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It’s better now to be a public employee

May 17, 2013

public employeesFewer pay and hiring freezes are plaguing those with public jobs in California as things get brighter for state and local government civil service employees.

That’s the conclusion of a new report by the non-profit Center for State & Local Government Excellence, which also suggests that 10 percent fewer layoffs of public sector employees are occurring, compared to the same time last year.

Health and retirement benefits are being modified by more than half of this state’s public agencies, a factor that helps stabilize budgets and insulate workers from the axe, according to the report’s authors.

Many of these savings are being accomplished by shifting more retirement and health plan contributions from employer to employee.


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When was it ever bad as long as the taxpayers makeup for any shortfall in their pension but of course do not benefit if their investments do good


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Most of you just sound jealous. We all choose our professions. I think police and fire should have a great retirement for risking their lives everyday more than any of you would EVER know. Plus if they didn’t have that incentive, we wouldn’t have the quality workers we have now. Yeah there are some lazy ones that take advantage but most are very good employees!!


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So in you mind John Ryan Mason is one that just “takes advantage” strange, maybe you should meet him in a bathroom.


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He almost killed the guy! Somehow he took advantage of the city to get hired after that…so…uh…YEAH! To answer your question.


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You may not remember but he was already hired when he beat the guy to almost death, so I guess the advantage he took was that he kept his job and benefits, and I suppose your position is that is the hard work we pay so much for, now and forever


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rediculous5,


You’re exactly correct. If it wasn’t for the economy tanking because of the banks and housing debacle, this situation wouldn’t even cross the minds of the individuals that are now against the government employees and those damn UNIONS.


I am surprised that the Union bashing card hasn’t been played as well. What happened to that mantra? You know, those damn UNIONS that set pay standards and practices that raise the wages of nonunionized workers in occupations and industries where there is a strong union presence.


Additionally, those damn UNIONS and their collective bargaining that fuels innovations in wages, benefits, and work practices that affect nonunionized workers too.


I don’t think that the whiners to UNION employees are going to give back their higher wage because of the UNIONS giving it to them in a spillover effect. Do you think? Nope, but they will continue to cry anyway.


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I am not “jealous” and I did choose my profession, but unlike many public employees, I pay 100% into my retirement savings, pay 100% for my medical insurance and have to actually perform in order to get paid…


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Perform what? Pushing buttons on the keyboard. Do u know how many times I personally have had close calls with life…of course not. Plus I do perform. And I do pay into my retirement. Why are you crying if you have to pay 100% into retirement? Again…that’s your choice. You think we would have the quality officers and fire fighters we have now if they didn’t have the retirement incentive? There’s no way. You would have more corrupt employees.


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Quality????? John Ryan mason????


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easymoney,


Good for you! As if every job could be defined as yours, but, it isn’t. Are you sure that you’re not jealous because of your “but unlike public employees…” comment? Otherwise, why would you bring it up in the first place?


Conversely, the person chose to be a public employee, and with that, came additional entities that came with their position. Do you deny them of these extras?


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Really? I think the lives of civilians are FAR more dangerous than those of police officers. We don’t get to carry guns and are regarded as criminals and “terrorists” if we do!


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You miss the point. Of course most cops and firefighters are good employees, and they do an important job. The problem is if you work 20 years and retire, and then collect 90% your 6 figure income for the next 30-40 years, we all go broke!


Working until your 55-60, contributing miore and collecting about 70% of your pay would still be a great deal!


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All we need now is a Federal, State and local Office of Overlap and Redundancy to ensure compliance with duplicity and duplication… that way, we can all be like Obama and not have any clue or responsibility about anything ever. Period.


Except he got Bin Laden. Personally. That, he took credit for.


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Did President Bush take personal responsibility for NOT getting bin Laden ? Oh yeah, March 13th, 2002 : I don’t know where he is. I really just don’t spend that much time on him, to be honest with you.” And then in 2006, President Bush shuts down the bin Laden unit.

If President Obama wants to take credit for “getting” bin Laden, I say let him. Except he hasn’t taken personal responsibility for the actual execution of the mission, just the fact that he authorized it and made sure it was carried out. Give it a rest already.


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Yea it’s all Bush’s fault. I bet the recent Bengazi, AP and IRS things will be also, huh Bob??? Spin away Bob, spin away.


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BTDT,


Bohner in the 2010 elections: “We’re going to have a relentless focus on creating jobs.”


What job bills have the GOP brought forth to date since 2010? ZERO!!!


How many Democrat job bills have been brought forth since the GOP controls the House since 2010, and how many were defeated by the GOP? 31!!!


Seriously, what is the latest SPIN on the GOP not upholding their job creation mantra of the 2010 elections and by defeating the job bills from the Democrats? What does Hannity and Rush tell you to say?


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Nice try Ted. I think for myself thanks. Don’t need no talking heads on radio or looking to bible verses to see what to say. Do you ever have your own thoughts?


That said the GOV. does not make jobs. PERIOD!!! The PRIVATE SECTOR DOES!! The only thing the Gov. can do is how much or little regulation they strap on business that let them function either to profitablity or barly getting by. THAT IS FACT!!!


