Letters: Reader calls Gavilan official’s raise ‘outlandish’

Reader upset about Gavilan board president’s response
Dear Editor,
I read with interest the Gavilan Board President’s article in the Free Lance (Nov. 22), concerning the Gavilan superintendent’s new salary. The article was a futile attempt to justify to the public that raising the superintendent’s salary by an outlandish amount was the right thing to do.
Clearly it was not the right thing to do and I don’t believe the public is convinced either. Although Dr. Kinsella has done a good job during his term, now was not the time for a raise of this size.
I believe there were several things notably missing in her article:
First, nowhere in the article was it noted what his new salary would be. His contract states that effective January 1, 2012 his salary will increase from $234,090 to $255,090. He also receives $12,000 per year as an expense allowance. The total pay he actually will receive for 2012 will be 255,090 plus $12,000 for a total of 267,090 or more than a quarter of a million dollars!
Secondly, nowhere in the article does it state what percentage increase he received. He received a 9% increase for 2012. What percentage increase did the employees of Gavilan College receive? I believe it was a 2% raise. The superintendent received more than 3 times a percentage increase than the employees. Is this how you build trust in the administration?
The board has put the college negotiating team in a very difficult position. How do they explain to the bargaining unit why they received a 2% increase while the superintendent received a 9% increase? When times are tough and the state decreases community college’s funding is not the time to give outlandish raises under any circumstances.
After looking at the comments on the internet about Dr. Kinsella’s raise, I know that I am not the only one in opposition to this unnecessary raise. What ever happened to common sense? Is it any wonder why people are upset here and throughout the country?
Aurelio Zuniga, Hollister
Occupy Gavilan College
Dear Editor,
I do not pretend to understand what motivates the Occupy movement. It does seem to me that if they object to outrageous salaries for CEOs, they should occupy Gavilan and West Valley colleges.
Robert Gilchrist Huenemann, Hollister