Free Republic

<p>While the federal government prepares to furlough workers in critical agencies starting next month, it's spending millions of dollars on employees who are "absent without leave" or simply showing up to work on "standby."</p> <p>In other words, complains one senator, workers "being paid to do nothing."</p>

The closer Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger gets to leaving office and the longer the budget stalemate drags out, the more frank he seems to become. Speaking today at the Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Republican governor had no qualms about attacking public employee unions, whom he blamed for high costs everywhere in government. In a perfect Schwarzenegger world, courtroom cameras would replace court reporters, courthouses would use private security guards and schools would hire local gardeners rather than union employees to mow the lawn. . . . On pension costs: "All of a sudden you have to take money away...

Socialism's greatest lie is that it promises the people something for nothing, services and programs of all kind that will either be "free" or more affordable than the free market variety. But just like the ads promising you a free iPod or a chance to make millions from home while you yawn, socialism is not something for nothing, instead more often it's nothing for something. The idea that the government will take care of you is appealing, entire nanny states have been built on that proposition. But the government can't take care of you, it can't even pay its own...

OAKLAND -- The BART contract dispute was resolved this evening, averting a threatened transit strike that would have crippled Monday morning's commute. The two sides announced that they had reached a tentative contract agreement less than six hours before train operators and station agents had planned to walk out and shut down the regional commuter rail system. "It's the greatest thing for the Bay Area. It's what everybody wanted," said James Fang, vice president of BART's Board of Directors. The deal was brokered after intense negotiations at the bargaining table and heavy lobbying by Bay Area elected officials and outside...

WHEN AMALGAMATED Transit Union workers strike Monday morning, bringing BART to a halt and tying up Bay Area traffic, and then seek public sympathy, don't feel sorry for station agent Tiffany C. Li. For the most part, her job requires her to sit in a booth watching the fare gates and answering patrons' questions. She's required to have a high school diploma. Last year, she earned $115,053. And don't worry about train operator Ron Gadola. He is supposed to make sure his train doesn't run into the next one on the track, to announce stations as they're coming up, and...

How many BART workers does it take to fix a broken train seat? Two - and that's no joke. One to replace the bottom of the seat, and another to replace the back. It also takes two types of janitors, at $28 an hour apiece, to clean one of the open-air BART stations.One sweeps up indoors, and another works outdoors - the boundary between the two defined by "the drip line" where rainwater falls from the station's roof.Management is holding up those rules as examples of the type of featherbedding that the transit system's unions must surrender if BART is...

Englewood police officers are at odds with the town over staffing levels and salaries. Special Report: Runaway paySalaries and staffing are at the core of a contentious negotiation between Englewood and its police unions, a microcosm of the problems facing many North Jersey municipalities.  Police say staffing is inadequate, and more crime could be stopped if there were more officers. But that's not an option, city officials say, in a department where the median salary is $104,000.     The disagreements reveal how sensitive the topic of police pay has become in North Jersey, where property taxes are among the highest...

Housekeeper at UW has backup job System president's employee guaranteed an academic spot By CHASE DAVIS cdavis@journalsentinel.com Highlighting what critics called the pervasiveness of backup appointments across the University of Wisconsin System, officials confirmed Friday that President Kevin Reilly's own housekeeper holds one of the controversial positions, although Reilly has said he learned of it only recently. Section: State politics UW spokeswoman Kate Dixon confirmed Friday that Mary Lou Gritzmacher, the housekeeper at Reilly's official residence, was among the UW staff and administrators guaranteed a backup job - a three-year academic staff position. The parameters of that job are unclear....

WEST COAST: Union leaders pull out, accusing shippers of bringing in guards to intimidate them. By Dennis Johnson and Jasmine Lee DAILY BREEZE Negotiators for union dockworkers walked out of talks Tuesday aimed at ending a lockout at ports from San Diego to Seattle, claiming the shippers association brought in “armed thugs” to intimidate them and hasten federal intervention. Representatives of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union were supposed to meet with Pacific Maritime Association officials, who represent shipping firms at 29 West Coast ports. When dockworker officials arrived at a federal mediator’s Oakland office they were met by an...