Civil Servants Find Themselves Cast in Unlikely Role -- Fat Cats

ABC News ^ | 8/12/10 | Rich Blake

[mom4melody]

It applys because every one who works for the public sector is lumped in with the crooks and thieves and the OP was an insult to hard working decent people who work at jobs that are funded by tax dollars.

I don’t deny there are “fat cats” and lazy workers and way too many jobs in the public sector that are basically useless, but some of you people are out of control.

I know teachers, fireman, police, VA nurses and doctors, etc that work their butts off. Some of us do see ourselves as “public servants”....and I can assure you that my salary is anything but fat cat.

Next time you have a fire, a break-in, or your veteran relative needs meds....who you gonna call.

[Nachum]

Take heart, Cap’n Crunch. Nobody lumps you in with the teacher unions and ‘others’ who are ripping off our country here. Quite the opposite, really. Policemen, and our military take it in the shorts for all the risk they take.

[Cap'n Crunch]

From the article:

“As the recession grinds on and states struggle to close budget gaps, a spotlight is shining on the salary and benefits collected by public sector professionals, including teachers, police officers and firefighters. They once commonly were viewed as the salt-of-the-earth backbone of America. But now, they are more often than not being portrayed as a boilerplate around taxpayers’ necks.”

I’m the Po-Po part of the equation.

[NCDragon]

Here in North Carolina state workers historically make 50-60% less than private sector personnel in the same jobs.

Also, our medical costs are beginning to climb tremendously with little to show for it, we’ve had NO pay-raises in the last 3 years and we expect to see furloughs for many shortly because of politically motivated budget cuts..

Yeah, we’re sitting fat, dumb and happy at the top of the food chain here doncha know?

[Nachum]

You missed out. Teachers do much better in New Jersey and California...

[bvw]

I won’t call you, bozo. How’s that?

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Civil Servants Find Themselves Cast in Unlikely Role -- Fat Cats

Unlikely? Really? Every since I was a pup I knew that "civil" (Used in the same context as "civil" war) "servants" (if they were actually my servants about 90% would be standing in the unemployment line) were mostly people who worked very little and soaked the tax payer for every cent they could get.

And I haven't been a young pup in a while.

[bvw]

That’s not right. You ain’t listed in the complaint. Paying your $1,000 monthly pension would be okay with just about anyone. The complaint is with those who collect a whole lot more.

Oh, om your way home tonight, thank the tree trimmers. That’s a risker job than yours and most never see a company pension. Yet they keep you safe from falling limbs, and get your power restored when a branch falls on them. They work in weather so bad that even dunkin’ donut shops close.

[bvw]

I notice that they used the term “civil servants” to imply that some how the serve US rather than have us serve them.

[Cap'n Crunch]

Thank you. It sure is a kick in the pants to endure all this and in the end to be thought of as a leaching crook.

[Cap'n Crunch]

Oh, that’s another thing. Another misconception. My jobs not risky. Being shot at isn’t risky? Tree trimmers have convicts who’ve threatened to kill them walking past their house for trimming trees?

Ever fight with a man with a gun or knife? Take a knife away from a suicidal whose covered in gasoline, cutting his wrists and holding a lighter? Take a loaded AK47 out of a drug dealers hands? Rolled up on scene with people shooting at each other? Been surrounded in a riot with people yelling “Kill him”? Caught armed bank robbers? Have convicts tell you when they find out where you live they are going to kill you, then your kids, fuck your wife?

I’ve done all that and more. Those are what I can remember off the top of my head. I’m not saying I have the most dangerous job in the world. But I’ve seen my share.

I don’t live or work in Mayberry.

[bvw]

They have jobs and steady jobs. Just like many. There are plenty of needed jobs with high risks that aren’t steady and don’t have taxation backed pensions.

Most firemen are volunteer, for one example. They also take big risks.

[bvw]

That’s your job, you signed up for it. And tree trimmers have a more dangerous one.

The answer to some of your questions is yes, to others no. I’m just a citizen. Those things can and do happen to citizens too.

You ever had to hot-wire an emergency 480V hot circuit in the dark? Ever had some damn fool drop liquid nitrogen down your back? Have a friggin battery explode in your face? Gotten caught in a explosion? Just wondering ...

