I have been a coach operator for North County Transit District for a little over 12 years, and I would just like to give my opinion as to why I think it's a big mistake for us to be outsourced.

Let's just say as an analogy that you have a favorite restaurant to go to for dinner with your family. Every time you go there, it is consistently satisfying in every way and you know the reason is because the owner has employed the best chefs, the best waiters and waitresses, etc.

But all of a sudden, one day you go into this restaurant and everything is not the same. You ask the manager what has happened, and he says that the owner decided to outsource to save on costs. As the months go, by all of the faithful customers decide to stop going and the restaurant closes down for lack of business.

I think this same type of situation could happen if we are outsourced --- because all I know is that it takes all of my years of expertise to make it through each and every day safely and efficiently. Just like any profession, it takes years of experience to be professional.

We are faced with many obstacles out there on our roads that a lot of people just aren't aware of. I can't begin to tell you how many times there have been close calls that have been avoided because of the drivers' attentiveness, that the district isn't even aware of.

When the Sprinter project was being put together, there were many times that the district was lacking funds in the millions of dollars and yet in the end came up with the money somehow. Surely the district could find the money somehow to prevent us from being outsourced. I truly believe we are not getting the whole picture.

Our new CEO seems like a very nice man, but he makes almost a quarter of a million dollars a year, not to mention all the other high-paid management people. What about salaries like this that have been paid throughout the years ? It just doesn't seem fair. How are we ever going to turn the economy around if everywhere you go nowadays, everything is being outsouced ? It is not enough to have a good education, but I ask, where is the wisdom nowadays that we so desperately need ? Wisdom is defined as knowing and doing what is right.

Does anybody out there care anymore? Especially elected officials? All it's going to take is one serious accident or incident, and we'll be in worse shape than ever before ---- and this is a very real possibility.

We're heading down the wrong road.

DUANE HORKA works for the North County Transit District.