Former Attorney General Christine Gregoire signed her first bill yesterday, becoming the first former Attorney General in state history to accidentally get a chance to sign a bill.
And what a bill it was. SB 5097, a pay-off to the goons from Gregoire's base in the public employment unions. It requires 15% of all spending on large public works contracts be set aside for employees enrolled in union apprentice programs.
In another victory for the public employee unions, Gregoire and key Democrats in the state legislature are advocating hundreds of millions of dollars in pay and benefit increases for government workers.
These people must ask themselves "How will we pay for this"? And believe me, we will pay for this.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at February 25, 2005 11:16 AM | Email This"GREGOIRE, THE GRAY DAVIS OF WASHINGTON. SPECIAL INTERESTS ARE HER INTERESTS."
Posted by: Michele on February 25, 2005 11:48 AMTerrible isn't it to suggest a group should advocate that workers make more than minimum wage?
Posted by: Erik on February 25, 2005 11:48 AMOne of the reasons that this budget will be so hard to balance is that many State employee salaries are to be adjusted to within 25% of private sector amounts. That measn that evan after up to a 10% raise, their salaries will remain $10K to $15K below market value.
Imagine now what that means in terms of retention and training costs. The State will hire kids out of college and then train then for the next two to five years at great cost to the taxpayer. At this point the employee is well enough trained and has the practical experience to qualify for much higher salaries in the private sector. Where would you go?
The bigger problem is not salaries, but the number of State employees. The business of government could be easily accomplished with 10 or 15% less emplyees. Management is particularly bloated with some programs having a ratio approaching 1:1.
So lets not pick on all State employees. Many, its true, vote for the hand that feeds them, but that is not in itself reason to pick on them. Remember they will still be here when Rossi is governor.
Posted by: DeadWood on February 25, 2005 12:09 PMPlease explain how this is a bad thing.
becoming the first former Attorney General in state history to accidentally get a chance to sign a bill.
Stefan - cut the spin. She is our Governor for now. Deal with it. If the courts overturn the election, and call for a re-vote, then until she loses that she will still be our Governor.
Posted by: Daniel K on February 25, 2005 12:09 PMI missed your obtuseness for some time.
People should earn more than the minimum wage because they deserve it, because they worked for it and they would receive it on the open market. That's called 'capitalism'. Look it up in the dictionary or encyclopedia - and prepare to be amazed!
Taxpayers should not pay for such things. Wages should be determined by the market. That is why minimum wage is, and has always been known to be, such a bad idea. Even FDRs economists said as much.
And as for unions - I've never known a company that treated its employees well that needed a union. Except for police officers and fire houses, unions are worthless. They eventually drive a stake into the heart of the business, as they are doing for the airlines. But good business is never a part of a liberal, or Erik's, great society.
So, Erik...how many of those employees are currently making minimum wage?
Posted by: South County on February 25, 2005 01:28 PMBut, of course, you have no proof of that. So, let us all say it together so we can get use to it "Christine Gregoire is the Governor of the State of Washington." Heck, if it makes you feel better, I'll say that George Bush is the President of the United States. This doesn't mean that this might not change (although, lets face it, the chances of that happening are going down steadily, heck, the Great and Powerful Shark only gave it 50% yesterday), but right now, she is the legal Governor of this state.
And while we are on the subject of special interest, how beholden is Rossi to the Building Industry who have nicely been paying for all the research into supposed illegal votes? I'm expecting a cutting discussion of that to be set up. After all, if all your dreams come true and Rossi becomes Governor, the people who paid for that are going to want their pound of flesh, and I'm not talking Jeff Gannon territory here.
Posted by: JDB on February 25, 2005 02:23 PMI can only tell you what I have seen for myself. I work for the State in a professional capacity. In my office I have seen our junior professional staff come and go pretty regularly on about a two year rotation. In four years I have seen about a 40% turnover.
We take them fresh out of college and train them, and then they go out and get jobs in the private sector or with other governments (Federal, etc) where salaries are not depressed.
In 2002, the Dept. of Personnel did a salary survey that included my profession and found that State salaries for my profession, including benefits, were 35% lower than in the private sector.
I repeat my earlier assertion. Its not the pay that's a budget problem - its over staffing and over managing.
Posted by: DeadWood on February 25, 2005 05:15 PMWhat's wrong with that picture?
Posted by: sgmmac on February 25, 2005 06:42 PMJust keep a list of all the co-conspiritors, so Rossi will be able to 'clean house' of all the 'clinging vines' that Gregoire has 'planted'.
What's funny, is that her 'hindness' can't do anything without 'exsposure'. She is 'obligated' to fill her end of the 'bargain', reguardless who knows or is watching.
This will end her public life.
Stay tuned . . . more late night one liner fadder to come!
Posted by: Arky on February 26, 2005 04:18 AM