This is Walt Mack.

Public Service Recognition Week runs from May 4th through the 10th.

The purpose of Public Service Recognition Week is to honor military, federal, state, county and local government employees whose hard work has made our government the best in the world. Yet Governor McCrory, state legislators and those Republicans seeking election to the U.S. Senate are demeaning and disparaging public servants by their words and action.

For example, is proper recognition being shown to our teachers by making them among the lowest paid in the nation?

Is respect being shown to our men and women in the Armed Forces who are being discharged only to find they can’t get a job to feed their families or receive proper medical care after ten years of futile wars?

And imagine for a moment that all Federal Civil Service jobs were abolished, and the 2.1 million civil servants were fired. What kind of America would this be? It would not be the number one nation in the world as we know it, but rather a third world nation at best.

All of the entitlement programs and services that we believe are rightfully ours – Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid would be taken away from us. So would affordable health care. Our beautiful National Parks would be defiled and exploited by profiteers decimating forests, plundering natural resources and drilling for oil. It’s a grim picture, but our Public Service workers keep this apocalypse from happening by contributing their skills and dedication to ensure local, state and federal governments function efficiently and effectively.

So let us all celebrate Public Service Recognition week and salute our loyal and dedicated civil service employees who are vital to America’s greatness.