It’s not hard to find the salaries of your own public employees in your state. But since you asked nicely here’s the list for Wisconsin, which is ANYONE that works for DPI.
http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/99999999/APC0110/80221166
Easiest way to use it is I put in the fields teacher, Milwaukee for district and Milwaukee County.
I clicked a few of the teachers qualifications and they all were around 40K-$70K pay and $35K fringe and the substitute teachers around $35K per year, little or no fringe benefits.
The Pioneer Press (MN)released a comprehensive, easy to use database :
http://www.twincities.com/dataplanet
listing the salary and other employment data regarding thousands of Minnesota public servants. This searchable database is exactly the kind of tool watchdogs and other interested citizens need to educate not only ourselves but our neighbors with respect just how large and uncontrollable government has become. It’s about time the major newspapers did something valuable to contribute to the public discourse regarding the size and scope of government.
One of the shortcomings of the database is that it doesn’t cover city government, but this is still a helpful tool.
(The most recent data is from 2008.)
A sampling of two of the big spenders:
Anoka County has 54 employees who make more than $100,000 in salary, to go along with gold-plated benefits.
Steve Novak, chief lobbyist makes nearly $134,000.
The Anoka County Sherrif’s Office alone has 10 employees making more than $100,000.
is it really necessary to pay a cop $100,000?
Is it necessary to pay the guy who runs the recycling operation $101,000?
The County’s “application services manager” makes $100,000.
The “director of income maintenance” makes $110,000.
Does the parks and recreation director need $116,000?
Anoka-Hennepin Schools:
The district has 56 employees who make more than $100,000 per year.
The superintendent leads the way at $155,000.
Many of the bureaucrats in the $100,000 grand club are assistant principles. Save some money and eliminate their jobs. Sound far fetched? Just last week, the Wall Street Journal ran an article noting that many of America’s most successful companies are eliminating “assistant” executive positions, finding that they offer little value.
With big salaries, Cadillac health plans and defined-benefit retirements, no wonder we’re in trouble. It’s easy to see that government is fast approaching a day of fiscal reckoning, just like the airlines, the auto makers, and other old-line industries experienced.
Government’s labor cost structure is unsustainable, even with big, job-killing tax hikes. Just take a look at California if you want an example of governmental collapse. Even with big tax hikes, major cuts and accounting gimmicks, that state is facing a budget deficit that may equal fully over 1/3 of the total budget.
Recession or not, we have government institutions who are spending money faster than taxpayer ability to pay. At some point Atlas WILL shrug.