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Scranton's Public Workers Now Paid Minimum Wage
NPR ^ | July 7, 2012 | JEFF BRADY

Posted on 07/08/2012 3:05:32 PM PDT by kingattax

The city of Scranton, Pa., sent out paychecks to its employees Friday, like it does every two weeks. But this time the checks were much smaller than usual. Mayor Chris Doherty has reduced everyone's pay — including his own — to the state's minimum wage: $7.25 an hour.

Doherty says his city has run out of money.

Scranton has had financial troubles for a couple of decades — the town has been losing population since the end of World War II. But the budget problems became more serious in recent months as the mayor and the city council fought over how to balance the budget.

Doherty wants to raise taxes to fill a $16.8-million gap. The city council wants to take a different approach and borrow money. City council members did not respond to NPR's requests to discuss the dispute.

"I'm trying to do the best I can with the limited amount of funds that I have," Doherty says, "I want the employees to get paid. Our people work hard — our police and fire — I just don't have enough money and I can't print it in the basement."

After paying workers Friday, the city had only about $5,000 left in the bank. More money flowed into city accounts that day, but it was still not enough to pay the $1 million the city still owes to its nearly 400 employees.

Scranton's public workers received a few days' warning this was coming. John Judge, a firefighter and president of the International Association of Firefighters, Local 60, typically receives about $1,500 every two weeks, after deductions. On Friday his check was less than $600 — before deductions.

"Don't know how I'm going to pay bills at home. I may be able to stave it off for a little while," Judge says. "[The] kids aren't going to be able to do certain activities this summer — maybe we're not going to be able to go on vacation."

The firefighters' union, along with the police and public works unions, have taken the city to court. Lackawanna County Judge Michael Barrasse issued an injunction, essentially agreeing with the unions that the city was breaking the law, but Doherty says he doesn't have another choice. Despite the injunction, he had the city send out paychecks based on minimum wage.

The unions plan to be back in court first thing Monday morning to ask the judge to hold Doherty in contempt.

There's been no love lost between Doherty and the public employee unions because of this battle; they've already spent the past decade in a legal dispute over pay that went all the way to the state supreme court. Both sides come to this latest battle with plenty of baggage and hard feelings. But with nearly 400 city workers receiving a fraction of the pay they typically get, pressure is building to resolve the issue soon.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Pennsylvania
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1 posted on 07/08/2012 3:05:43 PM PDT by kingattax
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To: kingattax
If It was $3.25 an hour: the tax payers would finally get their monies worth!
2 posted on 07/08/2012 3:09:13 PM PDT by Jim from C-Town (The government is rarely benevolent, often malevolent and never benign!)
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To: kingattax

Don’t know, but it sounds like a stunt. Once the tax money comes in, they’ll pay them back.


3 posted on 07/08/2012 3:11:02 PM PDT by BobL
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To: kingattax
If It was $3.25 an hour: the tax payers would finally get their monies worth!
4 posted on 07/08/2012 3:12:53 PM PDT by Jim from C-Town (The government is rarely benevolent, often malevolent and never benign!)
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To: kingattax
IF Pennsylvania was a person, Philadelphia would be the anal orifice and Scranton would be the armpit. This is the hometown of Bob Casey, Jr., BO's very own rubber stamp.

Allentown, located in the same general region of the state, and hometown of our other U.S. Senator, Pat Toomey, has a similar industrial history to Scranton but does not elect many Democrat politicians.

I suppose it is just a coincidence that Allentown is a well-governed and fiscally sound community.

5 posted on 07/08/2012 3:13:00 PM PDT by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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To: kingattax

Interesting...moreso because he’s a Democrat. And Scranton is Casey Country. I wonder if Tom Smith (R candidate for Senate) will pay a visit..


6 posted on 07/08/2012 3:13:11 PM PDT by SueRae (See it? Hell, I can TASTE November from my house!)
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To: kingattax

You can’t get blood out of a turnip. Without a court injunction.