Now go find a verse to tell me what I said wrong.


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BTDT,


John Bohner’s 2010 election mantra: “Helping Americans get back to work is our number one priority, and we’re going to do everything we can to help create jobs and to boost our economy.”


Question, with your own spin, do you know more than John Bohner in the respect of creating jobs?


As it has been shown, John Bohner’s “priority one” was quickly redefined to: assaulting union rights, women’s reproductive rights and their health care, ObamaCare, ACORN, Voter suppression, government jobs, ‘Shariah law is a comin’ to Amerika’ , Michele Bachmann quote, equality (see: most of them), education, privatizing prisons, eradicating Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and voucher programs.


Did I miss anything on John Bohner’s priority list above instead of him creating jobs as promised? Huh?


Oh, that bible quote that you wanted. Here it is: “When arguing with fools, be sure to answer their foolish arguments, or they will become wise in their own estimation.” (Proverbs 26:5)


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Ted I don’t deny anything about Bohner’s comment, because I am use to BOTH sides of the political aisle promising this for the last thirty plus years. Do YOU deny that?


So I’m not going to get into a he said she said arguement with you when neither one of us can claim high ground on the argument.


Oh and on your verse, glad you have someone to tell you how to think everyday because you are surely lacking for any thoughts of your own.


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BTDT,


Are you folding up your tent already? Kitchen get to hot? Huh?


In you proposing that I lack any thoughts of my own is just pure rhetoric on your part to save face. I enclose a bible passage that is relative to the uninformed like you to prove a godly perspective.


You’re excused.


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No Ted, you can’t help the helpless and I’ve got better things to do. Thanks for thinking you matter to me in my world but you don’t.


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Hey, all you haters:


The crack epidemic of the 1980’s made proposals to get tough on crime politically advantageous. Soon prisons were overflowing with low level drug offenders. With the addition of new employees the correctional officers’ union became politically powerful, enough so to influence the course of elections. Those of us in the private sector used to laugh at their pensions as long as the share prices of the mutual funds in our IRAs were skyrocketing. When the internet bubble burst at the turn of the millenium, taking our retirement savings with it, we were warned that governments would be required to pony up extra money to fund public sector employees’ pensions. This was politically disadvantageous, so our elected officials stuck their heads in the sand and hoped that the stock market would bail them out. The subprime mortgage crisis and associated financial meltdown made it abundantly clear that wouldn’t happen.


So, if you think public employees have it too good, quit smoking crack!


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More needs to be done to reign in pension costs for public employees. For example, police and firefighters should not be able to retire with 90% pay at age 50. That’s ridiculous. All pubic employees must make bigger contributions and not be allowed to retire early for starters.


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oops…sorry about the typo…that’s “public” lol


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GalaxyTraveler,


Take your gutter talk elsewhere, and to laugh about it too? Freudian slip, yep!


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AND when the retiree dies his spouse gets the full retirement until they die! ! !

It’s no wonder homosexuals want homo marriage legalized.


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I receive a government pension that I earned, and paid into, for 35 years. When I retired, I had the option of taking my full pension amount per month or taking LESS with the provision that if I died first my wife would continue to receive the pension until she dies. If she dies first, I’m SOL–I continue to get the reduced amount.


The reduction in my pension was calculated so that , based on actuarial tables, the exact same amount would be received by my family over the course of our lives. There is no free lunch.


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No free lunch?

So you take a two or three hundred dollar drop in pension benefits per month and still earn

that big retirement check off the taxpayers dime…Big deal…


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Why have a pension system at all? Let them do what the people footing their bills have to do: invest it on their own, and take the risks that go with it.


I’d love for ALL employees for all companies, governments, etc. to be 1099’d, making ANY withholdings ILLEGAL, give the worker their ENTIRE pay, and then let the government and others come and take their portions.


I pay my monthly bills; my tax bill should be one of them. It will work even better with a fair tax (i.e. FLAT tax, like Russia did). Then we can get rid of this shameful IRS that has polluted our nation for far too long.


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Why…cause u don’t get 90 percent? Sounds like you’re jealous. We all choose our professions. I think police and fire should have a great retirement for risking their lives everyday more than you would EVER know. Plus if they didn’t have that incentive, we wouldn’t have the quality workers we have now. Yeah there are some lazy ones that take advantage but most are very good employees!!


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This stinken computer…was supposed to be for galaxy traveler


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yourletting your alligator mouth overload your canary ass,,JUST TRY THE JOB sometime ,put in your application , I think they will be seeking new officers soon, or better yet go on a ride along and see what they do to earn their money , you will change your opinion , but you could,nt do the job anyway


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Largest welfare scam in the history of mankind. And we taxpayers are fortunate enough to experience it. Do nothing for 30 years and then do nothing for 90% for the rest of your life. Hard to beat that for most folks i guess


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Public Employees……… DON”T GET ME STARTED.


Out of here…….


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We all make mistakes. I wish I would have started a hedge-fund.


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should have been a state union worker


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Substitute “employee” for “worker”!


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Seriously!


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i get it, state union worker is an oxymoron.


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