Our police contract and city budget meetings turned into a teabagger rally

[OmahaBlueDog]

http://www.ketv.com/news/24582510/detail.html

"OMAHA, Neb. -- People packed into City Council chambers Tuesday for a public hearing on the proposed police contract, with supporters arguing it is a well-negotiated deal and opponents countering the contract still gives too much to police.

Under the deal, Omaha would spend $15 million per year on police pensions until 2015."

Mush of the anger is a local issue, and it's driven by anger over police and fire department pension spiking. However, a local group has emerged called "Omaha Alliance for the Private Sector"

http://omahalliance.com/

You should check out the website, because it's a preview of talking points you'll be seeing in upcoming races:



"There are numerous examples of elected officials who have had the courage to remodel government, such as Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey. He is doing a phenomenal job in a very labor-influenced state. (Check out his YouTube videos.)"



"In California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has gone a different route, bargaining with the 12 unions that represent public employees. Last week four of them agreed to let the state cut its own contributions by requiring current workers to pay sharply more for the same pensions. The workers will contribute 10 percent of their pay, in some cases double the previous rate, to the state pension fund. Some other states are raising employee contributions as well, though less sharply.

In New Jersey, the administration of Gov. Christopher J. Christie recently imposed pension cuts on future hires, but has been quietly looking into whether it could also reduce the benefits that current employees expect to accumulate in the coming years.

“Can they change the benefit formula going forward? Sure. It’s not etched in stone,” said Edward Thomson III, an actuary and trustee of the New Jersey pension system who was asked to offer an opinion on whether New Jersey could adopt the federal pension law – the one that covers companies – as its governing statute."

[madmax]

1. I remember not too long ago

when firemen and police were highly regarded and revered. Hmmm, when was that again? Oh, yeah 9/11 - that's so yesterday when it comes to pensions and pay.

[rufus dog]

2. K&R this is important stuff posted by OmahaBlueDog

Along with teachers they police and fire employees will be the next target for the Repubs.

[OmahaBlueDog]

3. Break the union, break the union's organizing power (read: Dem votes), and "privatize"

..and the TV shots of the rally showed most of the attendees at the meeting wearing their Gadsden Flag or "Taxed Enough Already" stickers, so it was clear to me who's been organizing the Omaha Alliance for the Private Sector.

[WinkyDink]

6. Notice how no billionaires wear those "Taxed Enough" stickers? Obama needs to get a clue here.

[Tsiyu]

4. The Right Wing uses cops and teachers and firefighters

the same way they use our military.

Sickening.

[WinkyDink]

5. Yes, let's make public-school teaching even MORE of a crappy profession to enter.

[OmahaBlueDog]

7. Sure, education for our children important -- but can't we get it cheaper?

Because my $350,000 home is taxed enough already...maybe we could ship all the inner city kids to boarding schools in India. I hear they're cheaper. :sarcasm:

Somedays, it's like the GOP is a used car salesperson's convention.