Editor,

Seriously? The Island Transit Board of Directors wants to “ask for overpayment back” from Martha Rose? This is why I, and many others, loathe self-serving politicians. I was the finance manager for IT for 11 years before I retired in January of 2010. The person who replaced me was the one who did not have a handle on IT’s cash and ran us into the ground. Although the board and state auditors sacrificed Martha, I am here to tell you they also did not see the problem. And we pay the state auditors tens of thousands of dollars annually to find and report these types of problems to us.

In the 11 years I worked with Martha, plus the five years since I’ve retired, she not once, ever, requested a contract raise. She only received the cost of living increases all the rest of us received. And if you ask the Washington State Patrol folks who did the audit on her vacation usage, they will tell you that she worked remotely almost every day of her vacations with her family through the years. I did several wage surveys over the years and Martha and I were both paid from 15 to 35 percent less than comparable transit positions in Washington state. Although she would periodically upgrade my level to get me closer to the average, she never upgraded her position to be more in line with the other transit CEOs.

She is well known for being super frugal with taxpayer dollars and never thought of herself. She has become one of my best friends because of the selfless warrior of the people that she is. Shame on those of you who conveniently forgot that.

SANDRA KUYKENDALL

Retired CFO, Island Transit