Continuing on. If we get rid of "expensive" State employees it will cost "us" (I am a lifelong Alaskan) a lot more money. The younger, newer hires often have less experience, learn on the States budget and take their skills they learned supporting us and go to the private sector to make more money. The budget problems the State has are problematic but venting and bashing someone's work ethic, their right to be compensated fairly and their Agency has to stop. We need to start putting the energy we are using to bash people into finding a solution. Write your legislator, write letters to the editor but commenting on newspaper sites like this is not productive. 
For the record, as a State of Alaska employees, I choose to accept lower wages than my structure counterparts and a smaller retirement and benefit package proudly.  I choose to work here because I believe in supporting Alaskans because I am one. To me it's worth the sacrifice I make when I consciously accept less money for my work.