Governor's Fitness Challenge

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Dear Governor Sandoval:

I hope this finds its way into your hands directly, because I feel strongly that it will get lost in the shuffle when it ought to be brought to your attention. I write to make you aware of an issue because I think it causes more problems than it solves, and I think it's easier to right something when you know about it. I urge you to consider the unspoken message this communicates to State Employees, many of whom have low morale and lower wages than they hoped in order to comply with your predecessor's attempt to balance the budget. Many of us feel put upon, and you are in a position to change that.

Last week, I received my "reward" for participating in the October NV 150 Wellness Challenge, and I felt far from rewarded. Rather, it seems that someone in your office chose a gift, not with thought, but with urgency to get something out to us without regard for how it would be received. The "gift" included two items in which I am not interested and for which I have no use. Both of them came across as tawdry and jejune, hardly worthy of consideration as a fit reward for the many hours of exertion put into this challenge. The first item was a piece of jewelry that can only be described as a gawdy bauble. I am a single male, and I know no female, including family members, to whom I would consider gifting it. it is poorly made and of absolutely no worth to anyone, except perhaps to the "artist" who was likely handsomely compensated for something that might never sell on the open market. The second item was a pack of special playing cards. It is against my religion to engage in games of chance, and I refuse to keep playing cards in my home. Furthermore, I can get these at any casino in town for free. Neither of these items can be considered a fit prize to the average person.

I suspect the issue lies with members of your staff who made poor choices. Gifts were given without regard for whether they were appropriate to my gender or considerate of my religious sensibilities. Perhaps the choices were made in haste, as an afterthought, and anonymously, left to people who have no interest in due diligence. I would have preferred to receive nothing at all, or perhaps you could have sent me the money unwisely spent to FEDEX the package to my house since the gifts will in all likelihood find themselves in the trash. Your office kept the actual identify of the gift clandestine, and I would have exempted myself from the program if I had known I would receive these two trinkets so as to make room for someone who valued these items, since they have zero value to me.

Hopefully, you will speak with these individuals and find a way to correct the choices that led to this travesty of generosity. As these gifts have no value to me, neither of us have gained from the virtues of the other. I have no interest in keeping them as a momento of my achievements, and so you gain no credence for having given them. Instead, I feel like a relative to whom one gave an old fruitcake or a pair of used socks. Particularly during the Christmas Season, it would have been nice to have something of actual value that I could put to use procuring a gift for someone about whom I care, particularly given the many years during which State Employees have worked without any kind of raise while costs rose. I expect this was done without your specific knowledge, and I wanted you to know that it made me feel unappreciated to receive "gifts" I would never use and for which I have zero desire. I was one of the top 150 in the state, and I hope that others received better items or that they feel more rewarded than I. If not, this is your clarion call to correct the actions of those to whom your office delegated the task.

Thank you for your attention in this matter.

Sincerely-

Doug

Update: Here is a picture of my "prize".