To the editor:

The nation’s unemployment rate increased in May to 9.4 percent.

That statistic does not include discouraged workers — people that have given up looking for work out of frustration — or part-time workers wanting to work full time. Including those groups into the unemployment statistic moves the number up to near 20 percent. In this environment where many families are struggling to make their monthly mortgage payment, to have such a lopsided vote by the Mehlville Board of Education raising the salaries of administrators exceeds the bounds of pragmatic reason.

In the future, the swelling number of unemployed living in the district might not be so quick to give a free pass to those guarding the tax dollars earmarked for public education.

After all, the unemployed have more time on their hands to read the Call and stay informed on who is giving a rubber-stamp approval for salary increases.

Victor Wendl

Oakville