If you want to understand why our states are headed for bankruptcy, check out this California website that reveals the compensation and pensions of every government union drone in the state from highest to lowest.
‘Transparent California’ Web site offers useful pay info
There’s not much California taxpayers can do about the outrageous pay and benefit levels enjoyed by the state’s public employees. But there’s an increasing amount of information out there that lets them see what these levels are. Here’s a great new database from “Transparent California.” It’s sure to induce high blood pressure, but have at it any way.
Firefighter pay shows why San Bernardino is bankrupt
Steven Greenhut June 24, 2014 Pensions
San Bernardino is a poor city about 50 miles east of Los Angeles in the Inland Empire — a place where a $50,000 salary would be typical and where home prices are nowhere near what they are in fancier areas of coastal Southern California. Yet the bankrupt city is trying desperately to unload some of its outlandish contracts with public employees, especially with the firefighters’ union. “San Bernardino, California, said that to exit bankruptcy it must terminate a union contract that pays an average annual salary of $190,000 to each of its top 40 firefighters,” according to an article in Bloomberg. That’s just salary. Firefighters receive the generous “3 percent at 50″ retirement package that allows them to retire with 90 percent of their final years’ pay at age 50. And there are lots of pension-spiking gimmicks and other benefits on top of that.
As the article notes, because of a voter initiative it may not be legal to dump those contracts. And I’ve looked at a city salary schedule, and the salaries are almost unbelievable throughout the city. City officials blame the economic downturn and the popping real-estate bubble for their financial plight. But that’s like saying that a salary cutback is the cause of an individual’s personal bankruptcy — never mind the Maserati in the garage, the trips to Hawaii, the diamond rings and the $200 nightly bottles of wine.
San Bernardino is in a financial fix that other California cities have mostly avoided, but the level of public-employee enrichment there is typical. These cities are run for the benefit of those who work there. Public services are a side matter at best. Two-thirds of the nation’s firefighters do this job for free, as volunteers. In what world is making them millionaires (when you add in their retirement benefits) a sensible idea? As usual, the city’s residents will pay the price in the form of reduced services. In Stockton and Vallejo, where similar salaries are common, residents also got hit with increased taxes. There’s something vulgar about hitting poor residents with higher taxes to pay for the city’s wealthy elite. And I hear no progressive voices complaining.
I clicked on the “have at it anyway” clause at the end of the paragraph Administrator posted. Then I typed in the name “Stevens” in the “Pensions” box. I was curious about a California friend who retired a few years ago. I never got to his his name. There are too many cops and firemen named Steven or Stevens who, as retirees, make even more than the Administrator and you others who are working do, and more than my friend ever did or does. Just be glad that you’re not a California taxpayer and have to support all the Stevens retirees and the other public overpaid drones.
It’s all good, the out of state vultures will add to their billions at the cost of the taxpayer ex-minus the firefighters pensions.
Get it? You can reduce the firefighters pension but the citizens of Californicate now owe the Romney-esque culture. Its a zero sum game.
Jackson, the city sells bonds to build bridges, parking lots, filling potholes in squalor.
The politicians reneged on their agreement to pay dividends to investors.
By gutting pensions in no way reduces that governments debt.
The politicians made the deal and now they reneg. And your debt, taxes on your property, is in no way reduced, and when the pensions are done away with you can expect a rise in those taxes, to pay off those investors that demand a risk free bet.
Investing means taking a risk. You bet, you lose, walk away.
Instead we have weak ass politicians, servants, to the financial class.
This will not, cannot, end well.
2.6 million to coach a college basketball team ? 2.4 million to the football coach ?
The students take out loans that they may never pay back and the college uses the money to pay their athletics coaches.
Makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it ?
I looked myself up and it was easy peasy. I have pensions from two agencies (don’t worry the amounts won’t raise your blood pressure) from employment in three educational entities and some of the details are incorrect. But basically it is all there.
I kind of resent this exposure, the fact that income information can be found with only a first and last name. I realize it is a matter of public record but having to go through some rigamarole to find it offered at least a layer of privacy.
Anonymity is so 20th century.
I pay taxes.
PARDON MY CHORTLING: California’s Cap-and-Trade Scam to Spike Gas Prices as Much as $.70 a Gallon
Thanks to their religion of global warming, Democrat politicians will cause gas prices in California to rise as much as $0.70 a gallon next year.
…Beginning in January, fuel suppliers in California will have to comply with the Cap and Trade program. The 2006 initiative seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the state. And it seems generally expected that the coming change will lead to higher gasoline prices.
Projected increases range from 10 cents to 69 cents a gallon. In San Diego County, where the average price on Friday of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline was $3.894, that would be a significant jump into the $4 or more territory…
…Some politicians are worried about possible spikes in gas prices. Sixteen Assembly Democrats have sent a letter to Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration asking for a delay in the program, and a bill has been introduced that would postpone the change.
Political consultant Mike Madrid said politicians have good reason to be concerned. Voters would likely blame incumbents if gas prices go up, Madrid said.
“If gas prices were to go up 15 cents, you would start to see some political shake out. If it goes up 25, 30, 40 cents? You would see an earthquake,” he said.
Are Democrats concerned about their insane policies, their impact on energy prices, the increased flight risk of businesses and productive individuals, and the ever-diminishing prospects of a once-great state?
No, of course not. They’re worried about themselves — their reelection chances.
I pay taxes. How are they used?