Letters to the editor for Dec. 27

Please keep us safe

In October, the state Supreme Court ruled that personal information about public employees, including our birth dates, is subject to public disclosure.

I’ve been a Healthcare Analyst with the Department of Health for nearly 20 years. My work’s sole purpose is to help communities without adequate access to medical care to start getting better resources. It’s challenging, but I love it.

I’m also a single mom, and I have a special needs son at home. I don’t want to give anybody my personal information. If someone used my birth date to access my credit, run up bills in my name, or steal my identity, it would destroy us. I don’t have unlimited funds or time to spend trying to restore lost resources.

I was very upset to learn that an anti-union group is putting my safety and my family’s safety at risk in their campaign to destroy public employee unions. Our union is the only way we can stand up for what we need, like fair pay and health coverage.

I have issues with anybody who is requesting that sort of information about me or my coworkers.

The temporary restraining order granted to prevent our birth dates from being disclosed is not enough. I urge state legislators to pass House Bill 1888, a law that would provide government transparency while keeping my information private and my family safe.

Witnesses

Here’s what I just don’t understand.

Suppose you were driving a car one evening with some friends who were also your employees. During the time you were driving, a hit-and-run accident happens in the area where you were, the car involved was the same make and model and color as yours, and there was damage to your car that matched. You claim to be completely innocent.

So here’s my question. Why wouldn’t you want the people in your car to testify? If you are innocent, why wouldn’t their testimony exonerate you?

Why won’t Trump let his friends and subordinates testify?