Letters: Reader Feedback – 2007-06-01

Talent Search

Regarding the editorial, “Engineering Shortage: Employers to Blame?” (Editor’s Viewpoint, 05/07, p. 9), more people need to publicly make those comments!

I am an employer. I regularly search the National Society of Professional Engineers [salary survey] for what is reasonable pay for me and my only engineer employee, although it is nearly impossible to judge if the information is relevant to our situation.

I also feel the crunch about not being able to pay what I feel the work is really worth. But I also regularly ask my employee what he wants and try to meet those needs. It has never been that I am not paying him enough. Rather, It is always about quality of life issues.

I often feel, however, that I am not being compensated well enough for what I do and tend to blame it on our being a small firm operating in the Midwest—in the energy conservation field, which feels incredibly competitive in Wisconsin. But I do feel I am underselling myself.

I often hear the same reasons from others that you mentioned in your column, especially that the fee structure is too constrained. Looking at the way engineers in the related field of design are being beaten up on design fees from architects and owners, it is no wonder that there are problems all around. You get what you pay for. We have to avoid the Wal-Mart syndrome when it comes to compensation. Yet, it is seemingly impossible to do. Anyway, please keep mentioning it.

TED WILINSKI , P.E.WILINSKI ASSOCIATES INC.WAUWATOSA, WIs.

A Tax is a Tax

Your story, “Boulder Passes a Tax for Climate Action Plan” (csemag.com, 05/09/07), tells how the city of Boulder, Colo., passed a city-wide referendum establishing a charge on electricity users based on how much energy they use. The money will support an action plan to reduce global warming.

The goal, as for all climate taxes, is to raise taxes under the guise of doing something about alleged man-caused global warming. With industrial motors consuming nearly 50% of all the energy in the country, why is the rate for industrials the lowest, and the residential rate the highest? This puts very little incentive on the industrial businesses to increase their electrical efficiency.

RICHARD ZELNICK VIA THE INTERNET

Fire Study Questioned

Regarding “Study of Smoke Characterization Could Change the Face of Fire Safety” ( csemag.com , 05/09/07), with total disregard for fuel air mixture relative to BTU output, a controlled and staged temp/fuel/air mix in the combustion chamber, let us be kind enough to simply conclude the study method is a total disgrace to the professional community.

VIA THE INTERNET

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