Questioning county raises

I read an article in the newspaper Jan. 15 where the Cape Girardeau County Commission gave the assistant prosecuting attorney, Angel Woodruff, a raise from $67,529 to $76,400, a raise of $8,871, which is more than 13 percent. Coroner John Clifton was given a raise from $37,500 to $41,250, an increase of $3,750, which is a 10 percent raise. They are increasing his office budget by $10,000.

For my Social Security this year I received a 1.7 percent raise, and then they raised my insurance so I only received $19.50 a month. Is that fair? And can the county afford these kind of increases? Probably not, because they turned down the employees of the sheriff's office asking for a 2 percent raise.

RONALD PARKER, Whitewater.