Wall Street Attacks Your Garbage Collector

We need to clean up the abuses (0.00 / 0)

There have been some. Most of them at or near the top of the ranks. These rare, but visible abuses, have offered ammunition to those who want to screw regular public-sector employees.

Once we've cleaned up these abuses, we can then argue that rank-and-file public employees deserve their benefits. If the state controller did a comparison on how much it would cost to transition all those covered by private pensions to Social Security--and whatever other public plans would cover what we now do privately, in other words, move them to what private-sector employees receive--that might add an interesting element to the discussion too. Bet we wouldn't save a lot.

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by: cfinnie @ Thu Jan 06, 2011 at 20:21:57 PM UTC

cut from the top, give raises to the rest n/t (0.00 / 0)

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by: wu ming @ Thu Jan 06, 2011 at 20:58:43 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

We argue that everyone deserves these benefits (5.00 / 1)

though no one is entitled to abuse the system.  Union employees deserve their benefits and protections, and don't have to wait to say so until after all pension spiking is stamped out.  We can articulate both truths at the same time.

The vast majority work hard for bupkis, and get to retire on bupkis.  But it keeps body and soul together.

The City of Bell scandal got decent attention, why isn't the fatcat bust the constant story?   It's amazing how the focus gets thrown so easily to 26K per year workers instead of to their jerk bosses.  I guess it won't change until progressives own more media.

I'm union staff, but not a spokesperson for my union - all posts represent my views solely.

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by: Beth Caskie @ Fri Jan 07, 2011 at 03:20:56 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

How true (5.00 / 1)

My Dad got a Pension as He'd worked as a Toll Taker for long enough so that He could retire and It wasn't a whole lot either, But then He said being a public employee didn't pay all that much, But then He had a short retirement, As He'd later gotten Prostrate Cancer We think and then He shot Himself, He'd been scheduled to go see the Doctor, My Brother said: Dad had a death grip on a .32 caliber handgun and It took quite a bit to get the gun out of Dad's hand. I'd seen the gun the day before as My Dad had shown It to Me and He was in pain He said and He said If It got any worse He'd end It and I didn't believe He'd do It. He didn't  really like most Doctors, Considering what some German Doctors did in Europe during WWII, Dad was a member of the 368th Medical, He'd had training in the use of a Colt .45 1911 hand gun as He wasn't qualified for front line service cause of His eyesight(20/50 and 20/100), He could type(hunt and peck), drive a stick and lead others, So He was a Corporal(think Radar of MASH fame), Just minus the radio I think, He acted as a courier too and was in North Africa, Sicily, Anzio(near Rome Italy, The Hospital was being shelled by a part of the Hermann Goering Division of the Waffen SS[I don't know the proper spelling as some quote Herman and some quote Goring]), Northern France and Occupied Germany until about October of 1946 when He was sent home honorably, He was recommended for 2 Commendations for His paperwork for helping both Allied and POW Patients, I don't know anymore of course as this is all that I know of Him during WWII, Besides a few Photos(one in front of a captured German BF110 Night fighter(twin engined and equipped with radar and antennas on the nose) and one in a fox hole showing off the Pistol He'd been issued(the Colt 45 model 1911), None of His Letters were ever censored, But then He knew what not to write about when He wrote to Mom and their parents. He volunteered for Duty right after Pearl Harbor and was enlisted in 1942, He trained I think in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

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by: SuperJoker @ Fri Jan 07, 2011 at 04:06:08 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Not to be numb, (0.00 / 0)

But it's almost impossible to read this post because of its grammatical incoherence and it's hard to relate this story to the building public disgust of public unions.

That said, your family history raises one of the biggest issues i have. The disassociation of army enlistees and officers from the majority of Americans. I know it is politically impossible to bring back the draft, but does anyone think if Hedge Fund Operators, Media Moguls, Senators and City Councilmen had sons and daughters in active service there wouldn't be a War in SE Asia?

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by: duder @ Mon Jan 10, 2011 at 16:33:31 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

This is a false argument (0.00 / 0)

I don't get the juxtaposing private sector and public sector salaries (with the former on aggregate.)

Isn't the driving force against Public Unions, Government need to balance deficits? It's not only  "Wall Street" who is anti-new taxes, it's the MAJORITY of voters.

It's not only Republicans, it's Democrats. It's me!

I think progressives need to deal with reality. Reality in terms of public sentiment, in terms of budgetary scope and in terms of inefficient bureaucracies.

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by: duder @ Mon Jan 10, 2011 at 16:38:41 PM UTC