State Workers get Paid Time off on day to honor pope (NM)

[AnnInLa]

http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/12332.html


State workers get paid time off on day to honor pope



Ben Neary | The New Mexican
April 7, 2005

Gov. Bill Richardson has proclaimed Friday a day of remembrance for Pope John Paul II and has given state employees half a day off with pay "to observe this day in an appropriate way of their choosing."

Some critics say Richardson's order violates the principle of separation of church and state.

Billy Sparks, Richardson spokesman, said Wednesday that the governor, a Catholic, sees no separation issue in giving state workers time off with pay to mark the pope's funeral.

In his proclamation issued Wednesday, Richardson emphasized the pope, who died last week, was an important statesman in addition to being a religious leader.

more at link above

[Inland]

1. It seems that Friday and Monday holidays unite all mankind. nt

[haele]

2. It seems the long weekend concept does it too...

Like most holidays, the majority of people will take the time off to do the chores and shopping so that they can actually have a weekend to relax.

The cynic in me recognises that perhaps only 10% of New Mexicans will take even an hour off to go to a Mass that friday and reflect on the death of this "statesman". The rest will do their reflection at the regular Sunday Mass or did so at the Wednesday night Mass.

Considering that there's a large population of Buddhists - and at least one Buddhist nunnery/monestary/temple in New Mexico, I'm curious if the Dahli Lama will get a day of mourning when he passes, also. He's as much of a statesman as John Paul II was, and has spent at least the same amount of time influencing secular policies; though he takes more of a passive, peaceful and holistic stance than did John Paul II.

And what about QEII? Will she, as the head of the Church Anglican as well as a major soverign nation, get a holiday when she passes?

Again, the cynic in me comes out and suggests that (ignoring for the moment, the church/state implications here) perhaps, someone felt the need to have an extra day weekend in April, what with the stresses of a tax deadline and higher consumer prices hitting particularly hard over the past couple weeks, and felt this was as good an excuse as any to give the worker-bees a day off in a way that wouldn't hit what little vacation/sick hours they might have on the books, if they have them.

Haele

[SouthernDem2004]

3. Lol, well said!

[Biology]

4. February 12 is Darwin's birthday