What a shock!
Isn’t Scranton where Joe Biden reminded us over and over about his supposedly blue collar roots during the 2008 campaign? No wonder he’s distancing himself from that message this time.
>> The firefighters’ union, along with the police and public works unions, have taken the city to court.
Wouldn’t it be cheaper to make sure every citizen is armed with a shotgun, and a few locals could volunteer to man the engines and hoses?
I'm sure taxpayers are breaking the door down and begging Scranton to do this.
After all, taxpayers are compassionate for rich government workers unions.
Where’s the link to the article?
This is the only pleasure I will get out of the collapse. Watching all these government workers who think they can retire at 40 and collect pensions get NADA. I work with a lady whose father collects two full pensions from two different public NYC unions he worked for..
Imagine, the city mayor wants you to pay them in taxes, almost twice what you are paying them now in 3 years, just so the unions can keep getting their exhorbant benefits/pensions/pay raises.
What happens in a few years when this tax increase is insufficent?
There was a story about this a few days ago.
Average household income in Scranton is $29K/yr.
Average cop salary is almost $70K/yr. Average fireman salary is $65K/yr.
The city has lost half it’s population in the last 40 years, but it’s government is the same size if not bigger.
LLS
The problems with both options is that it denies the public a voice in the process. A more optimal system would kick in well before this point. When a structural deficit comes into a city budget, an election kicks in - a referendum where the council must present a budget that is in balance, against opposing options presented by others. If no one steps forward to oppose, then it will be the city council vs the city being dissolved.
In this case, as well as the case of San Bernardino, Stockton and others, we're well beyond that point. “No taxation without representation” was a founding cry of this country. I dread the day when lawyers are the only ones who are permitted to speak in opposition to taxes.
So this article gives some info on what happens when a city files a Chapter 9 bankruptcy. http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2005/10/what_happens_when_a_city_goes_bankrupt.html
My question is what is the downside to doing this. The cities assets can’t be liquidated, they can still borrow money. All they have to do to get the chap 9 approved is show they cant pay their debts and that they want to eventually pay them off.
What really happens when a city does this?
Now wonder Michael Scott left
By not declaring bankruptcy he can then funnel what cash they have to favored suppliers and contractors and away from the union thugs, but in BK the employees get first dibs.
I discovered that Mayor Chris Doherty is a member of the democrat party. No sympathy.
Gee...ain’t that a shame...
A Democrat-controlled city...Democrat-controlled unions...bankrupted by Democrats...
Now the union boys get to feel the same pain as everyone else.
Sucks don’t it?
Cry me a river.
There’s no problem here that can’t be solved by replacing the current crop of politicians with conservatives. It will be a lot cheaper than the alternatives, none of which will work.
here is the link =
http://www.businessinsider.com/scranton-mayor-slashes-all-public-worker-wages-2012-7