Do read the WSJ column on public employee unions which Carter mentioned earlier:
As we can see from the desperate economic and fiscal woes of California, New Jersey, New York and other states with dominant public unions [e.g. Washington], this has become a major problem for the U.S. economy and small-d democratic governance. It may be the single biggest problem. The agenda for American political reform needs to include the breaking of public unionism's power to capture an ever-larger share of private income.Otherwise, and we may already be past the tipping point, but the government will no longer be an instrument of a sovereign people, but a joint venture owned by public employee unions, the primary business of which is the shakedown of productive citizens.
Speaking of which: "Billion dollar headache: Looming pension liability worries [Washington] state officials". Headache, yes. But not to "state officials". They'll just raise taxes on the rest of us.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at February 05, 2010 08:47 PM | Email Thisb. why are you against state troopers, police officers, firefighters, clerks, bailiffs, etc. from having a pension plan that they contribute to? should they get jobs in diners after retirement?
Just look at the case last year where 10 troopers were caught having submitted fake diplomas in order to qualify for raises. In the private sector would be fired. Instead WSP put them on about a year's paid leave, and then allowed to come back to work albeit with no raise.
Or look at the teachers deemed unsuitable for teaching. Instead of being fired, they are sent to a rubber room where they are paid for doing nothing, often for years.
Posted by: travis t on February 6, 2010 03:09 AMJust look at the case last year where 10 troopers were caught having submitted fake diplomas in order to qualify for raises. In the private sector would be fired. Instead WSP put them on about a year's paid leave, and then allowed to come back to work albeit with no raise.
Or look at the teachers deemed unsuitable for teaching. Instead of being fired, they are sent to a rubber room where they are paid for doing nothing, often for years.
Posted by: travis t on February 6, 2010 03:09 AMThe number of public employees earning 6 figures has exploded since the start of the recession.
Apparently, though, you ignore the realities, and your counter appears to be "nuh uh" and ranting about stagnant wages. Can you post any numbers to back that up?
And your lovely strawman about not having a pension is laughable. I earned a pension from my first after-college job at a non-union shop (Sundstrand Data Control). My second, smaller, subsequent employer had a matching 401K plan. Not union. Why do you have to be in a union to earn a pension?
Posted by: Shanghai Dan on February 6, 2010 08:16 AMYesssss indeed. Whack those public employees and problems solved. Mission accomplished!
Seems to me that the average teacher in Washington does a little better than average worker in Washington State. That's not including the 22% benefits package on top of salary, or the extended time off each summer, or the breaks throughout the year.
Facts are difficult things, aren't they Naan...
Posted by: Shanghai Dan on February 6, 2010 11:07 AMdo you bother reading things you link?
per your first article regarding $100k salaries (which typically are NON-union public employees):
At the Defense Department, for example, the number of civilian workers making $150,000 or more quintupled from 1,868 to 10,100
yeah, lots of union members in the DoD. clown.
besides, those pay raises for public employees? approved by your beloved bush (3%, 3.9% in last 2 years). obama gave public employees the SMALLEST raise since '75.
per your second set of links, neither of which includes benefits package in the equation:
average WA salary: $54,086
average WA teacher salary: $$45,724
the average WA salary is 20% larger than the average teacher salary. so even with benefits of 22%, the average teacher's salary is LESS than the average WA salary (w/ bennies). also, that means the average teacher's salary has gone up less than 1% since 2005 based on NEA's figures.
Posted by: mike on February 6, 2010 07:55 PM
It's easy to blame stuff on unions, and the rank and file employee. Flogging the troops seems to be the order of the day.
The real rape and pillage of the taxpayer is in executive salaries, and the way those executives spend the money.
That remains regardless of which side calls the shots.
Posted by: WA farm boy on February 7, 2010 06:14 AMDo you actually think critically, or do you simply respond knee-jerk style?
I don't care what department they work for, they are - on average - overpaid and over protected. DOD or not.
And your justification for the continuing, exploding imbalance is "Bush did it". I think he screwed up when he did that, and Obama is screwing up even further. I guess you're the Bush supporter and I'm the Bush hater now, eh?
As far as the other links, I guess you really prove you cannot read. The first link gives the average teacher salary and the average household income. The second link gives the average household income. I guess I expected too much from you to be able to actually read the headlines and realize that the household incomes for teachers are about even with the households across the State.
Silly me for giving you credit to understand the difference between a salary and household income. I guess I still overestimate your intelligence.
Posted by: Shanghai Dan on February 7, 2010 09:36 AMbut if the average HOUSEHOLD salary is 50k, it is entirely possible that there are too many workers in this state who are UNDERpaid.
my justification wasn't 'bush did it', but rather, you didn't seem to whine when a R did it, only when a black man did. if anything, you should have applauded obama for not going as far as your hero did.
Posted by: mike on February 7, 2010 09:18 PMYou're a liar and a racist mike. I hope Stefan yanks your filthy, lying comments.
Posted by: Shanghai Dan on February 7, 2010 10:32 PMyou weren't whining when bush authorized huge raises (which led to the increase in 100k salaries). it wasn't until obama authorized the smallest raise in 25 years that you felt the need to whine.
reeks of racism to me. and a pathetic double standard. but not a surprise, i find that's pretty common among conservatives.
Posted by: mike on February 8, 2010 07:45 PMAlisha
http://pay-dayadvance.net
Posted by: Alisha on February 11, 2010 11:56 PM