The Governor continues to speak heresy, now asking public employee unions to forego 4% pay hikes. The unions say no way.
What needs to happen are program cuts.....fewer workers....Revisiting collective bargaining agreements is difficult because those with enough seniority to be immune from layoff see no reason to make concessions.
These state labor agreements are pretty cushy at 4% for multiple years. But they are contracts and the Governor needs to find other ways to reduce the scope of government. While surrendering one year's pay hike makes for good headlines, it does not solve the systemic problems. First on the block should be a defined benefit retirement plan, something long ago abandoned in the private sector.
Governor calls on state workers to forgo 4 percent raises : Albany : The Buffalo News
13 comments:
School salaries, state employee salaries, all public employee pay, should have been frozen years ago when it because obvious to everyone, except maybe Sheldon Silver, that the state was headed towards ruin.
But, me worry. Thanks kids.
You cant freeze wages and cut bennies for anyone.. You negotiated as they did in good faith.. Your legislators are there to do what you wish contact them...
Yes, good benefits which will be taxed by Obamacare. Comparable private sector positions (engineers, physicians, teachers, Nurses, etc.) are paid more than their state counterparts. Consulting fees for engineers get $200.00/hr., I know the state engineers are not getting that including benefits. All medical professionals get hired at job rate because they would not work for the state at the starting salary.
Most state agencies are running with barebones staff but I do agree if they can consolidate services they should. Ask any teacher how long it takes to get your teaching license from New York State Ed.
To give back the raises the contract would have to be reopened, which could impact all areas of the contract. PLUS the Governor Paterson has already made an agreement with PEF & CSEA to create a Tier 5 in lieu laying off state employees. He must have forgotten about the Tier 5 deal that guts benefits, pay, and retirement of all new employees and saves the state 100s of millions of dollars.
At this point the Governor has no credibility and will not be elected this fall. The unions would be crazy to make a deal with a man that will disappear this November.
Start at the County Level and go up. How many attorneys involved.. You have a County attorney who hires a assistant or two.. EAch Dept has an attorney. You have the District attorney and all they hire. You have the Public Defender and Conflict Defenders and all they hire. Assigned council gets a lot of money from Counties.. Counties attorney then contract out all of his work to other firms such as compensation.. Judges and their staffs which consist of Attoeneys.. Just think about the state... Then th Federal....
Law Enforcemeht is layered much to much. You have your local departments, Sheriffs departments, State Police, Border Patrol, Imigration customs, Park Police and FBE in the North Country.. Needs some attention...Cut the Sheriffs Departments road Patrols. The only mandated people are jail personnel. Civil ordrs and papers are ordered by courts but not mandated as to how the Sheriff gets these things done.. There are too many six figure jobs in the state and most Counties are paying attornys and managers that much.
3:15 You're completely out of touch. And as a government employee I'm very grateful for folks like you. Sir, we are very fairly paid for the job we do. Freezing our pay would have nothing to do with that balance. Why, Sir, do you think anyone with a brain would do most anything to get a government or a school job? Don't worry about us. We will be ok. Yesterday's raise comes to about $5K. And to be honest, if they gave me nothing, I would still be fairly paid and would enjoy my job. This has gone far enough. I do not know what it will take for people like you to actually start thinking about the opportunities we are stealing from our youth. But as long as we continue to tax everyone into oblivion I see no hope for their future. The teachers, state employees, (some)cops, state co's, and the rest of us who have had it very good have start to make way for a new generation. Taxing people and businesses out of the state is not the way to do it. If you, the taxpayer, had frozen my pay ten years ago, I would still be working the same job I am today.
Anon 7:29 ; You are what I call a "Public Employee". I feel very strongly with you , as I worked as a public servant for 29 years. I was paid great from the start to retirement at age 50.Gov't employees are paid extremely well and have been, but I always performed as a civil servant.For those who feel differently, nobody put a gun to your head,said take this job,we will pay you extremely well,give you great benefits,and a very good retirement package. Nobody ever did this to you,so tell me how bad you will have it, should the state impose pay freezes,lay-offs, or what ever is needed. Remember, PATCO was a federal union, until Reagan fired them, so tell me why the state unions are any different.
I always wonder if we had the minimum amount of services from the Sheriff's Dept. would that really work? I am not a big fan of the Boston Whaler we have, nor of the 2 K9 dogs, nor the Detective Division, Oh I forgot the snort team, But I don't see a movement by the county to reverse the tide at the moment, Of course with the County Owned Airport (now there's no snow No more hitting snowdrifts) I very surprised there's no Helicopter from Homeland Security.
Carthage teachers just rejected putting off a 5% pay increase as a plan to help the 30 or so targeted for layoffs. Why should they? The layoffs won't happen. MSM won't talk about it when they are added to the budget and taxes are simply increased on taxpayers. These greedy teachers get this kind of increase year after year after year. And there is no shortage of idiots ready to defend this.
Its for the children my ass.
As 3:15 said, its Pataki's and W's and Reagan's and Gerald Ford's fault. Complete fool.
It's for the Children, Like DARE, Project CHARLIE.
3:15 you must have your 25 in or tier 1 status. Time for you to go and make way for the younger, lowered payed public employees to enter the system. They will be entering in the tier 5 system.
I bet you will grab that 4 percent and run. lol
We never run. Its unsafe. If you were to fall down they might dispute your comp status. Wouldn't want that.
One has to wonder if the amount of Govt. in this area was reduced, well maybe you wouldn't have so many people on STATE PENSIONS. I believe there's a 125 taxing entities in the county.
I believes the answer is to make that 127 taxing entities. Then Dan and MD23 will be able to fulfill all wishes for 2010. But the children will need more money for 2011, so plan on a little bump for next year.
This is the most amazing march to economic oblivion I could ever imagine.
I know, its Fox News and W's fault.
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