THE JOB

  My old friend and associate Dave Johnson sent me this e-mail:

  Thirty-six years ago today, I joined Collier SO.  In those days, you almost couldn't give the jobs away.  Poor pay and mediocre benefits.  I was an 18 year old wet-nose, still 3 weeks from graduating High School and they hired me anyway! My nickname was "Pampers", which were a novelty then.  I remember my dad almost kicking my ass for taking a job as a Deputy.  He knew what real life had in store for me. 

 How funny it is today that jobs with CCSO are all but unobtainable--much coveted for the decent salary and outstanding benefits--but no damn money to hire anyone with! Hundreds of applicants in stand-by mode.  Government jobs are now the cream of the crop--a complete turn from the early 70's when you were one grade below washroom attendant.

 His missive caused me to ponder. When I joined the NPD it cost me $100 a week in salary. I was working in the missile industry on Project Mercury. But I hated the work, wanted to be a cop. 
  Of course, money went a lot further back then. We bought one of the model homes in the new Brookside Village. It was $9,995. But, we couldn't scrape up the $300 down payment and had to take a second mortgage. Yep, the money went further, but not nearly far enough.

  Chester Keene sent me his first pay stub from the NPD. He started on June 4, 1965 and was paid, for two six-day weeks, $166.62. That's gross, net was about $150. See why there weren't many takers?

  Now, as Dave mentioned, Gale Addison, who is Personnel Director for the CCSO, says the lines are long and the competition fierce for the jobs. Incidentally, Gale is really the Human Resources Director but I can't say that name without thinking of the movie Soylent Green wherein people were turned into food. Or, human resources.

 And I bet you thought this was gonna be a serious piece.