Blog author's comments - I am wondering how many people, across the country, graduated from college this past year or last year with a degree in Elementary or Secondary Education and are looking for a job.
I am sure there will be enough people to fill the positions that will soon be vacant, if schools continue to be shut down, and sick days run out for all these "dedicated-to-the-kids" teachers, who are protesting.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker stands firm against the Obama backed unions. Our president has sided with the uncivil union mob. I would have to guess that many of the "protesters" are not teachers and don't live in Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin protesters whine about what they want. It's not about their wants; it's about what the state can afford.
Cartoon by Michael Ramirez
Re: Public employees and benefits package.
ReplyDeleteTo begin with I am a retired public employee and concurrently a military retiree (reserves). I have also been a union steward and took a grievance to the MN Supreme Court (see Law Enforcement Labor Services vs. City of West St. Paul). But ... I am also a REALIST.
This country is broke and for all intents and purposes bankrupt. Accomodations and adjustments have to be made. Fault is not the issue because there is certainly enough of that to go around. Government managers and workers both contributed to the unrealistic benefits packages because it was in their interest to do so! That's the past and it is not a healthy prescription for the future.
Public employees are going to have to accept that retirement and benefit packages will be severely curtailed in the future.
Using the police and fire as an example they should expect that retirement pay will be determined by the entry salary level capped at its highest level, i.e. at 5, 10 and 15year increments. When the employee reaches their 20th year of service they must revert to the entry level position and pay. If they elect to retire they will be compensated at the rate of 50% of the basic entry pay until they reach the qualifying age for social security. Then their retirement pay from their government service will terminate. Likewise with any benefit packages such as medical and/or dental insurance. It stops when they qualify for social security.
What this means is that they will have to engage in long term economic planning as they begin their careers. The social security benefits will only be a component of their economic planning. Social security administrators will be prohibited from pro-rating their benefit awards and they do currently.
This model will be applicable to the military and all government employees at every level of government.
It's not happy times folks but it is either work to solve the problem or watch the whole mess we call government go down the drain.
Governments at all levels will be prohibited from participating in deficit financing EXCEPT in times of emergency, i.e. declared war!
Governments, at all levels, are not only going to have to get themselves out of debt but prepare savings accounts to meet the needs in time of natural disasters or catastrophic events.
No foreign aid will be permitted until this country is free from debt. Likewise, no expenditure will be allowed when natural or man made disasters occur in places other than the US.
The federal government must accept that it must undergo a downsizing. Schools are paid for from property taxes, at least that is the case in Minnesota, therefore there is no need for a Department of Education at the federal level.
The department of energy had an original mandate to increase gas mileage. It now has some 30 odd thousand employees and we've seen no appreciable increase in mileage. This department did not meet its mandate and therefore should be eliminated.
The national laboratories shall be maintained and directed to transition our economy from a petrochemical base to one that is of a hydrogen base. Further, they shall be mandated to explore and facilitate the use of salt water in conjunction with radio wave propogation to facilitate steam turbine technology in the generation of electrical power.
That's enough and its only a start. Many will view these changes as radical. Well, that's what you get when you allow so-called elected representation to run amoke.
You are broke - get used to the idea. The piggy bank is broken and none of us have the luxury of maintaining self-interest in the face of financial calamity.
Thank you for your comments - very well said.
ReplyDeleteThe time for tough changes are past due and yes we now find our country broke, but the political party which is now in power does not see it that way.
They intend, if allowed, to continue the spending binge they are currently on to a point, and that point may be behind us, that we will never pay off the debt which we now have and with the interest on that debt future generations will suffer greatly.
Both party's are guilty and it is time for a few leaders to gain office and make the difficult but not popular decisions to try and begin to right our sinking ship. The larger problem is that most people will not accept the changes which must be made.