Bashing of the public employee

[SHRED]

Here is what I just sent out to my fellow Teamster brothers and sisters here in the San Diego area:



Teamsters,

The San Diego Union and NC Times have posted similar articles listing wages and compensation packages of public employees.

While I think transparency is a good thing I also realize that in this anti-public worker, anti-union, political climate we are going through the time is ripe for "outrage" among the public.
The City of Bell (a Charter City) was ran by thugs and criminals in my opinion and the sad fact is we end up getting broad-brushed over the radio talkshows, TV, and newspapers for their excesses.

Here are the links.

City manager benefits can add 68% over base pay
BY JEFF MCDONALD, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
SATURDAY, AUGUST 7, 2010 AT 10:42 P.M.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/aug/07/city-manager-benefits-can-add-68-over-base-pay/


REGION: North County cities posting salaries, wages on websites
ACTION FOLLOWS CONCERN OVER LA SUBURB'S HIGH PAY
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/sdcounty/article_0be7e065-4d64-5965-b01d-76b2a8ab11ea.htm


Here is how I responded, online, to these two articles:

CalPERS

Myths vs. Facts - Pension Security

Myth: Government workers don’t contribute to their pensions; taxpayers are on the hook to pay those costs.
Myth: CalPERS pensioners can "goose" their retirement benefit upward by manipulating the income that gets included in their final year of compensation.
Myth: The average CalPERS pensioner gets 80 percent of their pay.
Myth: CalPERS Board is focused on benefit enhancements.
Myth: Police and firefighters retire at age 50 with 90 percent of pay.

Myths vs. Facts - Pension Financing

Myth: Pension Costs for the State of California have increased by 2000 percent in the last 10 years.
Myth: Public pension benefits are excessive and a drain on the public.
Myth: CalPERS said the SB 400 benefit enhancements would be free to the State forever.
Myth: CalPERS is going to run out of money because of baby boomers retiring.
Myth: Pensions are among the highest costs of State government.


http://www.calpersresponds.com/all-myths-vs-facts.php

The bashing of public employees on the radio and TV is rampant.
Never mind that when compared to a private sector corporate CEO, with an equal budget and responsibilities to oversee, these packages are paltry.
Never mind these same radio talkshows and TV leave out the Raytheon's, SAIC's, and General Atomic's where your tax dollars (via government contracts) go to enrich far more people, at much greater compensation levels, who do far less for you.

Perspective people, please.
Unions don't have their own radio or TV show. Radio,TV, and newspapers are corporate outlets who are biased against government workers and unions. They own the bully pulpit.


In Solidarity,
Ted


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[disidoro01]

1. Not here to bash

I have some serious concerns about the scant facts that you've posted Ted.
www.calpersresponds.com/downloads/Pension_Primer.pdf
This site gives some retirement info on calPERS. One thing that jumped out at me is that the retirement is based on the highest year compensation. I'm not saying people do "goose" their earnings but yes they can.
As far as SS, Approximately two-thirds (65.7 percent) of CalPERS members participate in
benefit plans that are coordinated with Social Security, and are therefore eligible
to receive Social Security benefits in addition to their CalPERS benefit.
There are many other concerns I have but I don't have time to go point by point.
Misrepresenting the facts on either side of the argument is never a good thing and leads to greater conflict.

[SHRED]

2. I am a Public Works employee

The "goosing" takes place in rare occasions and mostly at the high levels of Safety Services (police and fire).
If you want to pick out the exceptions and make them the rule then you are being no better than AM talk radio.

We have no medical retirement plan.
No SS.
To retire at 55 is laughable and working these labor intense jobs until 65 (Medicare) will be crippling.



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[Bonhomme Richard]

3. They are taking this opportunity to go after them because.....

public employees are the last bastion of organized labor. It's not that they are making so much as we are making so much less these days and Pols know that they can use the resentment of non public employees against them. It is no coincidence that when the unions were destroyed the average workers real income dropped. If unions were still as strong as they used to be the average worker would still be making more than the public employee.

