted wealthy individual, asking for a penny for their thoughts. Unfortunately, that is the real situation, but it isn't very funny.

Carol Ferrante

South Huntington