California Ballot Initiatives filed to end collective bargaining for public employees

Sacramento Bee ^ | Thursday, July 14, 2011

[DeaconBenjamin]

A group looking to abolish collective bargaining rights for California's public sector employees filed three proposed ballot initiatives this week.

Whether California Center for Public Policy, led by UC Santa Barbara economics lecturer Lanny Ebenstein, can raise enough money to put the proposals before voters is unclear.

The center released a report last year concluding that voters need a chance to resolve California's persistent fiscal problems by cutting government workers' compensation rather than raising taxes and eliminating services.

"Government does not exist to provide compensation and pensions for government workers," Ebenstein said. "Government exists to provide good public services at a reasonable cost." He filed the three initiatives Tuesday with the state attorney general's office.

The first measure would ban recognition of all public-sector labor unions and prevent government authorities from collectively bargaining with them.

The second would impose a higher tax burden on pensions paid through CalPERS or CalSTRS. Someone who earns an annual pension of $100,000 to $150,000 would pay 15 percent above the regular state income tax on the pension. The rate would jump to 25 percent for any pensions above $150,000. Health benefits would not be considered in the calculation. Ebenstein said the tax would eventually raise $1 billion a year for the state.

The third would raise the retirement age for state employees to 65. Public safety workers would see their retirement age rise to 58.

A spokesman for a public employee group doubted Ebenstein's group could raise the money needed to campaign successfully.

"These will end up in the same trash bin as the proposal to require Christmas music in public schools," said Steve Maviglio of Californians for Retirement Security. "These proposals are wildly out of sync with California, and fortunately there's a $15 million gap between dumb ideas and the ballot box."

[A CA Guy]

A reverse of the communists putting their cr@p before the people for years. These may pass, if not do it again.

[Joe Boucher]

obammy, cater or clinton appointed judge will throw this out in a n.y.minute

[SeaHawkFan]

The third would raise the retirement age for state employees to 65. Public safety workers would see their retirement age rise to 58.

That would make a huge difference. Should also go to a defined contribution system rather than a defined benefit program for retirement.

[jrp]

This probably has a 0.1% chance of passing. If by some miracle it does, there is a 99.9% chance it will be overturned by some liberal judge. I applaud the effort, though.

[TheDon]

These measures must pass!

[TribalPrincess2U]

If at first you don’t succeed...

[Czar]

Good! It’s way past time for these bloodsuckers to be dragged away from the public trough.

[vette6387]

But, but, the Freepers from other states keep telling us that California ( er, rather Mexifornia, excuse me) is a dead duck and everyone with half a brain should leave! Oh well, at least when I look out the window I see a place that’s beautiful beyond all reason, unlike the naysayers from Swollen Groin, Texas or some such place who have to live in heat and humidity and have a flat-ass prairie to look at! Maybe things need changing here, but you can never change your environment. You are stuck with that!

[newzjunkey]

This probably has a 0.1% chance of passing. If by some miracle it does, there is a 99.9% chance it will be overturned by some liberal judge. I applaud the effort, though.

I'm with you.