Thanks for your input here. Its actually very encouraging. And let's not kid ourselves because this is actually a new conservative/Republican/Tea Bagger national drive to bust all public employee unions and especially the teacher's unions.

And for what? So the rich can get richer? That's the only way they can do that now. In order for their wages and standard of living to increase they have to decrease the standard of living for everyone else.

Its time we woke up and started forming unions instead of allowing them to be busted for conservative greed.

 

This would be a PERFECT time to implement obamacare...people out of work, unemployment on the rise, protests all over, lets hit them hard and take their health benefits away and force those teachers to pay for other peoples healthcare too...we can really get em bankrupt that way.

 

If all Walker was doing here was to negotiate with the public employee unions on salary and/or benefit concessions, all would be well. Instead, he tried a legislative end-run to bust the unions and end collective bargaining.

Of course, he carefully exempted the police, fire and state police unions, because, surprise, surprise, THEY supported him in his run for governor.

 

Or perhaps because the police and firefighters aren't overcompensated for the services they provide, unlike many other public sector employees.

 

Wisconsin Resident

The police and fire are well paid and their pensions are as good or better than the rest.
Walker did not want to take on ALL the unions at once so he split them. Again the greed factor won out.
Consider this, Walker exempt the state trooper from the bill but last week he appointed the father of 2 state republican law makers to head the state troopers at a pay exceeding $125,000 a year. Then he sends 2 state troopers to the home of the minorty party head to find him and bring him to the capital to vote.
So now do you smell anything wrong there. I am sure some of you don't but then some of you are always right. Ya sure.

For those of you that read I suggest you try Jack London's "The Iron Heel"

 

Oh, really! And you have evidence to support that contention? How do you decide that Employee A is more valuable or more fairly compensated than Employee B? Is a teacher or a medical professional overpaid in comparison to a policeman? Is one entitled to a better retirement than another? On what basis?

I'll tell you what pension benefits are for California Highway Patrol employees. The formula is 3% at 50. So if, for example, a CHP employee retires at 50 with thirty years of service, he/she receives 3%x30 = 90% of their highest salary rate. That's a much higher retirement payout than other state employees receive. Do you consider that fair, given the services provided, which largely consist of issuing tickets to speeders?

Sorry, it won't wash. It seems very evident to me that the police and fire unions were treated differently because they supported the Governor in his campaign.

 

Thank you for that perspective. It seems pretty clear that this is all about politics. Walker is reading from a nationwide conservative playbook aimed at further eroding the political power of unions. If his motivations had had anything to do with the budget deficit, he would have negotiated with the unions on concessions.

 

nazi

fuck all nazis two unfunded so called wars, deregulation on banking an the most stupidest man ever elected president. fuck off

 

To start with I didn't say teachers were overcompensated, but if you want to say that all cops and firefighters do is write tickets or sit around the firehouse washing their rigs, you have no respect for their profession. Also I am referring to the pay they make for doing their job, not what their retirement plan pays. Police are vastly underpaid as are firefighters when you can make more pay in many other public sector jobs that bear no or little risk to life. My brother made more as a water treatment employee than police make in our town. Who has the tougher job, who is more important to the public well being...my vote is for the police. Do we need to pay teachers more? Yes, we do. Do we need to pay school superintendents and school board members salaries as high as they are, fuck no. I went to a highschool that had 800 students, yet they found it necessary to have two vice-principles along with the head principle. Six guidance counselors to boot. Waste of tax dollars and pensions to be paid. I wouldn't expect a public sector employee as yourself to want to see change. Keep squeezing that rock, you may get some blood out of it.

 

You just contradicted your own argument (that the police are fairly compensated but teachers and others are overcompensated). I can't argue with you if you're position keeps shifting. But can I take from your response that you have no problem with California Highway Patrol retirement benefits, as I stated them? But that you DO have a problem with the retirement benefits enjoyed by a teacher or a nurse in Wisconsin?

By the way, we're not talking about school superintendents and board members. They are not subject to collective bargaining, and have nothing whatsoever to do with what's happening in Wisconsin.

 

I didn't shift, I didn't say police or teachers are fairly compensated, I said other public sector jobs are overly compensated or possibly unneeded. If the compensation of public employees is unsubstainable and ultimately bankrupt the states there will be no job for you and many others. Where is the money going to come from? Keep squeezing that rock. I truly hope your job is not in jeapordy because nobody wants to address unsubstainable pay, pensions or job redundancies. Also, nowhere in my post did I refer to the specifics of what Wisconsin is doing. Once again, as a public sector employee, I wouldn't expect your opinion to be anything other than what it is.

 

The U.S. Federal tax rate is the lowest it has been since 1960. The reason that "TAXES" are so high is because STATE taxes, including higher payroll taxes, sales taxes and excise taxes have risen to make up for the monies previously gotten FROM the federal government.

So much for 'states' rights' and ending 'big' government.

The obvious answer that Conservatives, Republicans, and Tea-Partiers particularly want is to cause school systems and all public services, such as trash pick-up, fire departments and police forces to collapse for want of funds.

This is particularly bright, as more and more people at the bottom are being pushed to the edge. Once the police have been hamstrung, then comes the revolution. And guess who's going to get it first?

 

Oh

I thought this thread was about the Olympics *le sigh*

 

You a silly girl.

 

For the record, I am not a public sector employee. I object, however, to the demonization of public sector employees, many of whom I know, like and respect. You have provided no factual basis whatsoever for your contention that "other public sector employees" are overcompensated (or unneeded, for that matter).

But here's a question for you: if you buy into Governor Walker's premise that collective bargaining must essentially be ended for these particular unions, why is he not taking that position for the police and fire unions? Is collective bargaining okay in some cases and not in others?

 

Not only that, but the number of federal employees per capita is also lower than it has been for decades.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2010/09/how_many_federal_workers_are_t.html

 

The factual basis, it is unsubstainable. As far as collective bargaining is concerned, we can't dismantle the police dept. or fire dept. Unneeded, you fucking better believe that state and federal government is too large. I can drive down a highway and watch twenty state employees standing while a half dozen are busy working. Private companies couldn't sustain the workforce as they don't have tax dollars to fund their operation. It is apparent you think public sector employees work as hard as those in the private sector, it is apparent that I don't think so. You keep talking of proof, why don't you show some, you can't. Public sector is a money pit, private sector go under if they are run like public sector. I think you left some food in your bowl...get out your silver spoon girl.

 

You forgot to include me on the list, Ten...I'm appalled at what's happening in Wisconsin...

 

Maybe you guys should take a look at the Huffington Post's front page.

I do not often vouch for the HP's accuracy but I think the pictures pretty much tell it all.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

I think the governor fucked up.

 

Average US cop salary $50K. Average Wisconsin cop salary $47K.