So, I guess you are sort of new to Civil Beat ?  This tool is one of the very first type of real in depth reporting they did in like the first year or so they were running.  It was pivotal in identifying fraud, waste and abuse and triggered a number of investigations of overtime abuse, payroll abuse, people holding multiple paying positions (at the same time), and even getting a few new laws passed.
The very first time they ran it, it got much the same reaction, and sometimes by people that got caught.  It is the people's money, let the people also critique and evaluate its use and validity.
The first year, before it was run, i remember how people criticized then Governor Lingle assuming she was the the highest paid person in the state, when she was trying to balance the budget and making budget cuts. Then this tool came out and all of a sudden people discovered that she was not even near the top of the paid list. In fact if i remember correctly, The mayor made more than she did.