[Cap'n Crunch]

hahaha. Well, tree trimmers signed up for their jobs too no? Maybe they can come here and take the police test. I’ll need a replacement in another year. They can be nice and safe, won’t have to worry about tree trimming dangers, get a nice fat taxpayer pension and all the donuts one can eat!

[Nachum]

A lot of tree trimmers in my city work in safety cages and are hoisted up and down by hydraulic lifts. They can work for the city, get nice salaries, are members of unions, get pensions, and get to go home a 5.

You ever take live fire? Ever had someone pull a gun on you? Ever watch a friend gunned down for no reason? Ever have to hold back a mob that could rip you in two and have to hold your fire or lose your job (and be prosecuted for defending yourself)? Ever walk into a domestic dispute where the husband or wife try to shoot or knife you? Ever find a package wondering if it was a bomb, made just for you? Ever have to tell a parent their kid just died?

Just wondering

[bvw]

Just do your friggin jobs right that's all I ask and don't friggin demand to be put on a pedestal. I'm sick of all the whinners and special pleaders who say cops or soldiers or sailors or WHOEVER is deserving of special treatment. That's what breaks public budgets. Teachers got put on a friggin societal pedestal and look at the result. Eat some friggin humble pie you who insist that YOUR particular job is more SPECIAL than others. This whole society runs on the backs of the sewage treatment workers and septic tank cleaners and don't you forget it.

[vpintheak]

I would go insane. I don’t care how good the benefits would be, I couldn’t do nothing every day. Sick.

[bvw]

You ever take live fire? Yes

Ever had someone pull a gun on you? Yes

Ever watch a friend gunned down for no reason? No

Ever have to hold back a mob that could rip you in two and have to hold your fire or lose your job (and be prosecuted for defending yourself)? No

Ever walk into a domestic dispute where the husband or wife try to shoot or knife you? No

Ever find a package wondering if it was a bomb, made just for you? No

Ever have to tell a parent their kid just died? No comment

----

Now you answer these:

• Have you ever fell off a tree and busted your back?

• Have you ever pulled a dead body out of a fire or car wreck?

• Have ever had to wade through a mob of teenagers to break up a fight between two pro-halfbacked size idiots?

• Have you worked in a building when half of it got blown away?

• Have you ever had a half-ton steel door slam on your fingers?

• Have you ever some stupid equipment operator nearly take off your head with water main pipe?

• Have you ever sucked up a pipette of cyanide by mistake?

Just wondering ...

There are PLENTY of real jobs, or actions a capable citizen takes where live is endangered. WE DON'T YAP LIKE DRAMA QUEENS ABOUT IT AND DEMAND YOU PAY US TO LIVE THIRTY OR FORTY YEARS OR WHATEVER LIKE SOME FEUDAL BARON.

[Nachum]

# Have you ever fell off a tree and busted your back? No (but have broken bones in my arm, hand, and feet)

# Have you ever pulled a dead body out of a fire or car wreck?No (thank God)

# Have ever had to wade through a mob of teenagers to break up a fight between two pro-halfbacked size idiots? No, but two of my sons are over 6'2, 220lbs, and almost got killed breaking up a fight between them

# Have you worked in a building when half of it got blown away?No (thank God)

# Have you ever had a half-ton steel door slam on your fingers?No (thank God), but I did have large breaker bar smash my face

# Have you ever some stupid equipment operator nearly take off your head with water main pipe?No, but one almost made be fall from two stories into a vat of sodium cyanide and water

# Have you ever sucked up a pipette of cyanide by mistake? No, but I've been doused by a solution of sodium cyanide and water and watched my hands puff up like balloons later on

There are PLENTY of real jobs, or actions a capable citizen takes where life is endangered. WE DON'T YAP LIKE DRAMA QUEENS ABOUT IT AND DEMAND YOU PAY US TO LIVE THIRTY OR FORTY YEARS OR WHATEVER LIKE SOME FEUDAL BARON.

True enough, but our police and military still deserve our support. They aren't the ones yapping like drama queens.

[bvw]

We way overstate the value of a regular police force and of a regular national military in our era. We a lot more irregular, private, citizen involvement and a lot less pensionated public-financed GI. Truth is that even in those areas private industry does what has to be done better.

Towns with tiny police forces generally are safest. Towns with large police forces unsafe. Why is that?

As a Jewish question: Do shoftim get the first fruit? The pick of the crop? Or the same fruit as the rest of us?