GILMER--Upshur County Libertarian Party Chairman Vance Lowry told his party's monthly meeting here July 10 that county employees who think their pay is too low should seek employment elsewhere.

Lowry attended a recent "town hall" hosted by Upshur County Pct. 2 Commissioner Cole Hefner, where several persons expressed concern about employees' salaries and/or benefits. Many of those attending were county employees and their relatives.

Lowry did not address that meeting, but said that if he had, he would have told the county workers, "If your pay's so low, go find another job."

"Government employees in general have always accepted lower pay for job security and better benefits. My contention is the benefits now are way out of whack to what the private sector's paying in benefits," he argued.

Lowry said that "to hold elected officials hostage" for pay increases is "an insult to the taxpayers who don't get that benefit of negotation."

Local Libertarian Sheri Little, the party's nominee for the State Board of Education in the November general election, said that in lieu of raising taxes, the Upshur County Commissioners Court should "use the emergency fund until somebody comes up with a better idea."

On another matter, Lowry said Libertarian Presidential candidate Gary Johnson would campaign in Texas Aug. 14-20, including stops in Dallas Aug. 15 and Ft. Worth the 16th.

Local Libertarian Allen Weatherford meantime said Libertarians planned to stage a July 16 protest at the Cable News Network in Atlanta over its purported failure to give Johnson coverage.

Weatherford also condemned the Texas "voter ID" law which has been the subject of a federal trial, saying it is a "solution looking for a problem." After 13 million Texans voted in the 2008 Presidential race, Weatherford said, only five accusations of voter fraud were brought, with no resulting convictions.

Also attending the July 10 Gilmer meeting was Charles Parkes of Smith County, the Libertarian candidate for District 6 state representative against Republican candidate Matt Schaefer. Parkes was recently elected and Lowry was reelected to the partys state executive committee, and plan to attend its meeting Aug. 4 in San Antonio.

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Libertarian Chairman Sounds Off About Upshur County Salaries