Why government is so expensive in California

Halfway to Concord ^ | 7/25/8 | Bill Gram-Reefer

[SmithL]

Michael Shires, professor of Public Policy at Pepperdine scratches the itch of why government is so expensive in California; including local county and municipal governments. Shires argues that it is just not a matter of increased taxes v. cutting services; this is how Democrats and Republicans in the California legislature paint the picture. Rather, revenue declines are only a small part of the problem. While services and their cost actually do not increase, the annual increase of secretly negotiated salary, benefits, and cost-of-living increases benefitting unionized public employees is killing budgets, savings, and family finances statewide.

Shires writes: “Most public employees automatically receive a three to five percent “step” increase each year. The raises we hear discussed in the limited public releases about these negotiations are increases on top of these basic increases — the so called COLA or cost of living adjustment.

“For example, in Vallejo, a city which recently filed for bankruptcy protection, some unions were scheduled for 21 percent COLA increases over three years — on top of their regular step increases of 3-5 percent.

“These kinds of increases are unheard of in the private sector (try asking your boss for a 12 percent guaranteed raise for each of the next three years), but have become ubiquitous in California?s state and local governments.

[SmithL]

“And this is just the salary portion of the conversation. Add on top of it full medical benefits for the rest of their lives, extensive overtime and an amazingly generous retirement system and you have a public finance system that is destined for bankruptcy — a destination rapidly approaching for the state and many local communities.

“While the result is shocking, the real failure is the secretive process that lead to it. The total lack of public information about these negotiation processes prevents the public from holding their elected officials accountable. Add in the fact that many of these very officials are elected due to major investments by these very employee unions (a topic for a later day), and you have a recipe for fiscal disaster. And taxpayers across the state are about to taste the fruits of that recipe.”

[y6162]

“Most public employees automatically receive a three to five percent “step” increase each year..”

This is what is killing Ct. as well. The public sector is like a plague of voracious locusts who vote.

[Argus]

Time for one big whopping initiative.

[DPMD]

I’m sure the subject salary increases are a source of the state’s budget deficit. But let’s not lay the entire blame at the feet of the unions. ( And, by the way, I’m not a union apologist or a state employee.)

I think we can also cite rampant corruption in the state legislature, caused partly by the inherent corruption of the ruling party, and partly by the fact that the state is in the death throes of one-party rule with no end in sight. In fact, any effort to shine the light on a cause other than the massive financial corruption on every conceivable level in Sacramento is little more than a diversionary tactic.

And referring to the result of corruption as a shortfall in revenue only perpetuates the lie. It’s a surfeit of spending, and other people’s money, at that.

[Havok]

I got to get me a state job.

[DustyMoment]

Many years ago, I recall an incident with the Texas state legislature who gave themselves a VERY generous pay increase so that they could “achieve parity with their counterparts in the private sector.”

To this day, they have never defined who their counterparts in the private sector are - I know of no private sector corporations or employees who are paid to represent the taxpayers/voters in their districts, make laws affecting the state, and create a state budget and taxing policy.

Any guesses?

[WilliamofCarmichael]

The total lack of public information about these negotiation processes prevents the public from holding their elected officials accountable.

Maybe create a few hundred commissions and panels to look into the problem?

Having hundreds (thousands?) of commissions and panels all with high-paying appointed positions for out-of-office political hacks contribute to the problem also.

[samadams2000]

Fire one out of every 3 government workers, then get down to the serious cutting.

[bioqubit]

Give it back. Give it all back. It was stolen by doing it in secret. So give it back in pay reductions and benefit reductions. Don’t like it? Go find another job.

That’s the referendum to put forth.

[river rat]

- Freeze ALL Civil Service salaries until they have been justified and made comparable against positions with similar requirements AND risks in the private sector.
- END all taxpayer contributions to inflated pensions.
- Eliminate ALL taxpayer funded services to ILLEGAL ALIENS.
- Outlaw unions for all Civil Service jobs.

Ah hell — this is an impossible scenario..
The “Civil Servants” have enslaved the taxpayer citizens.

[Mr Inviso]

He makes one incorrect assumption right at the start with “revenue declines are a small part of the problem”

THERE HAVE BEEN NO REVENUE DECLINES. The revenues have gone up up up. The problem is spending, including the spending he describes here and more.

[Regulator]

- Freeze ALL Civil Service salaries until they have been justified and made comparable against positions with similar requirements AND risks in the private sector. - END all taxpayer contributions to inflated pensions. - Eliminate ALL taxpayer funded services to ILLEGAL ALIENS. - Outlaw unions for all Civil Service jobs.

And lets add:

- Prohibit public employees from voting on bond issues that benefit them ( "conflict of interest", a quaint old concept)