PUBLIC PAYROLL SOARS (wealth transfer gone from citizens to people in Govt)

LA Daily News ^ | 3./22/04 | Troy Anderson

[breakem]

We've had collective bargaining for state employees in Cal for about 24 years. The unions give money to those running for gov and the state legislature. The gov's office negotiates the contracts with the state employee unions including salary and benefits. The legislature votes on the contracts and allocates the funds. This is a direct conflict of interest.

We are now exposing many unethical situations with the correctional officers union. They have bribed the last 3 governors. Repub, dem it didn't matter. They spent 1.6 mill on Davis's first campaign.

[GSWarrior]

It's not called "feeding at the public trough" for no reason.

[templar]

New job creation has to come from somewhere. Nothing else seems to be growing (or have a future).

[Stew Padasso]

I hope I live long enough to see the elitist power structure in government shunned and stripped of their taxpayer funded wealth.

Not only do they not deserve this kind of money and worship, but for the most part their bureaucratic functions and roles are probably a joke and not even needed.

[Stew Padasso]

"New job creation has to come from somewhere."

Yeah, on our dime.

[Joe Hadenuf]

New job creation has to come from somewhere. Nothing else seems to be growing (or have a future).

Yeah, but they're crushing the tax payers in the process.

[Joe Hadenuf]

It's not called "feeding at the public trough" for no reason.

More like a damn, "feeding frenzy" at the public trough.

[Thebaddog]

Between Cook County, City of Chicago, State of Illinois, and Federal taxes, my guess is that I cough up 50% of my income to all forms of government.

The only real question to me is how we all do so well when we give up so much. I think we really do have a modified form of socialism here in America. It works for me whenever a Republican is in the White House, but I really don't see the tide turning.

[Joe Hadenuf]

I hope I live long enough to see the elitist power structure in government shunned and stripped of their taxpayer funded wealth.

You and me both brother. Not only are these people being paid wages and given benefits to kill for, their pensions are like winning the lottery.

[henderson field]

"Nobody's buying my lunch"?
In other words, you're using something other than your taxpayer-paid salary to buy lunch. Like your trust fund or money from your wife?

[The Westerner]

Have you had enough?

[henderson field]

"Nothing else seems to be growing."
That's because we have 3 million manufacturing jobs that we have shipped overseas to the lowest bidder. Wouldn't it have been better to ship 3 million government jobs overseas?

[Ronzo]

You know, as much as we like to criticize FDR, at least when he spent the people's money, it was to buy things like tanks, bombers, rifles, and those things that go "boom" and make for wonderful explosions.

Sure, there was growth in government too, but there was NO WAY that the private sector (in the 30's & 40's) was going to get it's rear in gear until Uncle Sam started buying war materials like a drunken sailor...

In California, they are spending money on making a better life for beaurcrats and their ilk. Sounds just like the old Soviet Union. Well, worst than the old Soviet Union --at least the USSR spent some of the government money on tanks, planes, ships... you know, those things that employ "the worker;" that make use of "labor." (The "little" people...)

Too bad the USSR didn't know about outsourcing, they could have gotten all those tanks and planes made in China for a lot less money, and the old commie's would still be around today! (Oh wait, they are still around...nevermind...)

[Joe Hadenuf]

Yes. I'm just waiting for the rest of you.

[Joe Hadenuf]

In California, they are spending money on making a better life for beaurcrats and their ilk.

Actually, government employee's making killer tax paid wages, benefits, and pensions are not limited to California. This crap is going on in every single state, while most of the American workers are cutting back, pinching pennys, and making do with less.

[Joe Hadenuf]

That was my thought, I just didn't want to push the issue.

[FITZ]

Government employees are only part of the problem.

They aren't --- all kinds of people who receive mainly taxpayer dollars in order to be paid are part of the problem --- which means health care providers --- for the portion of the work they do for those without private insurance, and educators who aren't teaching in private schools. Far too many jobs now rely on money coming from the government --- we've given up our manufacturing and wealth creating jobs.

[Cultural Jihad]

... and to top it off, they built one of the most expensive restaurants in the area right across the street, so the government employees don't have to travel far to those yummy, tax payer paid lunches.

"There's one of them!"

[Ronzo]

Actually, government employee's making killer tax paid wages, benefits, and pensions are not limited to California. This crap is going on in every single state, while most of the American workers are cutting back, pinching pennys, and making do with less.

You are correct--and of course it's going on at the Federal level as well.

But don't let too many people know that you care and are concerned about "the American workers" --for as fast as you can say "Joesph Stalin" there will be Freepers who will label you a marxist, communist sympathizer.

As Americans, were not suppose to be concerned with the plight of our fellow citizens; that would be the worst kind of sin. Instead, we are suppose to sing the praises of outsourceing, free-trade, and the continued decline of the manufacturing base and the middle-class. Yes, that's what a REAL American would do...

[Joe Hadenuf]

Hey Cultural Jihad, your right on time. I expected you here earlier attempting to minimize, post funny pictures, and make light of this. Lets see, that makes you pro-illegal alien, and pro-big government.

In reality, your cutsy pictures are seen by most as an obvious weak diversion, of you kicking up dust to divert and distract from the real issues, such as government becoming one of our biggest industries.