A farewell statement written by a young civil servant in Shanghai who quit his job recently has been widely circulated online, in which the author complained of low income and seven years of stagnancy in wage growth. While some Net users have expressed sympathy, apparently more continue to denounce civil servants.

The internal gap within the civil servant system is almost as prominent as regional imbalance in this nation. There is no way to give a simple moral judgment about the whole group.

At the moment, there are many loopholes in the welfare system for civil servants, which gives leeway to the gray income of public servants, especially those in powerful positions. Public opinion apparently does not favor any potential measures to increase income for ordinary public servants.

While civil servants' income levels remain stagnant, corruption scandals are frequently exposed. The civil service becomes an embarrassing profession between the two extremes.

There are eminent problems in China's civil servant management system. Social descriptions of this profession do not appear realistic and sincere. Meanwhile, legal income standards of public servants are made based on somewhat politicized and emotional bases. "Serve the people" remains a ubiquitous slogan while more realistic bases are absent.

Due to China's anti-corruption campaign and new regulations to oppose gray income and boost frugality, legal income becomes the only pillar of civil servants' benefit system, which is actually the most important and pragmatic reform of the political system.

If all officials make a living only through transparent salaries and benefits in the future, it would be a milestone accomplishment in China's political reform. But this deserves not just government determination and action, but also a rational attitude from society.

Social rationality ultimately means political rationality - despite severe social division, rational policies could still be accepted and implemented.

Ordinary public servants' complaints coming into public sight indicates a positive change. There are already discussions that most grass-roots civil servants earn a low income but frequently work overtime.

The Internet is filled with censure against civil servants, which mirrors real public emotions. But the more thorough the government's anti-graft endeavors become, the more diversified public opinions on the Internet will grow.

In the long run, a positive public opinion environment can gradually shape and facilitate reform in civil servant's income structure.

It is not good news that there is constant fever among youngsters to take civil service exams and thus grasp a position in the government. But it is not good news either that those who successfully get these positions feel greatly disappointed and hesitate all day long about whether to quit to make more money.