Most of UNM employees’ raises go to parking fees

Editor,

I am very upset about the parking pass increase. It seems every time we get a raise the fee for services that should be free because I work here — like parking — is increased.

We got a 6.5 percent raise and the parking is increased by 5 percent. Wow, I really got to enjoy my pocket change! Of course, my health benefits went up too — again — but I can’t fault Parking and Transportation Services for that.

Why is a person who makes $18,000 in the same categorical increase as someone who makes $50,000. I don’t know about the person who makes the latter, but I assure you I will miss the $240 more than the person who makes $50,000 a year will. I don’t want to pay more to search for a space each morning because someone who isn’t paying for parking decided to “just park here instead.”

I challenge you all to find a better system and stop siphoning off my little bit of a raise by trying to make it seem as if I have gained something when, in essence, I am just returning a portion of my raise back to the UNM machine.

-Jocelyn Gamble

UNM employee