After speaking with and reading the blogs of cops, teachers, firefighters, etc. in NJ I am convinced the state and many counties and municipalities are going to literally fall apart. There is nothing you can say to a public sector employee that can convince them that there is a major problem. Cops in NJ can't understand why they don't deserve $75,000 per year pensions plus free healthcare for life all starting at age 45.
While the private sector is twisting in the wind, stagnate incomes, lost hours, slashed or eliminated benefits etc...
I know cops who retired at nearly $80,000 per year at 50 years old, with 100 percent medical for life...
This is nuts!
In our district in Illinois, the teachers are threatening to strike again. A simple Google reveals that Illinois has the highest paid teachers in the nation, we spend the most per student, and we get the worst results. Their pensions are above and beyond sickening, and yet, they want more.
Our state is broke. I like many, am owed more than a hundred thousand dollars by our state, which was a contributing factor to why we closed our business (plus, forced unionization, last year).
You spoke of police pensions, that is the tip of the ice berg. Here in Illinois, most who figure out how to hit the pension lottery, will not only have one pension coming, but they get into the buddy system (note dem system) and go from one pension job to another, putting in just enough time to get that pension. Many will “retire” after 20 years (school district employees, cops, firemen, whatever), then get into the park district for 10 years, then get into a municipal board (where they are only paid 10k a year or so, but get a 20k pension), etc. Some go to work for the toll authority, or library board. It never ends.
I know several people, in their mid fifties, who can already tell you, that when they retire, they will be banking well over 200k a year.
Not only that, the accrued sick days. Last year a woman in our kids scout troop retired as a teacher and was gloating how she was going to get a check for over 150k for accrued sick time and days off when she retired this year.
Yet, these people are the first who will leave the state when they retire because of high taxes.
Oh, yes, and it is supposedly in our Illinois Constitution that unions cannot be screwed with in any way shape or form, or some such nonsense. And, by the way, this problem was not created by dems only, 90% of Illinois counties are Republican, the problem was created by “reaching across the aisle” and promising whatever, to whomever, to get votes. Illinois is sunk.
My favorite are all the unionistas who claim to represent the 99%’rs. I would have to have several million invested to get the sort of trust fund returns that these jokers are going to get, yet me and my small business are supposedly the greedy capitalists that are ruining this country?
This country has to wake up, but it may already be too late.