[dpark08w]

6. Public employee unions

I don't think the unions should be "busted" but I do think they should come into parity with the wages and benefits of
the private sector. These unions are huge and they have the ability to sink the American economy. They have a responsibility
to be realistic in their demands, they have a responsibility to cause their workers to work HARD and PERFORM in a manner not unlike what is required in the private sector. Elected politicians also have a responsibility to make sure they are not "patsys" when it comes to union demands.

[Starry Messenger]

4. Bookmarking.

Thanks for the link!

[Omaha Steve]

5. Republican Secret Game Plan to Force States Into BANKRUPTCY- Breaking ALL Union Agreements !

http://blacks4barack.blogspot.com/2010/08/wow-dick-morris-email-reveals.html

By Greg Jones
Blacks4Barack
National Director

I frequently listen to the opposition, from Fox News to Rush, because I have always felt it very important to stay abreast of just how they're thinking. They don't know it, but I'm also on the email list to receive some of the right-wing emails/messages they send to their fellow Repubs. I received one today from Dick Morris, the guy who talks out of the side of his mouth as a regular pundit on Fox News. Morris, a former Democrat, was part of the Clinton administration and has re-devoted his life to Dem/Obama bashing.

Today I received Morris' latest email stating what he feels the Republican strategy should be if they were to regain control...his 'answer' to solving the economic problems created by the Bush Regime. To my amazement (I don't know why I'm so surprised), based on Morris, the Republican strategy is to literally block much needed financial aid to struggling states with the ultimate goal being to force all of the states INTO BANKRUPTCY ! They also plan to break ALL union agreements including wages, rules, pensions and more ! Not only does this explain why Repubs are voting against everything that could be helpful to The Recovery, but this email is absolutely, incredibly revealing and spells out exactly what we can expect should we allow the Repubs to regain power. Below are excerpts from the Morris email/newsletter. Truly dangerous stuff. Here's what Morris wrote:


*As Congress reconvenes next week to pass a $26 billion bailout of state and local governments entombed in their own deficits, we witness a foretaste of the crisis that will be the central event of the first half of next year: the collapse of state governments.

*As long as the Democrats control Congress, they will continue to rubber-stamp Obama's requests for bailouts of profligate states. But when the Republicans take control, they will be less than forthcoming. Republicans will ask the central question: Why should taxpayers from states that have cut their budgets and observed spending restraint, pay for the extravagances of the other states? Why should forty-seven states have to pay for California, New York, and Michigan?


*The Republican solution to state financial distress should be simple: The Party should insist on a change in the federal bankruptcy law providing for a procedure for state bankruptcy (none now exists). This process must call for abrogation (means=to end) of all state and local public employee union contracts as is usually done in private sector bankruptcies. By freeing states and local governments (including school boards) of their union obligations on wages, work rules, staffing, and pensions, they have a chance to survive and, indeed, to prosper. But merely subsidizing these massive expenditures just prolongs the misery of the states in question.

*The collapse of overspending state governments must trigger the diminution of the power unions hold over their budgets and their politics. Their coming bankruptcies offer an opportunity for reform and the Republican Congress - backed by newly elected Republican state governments - give us precisely the opportunity we need to effectuate it. (*=Excerpts from emailed Dick Morris.Com newsletter entitled "The Coming Catastrophe: State Governments")

[dpark08w]

7. State Budget.

This new Obama bailout for the states is a band aid. It may solve the problem for the short run but the states will be in
the same mess next year and for years to come until the states and federal government get smart with their spending. It's not just the public employee unions. It's over staffing, huge and very costly government buildings, new cars for travel, office supplies, etc, etc. No one is responsible for keeping budgets down. Unfortunately it will probably take the states entering bako to get tough with spending - BUT - subsequent to state bankruptcies we'll have the same problem again because no politician is willing to say no to the unions or their staffs.