The northwestern Indiana town of Merrillville is requiring its employees to take five unpaid furlough days this year, along with five more in the first half of 2010.
That amounts to about a 2 percent pay cut each year, which isn't bad in today's economy. Indianapolis Star employees have a new two-year contract calling for a 10 percent cut.
At least the city employees will have the benefit of days off to go with the pay cut instead of having to just work the same amount for less pay, the way the Star and many other employers do it. And perhaps Merrillville residents and officials alike will discover that 2 percent less government is not so bad.
Oh, ignore that last part. Wishful thinking.
