By SHARON HAGANS
It's easy to cherry-pick and compile a list of individuals from any particular group who have made bad decisions or acted inappropriately. D. Dowd Muska could have compiled a much longer list of CEOs behaving badly and considering the impact of their actions on our faltering economy it might have been a worthy exercise. Instead, Muska has indulged in the stereotypical attacks on union members that he has made his stock and trade.

This irresponsible propaganda serves the political agenda of special interests who are looking for someone to blame for our state's economic woes.

Yet Muska and his fellow “free market radicals” refuse to acknowledge that the real source is a regressive local property tax structure.

Worse, his rhetoric vilifies all public service workers in Connecticut.

As a 7-year employee of Mansfield public schools, I have actively participated in my union’s efforts to lead for reliable, efficient, accountable and cost-effective services in the face of shrinking budgets.

So I would like to offer my own list, demonstrating how we have brought state lawmakers, local officials, school administrators, and small businesses together with public service workers to improve the quality of all our lives.

In the past legislative session, state and local public service workers promoted health- care reform legislation that would have provided quality care that cost municipalities, small businesses and non- profit employers less. The “ pooling” initiative would have also enabled cash-strapped local towns to lower local property taxes.

Recently, state employees moved the governor to call on her administration to get more of its workforce telecommuting. All of us will enjoy a reduction in air pollution, an easing of traffic congestion and conservation of fuel resources with fewer cars on our roads everyday.

Looking ahead, public school paraeducators are reaching out to lawmakers to invest in professional training and development in local districts.

We have joined with state department of education consultants in this initiative to improve the public school experience for all of Connecticut’s kids.

I prefer my list because it’s about accomplishing more by working together.

Muska would do well to stop demonizing public service workers for political gain and instead encourage more positive collaboration between union members and policy makers.

Hagans is an instructional assistant at Mansfield Middle School and executive board member of CSEA/SEIU Local 2001.