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

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

[Poohbah]

My business partner and I have agreed that long-term (by 2010), we are re-domiciling our company offshore as a foreign company simply because we expect this trend to eventually make it more profitable to do business outside of the nation than inside it...We have concluded that this voter-fed insanity will not stop until it is forced to stop through external circumstances. I'm concerned it will take a calamitous economic disaster to shock this nation's citizens back into demanding prudent governance by themselves rather than of themselves.

It's like alcoholism: this country may have to hit bottom before we can admit that we have a problem.

God willing, we'll figure it out before then.

[Joe Hadenuf]

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

You bet it is. The state, county, and local governments are just smaller "field offices" if you will, of the big Federal "corporate" office.

[NorthWoody]

In the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, the MTC (Metropolitan Transit Commission) bus drivers, et. al., are on strike because they face the horrible prospect of {gasp} actually having to provide for their own health care after retiring, like private sector workers have always had to do. MTC management doesn't want to take that beneift away from existing workers, mind you, they just don't want any new, incoming employees to be eligible for it.

This from a government entity that never, ever comes close to breaking even, to say nothing of turning a profit. A local radio show today stated that the annual cost of paying for MTC retiree's health care costs has grown to $255 million, with no end in sight. Oh, and as the strike began, they were just putting the finishing touches on an unwanted, unneeded $800 million commuter-rail line that runs all of ten miles from downtown Mpls to the Mall of America. Said rail-line has yet to haul a single, paying passenger, and now sits idle because the underworked whiners who should be running it are on strike.

One of the bright spots of the strike is that the Mall of America has reported drastic decreases in shoplifting since the buses stopped hauling people down there.

Negotiations are almost non-existent due to the unreasonable demands of these government 'workers'. I say fire the whole lot of them immediately and start over with people who know what reality is all about. When the government gets too bloated and it's employees start earning more in total than the people paying their salaries, trouble is afoot.

[clooney4824]

In the People's Republic of Portland,Oregon public employees retire with 103% of their working salary.All teachers in Portland have their entire health premium-over $900 a month-paid by tax payers!!

[Joe Hadenuf]

Negotiations are almost non-existent due to the unreasonable demands of these government 'workers'.

In the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, the MTC (Metropolitan Transit Commission) bus drivers, et. al., are on strike because they face the horrible prospect of {gasp} actually having to provide for their own health care after retiring

Good post.

What is ironic here, is that in the past 4 or 5 years, most of the hard working, non government employed citizens, have had to take cuts in their benefits, or pay more for them *while* still working. And many have had their medical benefits cut all together.

Something is very disturbing about this picture.

[Joe Hadenuf]

In the People's Republic of Portland,Oregon public employees retire with 103% of their working salary.All teachers in Portland have their entire health premium-over $900 a month-paid by tax payers!!

Like I said earlier, this crap is going on in every state. Most hard working, non-government employee's could never dream of this.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Go into any government office and see who is working there. Go on just go look! You have eyes to see, go see!

[Timeout]

Nationally, employees in the private sector earn an average of $34,299 a year, plus $13,374 in benefits. [=$47,673]

That compares to the $49,005 annual salaries local and state government employees enjoy, plus $21,528 in benefits, according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics.[=$70,533]

Whereas the rest of article deals with California, this part appears to switch to national data. That's a difference of $28K a year! And it doesn't seem to include pension benefits! Does anyone know what the source of the nationwide data would be?

[VOA]

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

With all the jobs and manufacturing leaving the USA, surely we can downsize the EPA,
state environmental boards and some other regulatory bodies.

Ooops...there I go, having a eye-open dream!

[searchandrecovery]

I've often wondered why many government buildings and government offices seem to be turning into quite beautiful, armed, and guarded fortresses, with top shelf security.

I gots a great book for you - if you weren't being sarcastic (well, even if you were) - "Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson - sci-fi in the near future, coupla years old.

[bvw]

Another reason for "opting out" of the tax system.

[PRND21]

Most hard working, non-government employee's could never dream of this.

The striking grocery workers you supported had the same benefits.

[Cultural Jihad]

Lets see, that makes you ...

... pointing out the ludicousness of 'us' versus 'them' mindset in a self-governing society when you claimed 'they' (as in the goobermint of foreign overlords ruthlessly ruling your city hall, supposedly) had ordered built a private upscale restaurant for their own amusement and use.

[NorthWoody]

I work for a private company with about 300 employees working out of four locations covering about a 50-county service area.

Our health insurance premiums have gone from absolutely free in 2000 to $28 per week in 2005. The increases started small, at $5.60 per week the first year and increasing by $5.60 per week for five years, up to the $28/week total.

By that time, I'm sure management will find reason to charge us $33.60 per week, then $39.20...

I wish I were an Oscar Mayer wiener public employee! Where can I sign up?

[Joe Hadenuf]

Go into any government office and see who is working there. Go on just go look! You have eyes to see, go see!

Since you brought it up, yes I actually have to go into some of these places.

If I can be truthful, I have observed thousands of these people, many of whom seem to be over weight individuals with two inch nails, with a attitudes of royal arrogance. I cannot even pronounce the names of many of these people, let alone understand them, and many seem to have just gotten off the plane from some foreign country.

Just my honest observations.

This guy down the road just bought a 750K home, and he works for the local government. I think he's from India or some such place.

[kittymyrib]

Did you know that most serfs only had to cough up one-third to their landowners? They were ignorant and illiterate, though, while we are educated and vote for those who take away 50% of our income. Does this make sense?

[Joe Hadenuf]

Our health insurance premiums have gone from absolutely free in 2000 to $28 per week in 2005. The increases started small, at $5.60 per week the first year and increasing by $5.60 per week for five years, up to the $28/week total. By that time, I'm sure management will find reason to charge us $33.60 per week, then $39.20...

Your lucky, many in the private sector have completely lost all their medical benefits.

[Robert_Paulson2]

Isn't it true that government workers have a separate system from Social Security too?

In other words, they are also tax exempt.. social security IS a general fund tax item.

not only do they get MORE money than we do, they don't have it taxed the same way and have private retirement accounts separate from the rest of us, so that they end up not paying the basic social security taxes either.

disgusting.

[clooney4824]

Been there,done that. Idiots standing around socializing-fat,slobs dressed in Levi cutoffs-at least,in Portland.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Did you know that most serfs only had to cough up one-third to their landowners? They were ignorant and illiterate, though, while we are educated and vote for those who take away 50% of our income. Does this make sense?

Those new city halls, government facilities, top shelf security, and all those government workers with killer salaries, benefits, and pensions require that money. With tax time quickly approaching, just quietly give up the money and don't complain.

I read an article a few weeks back where it stated that some of these higher end government employees, have city/state paid cars with *chauffeurs*! His title was the director of sanitation of some freaking thing.

They are suppose to be civil servants.