WyldHrt
Posts: 6412
Joined: 6/5/2008
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Umm... can we discuss the actual bill and what is happening in Wisconsin instead of both sides taking the usual personal pot shots at each other?
quote:
If this bill doesn't pass the alternative is mass layoffs. One or the other will happen.
This. The state is broke, and simply cannot continue as it has been. They are facing a 3.6 billion dollar deficit in the next few years. Before anyone starts on raising taxes, read the next paragraph.
Wisconsin taxpayers are currently paying 94-95% + of the health care insurance premiums for state workers in Wisconsin, with the workers paying less than 6%. Even if the bill passes, taxpayers will still be paying 87% +, with state workers paying 12.4% of the premiums on their own policies. Taxpayers are currently (I believe) footing the entire bill for public worker pensions for vested state workers. Under the bill, the workers would be required to contribute 5.8% towards their own retirement.
I find it rather ironic that taxpayers who may or may not have any health insurance, pension, or even savings of their own are currently paying nearly everything for the health care and pensions of public sector workers.
I also thought this was a rather refreshing change:
quote:
The bill modifies the pension calculation for elected officials and appointees to be the same as general occupation employees and teachers. Current law requires these positions to pay more and receive a different multiplier for pension calculation than general classification employees. Under the state constitution, this change will be effective for elected officials at the beginning of their next term of office. Can we get this deal for the US Congress, please?
Also, the bill does not ban unions, but strips some of their power:
quote:
The bill would make various changes to limit collective bargaining for most public employees to wages. Total wage increases could not exceed a cap based on the consumer price index (CPI) unless approved by referendum. Contracts would be limited to one year and wages would be frozen until the new contract is settled. Collective bargaining units are required to take annual votes to maintain certification as a union. Employers would be prohibited from collecting union dues and members of collective bargaining units would not be required to pay dues. These changes take effect upon the expiration of existing contracts. Local law enforcement and fire employees, and state troopers and inspectors would be exempt from these changes. The fact that LEOs and firefighters are exempt just highlights the fact that public sector unions currently have the power to bring entire parts of the state gov't to a screeching halt at will. The fact that many schools have been out of session for the last 2 days while teachers stage a 'blue flu' is proof of this.
Sources:
http://maciverinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/State-Employee-Health-Plan-Contributions-Final.pdf
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110217/ap_on_re_us/us_wisconsin_budget_unions
http://www.wisgov.state.wi.us/journal_media_detail.asp?prid=5622&locid=177
Now, I will admit to a certain bias here. I currently work at a job in the private sector that provides no health insurance (and no, it won't under Obama's health care bill, either), no retirement, and no holidays, sick time, or paid days off. I get no overtime unless I work more than 60 hours per week. That said, I'm still grateful to have a job in this economy, even if things kind of suck right now. I know plenty of people who would be over the moon to have even my very modest paycheck, and many of them are as overqualified for my job as I am. Our small business is in trouble, so the issue is not my evil, tax break getting boss making bank while screwing the workers.
I have also worked indirectly for the federal gov't (I was a contractor working for a private company, hourly, no bennies), and I could not believe some of the conversations I heard between my federal employee co-workers. These people had excellent pay, full health insurance, pensions, a crapload of federal holidays, weeks of vacation/ personal time every year... yet they would sit around the lunch table and bitch endlessly about how much more they deserved, in between comments about their latest real estate acquisition or their plans for returning to Hawaii for their third vacation of the year (no, I'm not kidding). A good part of the talk consisted of their unions, why the hell they were so abused, and occasional discussions of going on strike to force more money and/ or benefits out of the gov't. It was a bit sickening to me.
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