7 posted on 07/08/2012 3:15:26 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer (The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.)
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To: kingattax

when re they gonna cut their welfare benefits?


8 posted on 07/08/2012 3:16:21 PM PDT by camle (keep an open mind and someone will fill it full of something for you)
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To: Jim from C-Town

Wait, you mean getting paid a fat salary with generous benefits with the ability to retire at age 48 with full pension and benefits isn’t a Human Right?


9 posted on 07/08/2012 3:20:36 PM PDT by Tea Party Terrorist (Fast & Furious: Proof the Government should not have access to guns)
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To: kingattax

A quick internet search shows that Christopher Doherty is a democrat who loves trees and hates babies.


10 posted on 07/08/2012 3:20:55 PM PDT by Repeal The 17th (We have met the enemy and he is us.)
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To: kingattax

Basically, they will never get it until they are strung up and hanged.
The city is out of MONEY. What is a judge going to do?
Conjure it up?
Raising taxes won’t increase revenue for more than a nanosecond.


11 posted on 07/08/2012 3:21:51 PM PDT by bill1952 (Choice is an illusion created between those with power - and those without)
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To: kingattax
"Don't know how I'm going to pay bills at home. I may be able to stave it off for a little while," Judge says. "[The] kids aren't going to be able to do certain activities this summer — maybe we're not going to be able to go on vacation."

Join the club, you whining son of a...

12 posted on 07/08/2012 3:23:17 PM PDT by who knows what evil? (G-d saved more animals than people on the ark...www.siameserescue.org.)
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To: kingattax
Hey! Scranton public employees!

Deal with it!

The City is broke!

Any Union contract is worth nothing more used toilet paper.

Be happy you're getting the money you are and even the mayor is getting the same amount.

13 posted on 07/08/2012 3:26:25 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty - Honor - Country! What else needs said?)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

14 posted on 07/08/2012 3:28:13 PM PDT by 4Liberty (88% of Americans are NON-UNION. We value honest, peaceful Free trade-NOT protectionist CARTELS)
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To: kingattax

I wonder how many public union employee were laid off to try meet the budget shortfall.....my guess none...


15 posted on 07/08/2012 3:28:20 PM PDT by Popman (When you elect a clown: expect a circus...)
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To: kingattax

They should jump over into the privare sector, it’s doing fine, according to Joe Weisenrthal as well as BO.


16 posted on 07/08/2012 3:29:11 PM PDT by gusopol3
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To: kingattax

Los Angeles and San Francisco should do the same thing.


17 posted on 07/08/2012 3:29:11 PM PDT by RC2 (Buy American and support the Wounded Warrior Project whenever possible.)
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To: Vigilanteman

I think plugs was born there.


18 posted on 07/08/2012 3:31:48 PM PDT by gusopol3
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To: kingattax

Columnist with a little more about the city’s current budget plans:
http://thetimes-tribune.com/opinion/editorials-columns/christopher-j-kelly/kelly-column-stay-tuned-for-absurdity-disaster-in-scranton-1.1340584
“... the city doesn’t own its stormwater management system and never did. This matters because selling it to the Scranton Sewer Authority for $5 million was a central component of Mayor Chris Doherty’s financial recovery plan. He apparently did not know that the SSA owns the system, making it a tough sell, even for a salesman as slick as Mr. Doherty.

The city council “supermajority” led by President Janet Evans was apparently as clueless as the administration. The impossible sale of an asset the city doesn’t own was the lone element of Mr. Doherty’s plan that Mrs. Evans and Co. supported.”


19 posted on 07/08/2012 3:33:56 PM PDT by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat Party!)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

“You can’t get blood out of a turnip. Without a court injunction.”

The thing of it is, you can’t get blood out of a turnip even with a court injunction.


20 posted on 07/08/2012 3:34:44 PM PDT by jocon307
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