On Wisconsin! (Read 2075 times)

xor


    "pension"

     

    What's that?

     


    Feeling the growl again

      Those Social Security statements they send out?  I don't read them.  I don't believe it will be there in a meaningful form when I get there.

       

      Ditto for my pension.  Even if my company and my job survives that long, despite the unusual care with which our pension is managed I do not believe it will be around then.

       

      I am fortunate to, for now, to be putting away a decent amount for retirement.  Enough to live on later?  I don't know about that.  I know it would be a lot more if I wasn't pouring money into a system that will probably be bankrupt before I get there, and will likely only pay a fraction back if it is there (and without interest, I'm sure the NPV is negative).

       

      Healthcare there is no easy answer to.  To an extent the exposure people increasingly have to costs is a good thing.  It will cause people to evaluate what they really need and reduce wasteful expenditures through people electing not to go in for every sniffle.  The problem is we have no transparency in pricing.  If you want to fix your car you can get quotes and comparison shop.  Same should be true for healthcare procedures.  Right now, you get the care, then they bill you whatever they want.  Then depending on complex sets of contracts there are discounts, rebates etc and the only people stuck paying the assinine sticker price are those without insurance (bankrupting them).

       

      The backlash against cuts is a bit depressing.  We are beyond bankrupt, but nobody thinks anything should be given up.  We haven't even gotten to the hard cuts yet -- what the feds are discussing cuts on now is an almost meaningless morsel of the pie, neither party has the guts to touch entitlements which are the real problem.

       

      I am not a cold-hearted soul.  I like to help people.  But gov't is a terribly inefficient way to help people.  Bill Gates helps people way more efficiently through the Gates Foundation than any gov't ever will.  Worse, handouts are not a way to help people and that is typically what we do through gov't.  Human nature says that people given handouts will abuse them and become dependent.  I want to help people, but only if they are trying to help themselves, those who simply want to be leeches I do not feel bad for.  

       

      I don't think asking for personal accountability is cold-hearted.

      "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

       

      I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

       

      Kerry1976


      Master of the Side Eye

         

        I don't think asking for personal accountability is cold-hearted.

         

        I really like that statement. 

        TRUST THE PROCESS

         

         

         


        Menace to Sobriety

           

          The backlash against cuts is a bit depressing.  We are beyond bankrupt, but nobody thinks anything should be given up.  We haven't even gotten to the hard cuts yet -- what the feds are discussing cuts on now is an almost meaningless morsel of the pie, neither party has the guts to touch entitlements which are the real problem.

           

           

          +1. The goal should be to attempt to bring some sanity to the system, in addition to solvency. The cuts proposed are more theater for the (both) party faithful, not any significant savings. Highly political, but meaninless in terms of real dollars. One way to force some serious negotiation, maybe, would to try to force Congress to make all cuts proportional. Cut Defense 10%, you have to cut Medicare 10% as well. Same goes for revenue increases.  This would, possibly, lead to more serious discussions, since now everyone has some skin in the game, proportionally the same amount of skin. The overall level of cuts would be negotiable, but once determined, they're applied across the board. No protected projects, sacred cows, or moral crusades.

          I don't think enough voters or politicians have the stomach for what needs to be done.

          Janie, today I quit my job. And then I told my boss to go f*** himself, and then I blackmailed him for almost sixty thousand dollars. Pass the asparagus.


          Prince of Fatness

            The backlash against cuts is a bit depressing.  We are beyond bankrupt, but nobody thinks anything should be given up.  We haven't even gotten to the hard cuts yet -- what the feds are discussing cuts on now is an almost meaningless morsel of the pie, neither party has the guts to touch entitlements which are the real problem.

             

            Honestly I think that, at least here in NJ, there are plenty of state workers who believe that there is an endless supply of money.  It's the government.  There will always be money.  Or so they think.

             

            I fear that it will take a major crisis (and this ain't it) for people to wake up.

            Not at it at all. 

              Honestly I think that, at least here in NJ, there are plenty of state workers who believe that there is an endless supply of money.  It's the government.  There will always be money.  Or so they think.

               

               

              Ding, ding, ding!

               

              We have a winner.

               

              In Wisconsin, the unions have been framing this as union busting--which it is not.  It simply limits unions.

               

              As for the idea that we had a surplus until Walker got into office:

               

              Madison — Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle's administration on Friday told Republican Governor-elect Scott Walker that he would have to cope with a $2.2 billion deficit in the state's upcoming two-year budget, but this brighter-than-expected forecast contained more than $1 billion in hidden pain.

               

              Our state elected our current representation, and if they choose to make some changes, then we go with it.  And in a couple of years, if the representation changes hands, then we'll have to deal with that then.

               

              I'm not saying people can't protest, but at least be honest about what you're protesting about.

              There was a point in my life when I ran. Now, I just run.

               

              We are always running for the thrill of it

              Always pushing up the hill, searching for the thrill of it


              Feeling the growl again

                 

                I don't think enough voters or politicians have the stomach for what needs to be done.

                 

                Yes, let's not forget the reason the politicians don't have the stomach to touch sacred cows is because voters share the same sacred cows and are (as a group), if anything, more short-sighted than politicians.

                "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

                 

                I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

                 

                  Ding, ding, ding!

                   

                  We have a winner.

                   

                  In Wisconsin, the unions have been framing this as union busting--which it is not.  It simply limits unions.

                   

                  As for the idea that we had a surplus until Walker got into office:

                   

                  Madison — Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle's administration on Friday told Republican Governor-elect Scott Walker that he would have to cope with a $2.2 billion deficit in the state's upcoming two-year budget, but this brighter-than-expected forecast contained more than $1 billion in hidden pain.

                   

                  Our state elected our current representation, and if they choose to make some changes, then we go with it.  And in a couple of years, if the representation changes hands, then we'll have to deal with that then.

                   

                  I'm not saying people can't protest, but at least be honest about what you're protesting about.

                   

                  I agree.  I don't think the primary goal is union busting.  I think the Governor is taking the opportunity to chip away at union power--which I think is smart by the way--but the primary goal is reigning in spending.  I actually saw some national teacher's union hack on the PBS news hour last night trying spin this as union busting and she came off as completely clueless.  She literally said that the budget crisis was manufactured.

                   

                  Illinois is one of the states that's in the worst shape.  As a previous poster said, Illinois had stopped paying it's bills and had a negative bond rating and was unable to borrow to cover current bills until it passed a middle class tax increase.  State employees in Wisconsin and other states can look forward to similar problems if their benefits packages are not reigned in.

                   

                  I just think the average person has no tolerance for union shenanigans right now and the chants of "workers rights" and other such nonsense are going to backfire on them big time.  88% of Americans are not union represented.

                  Runners run


                  Feeling the growl again

                    Want to see what unions do when they have control?  Take a look at Detroit and, for that matter, most of Michigan as the UAW had heavy influence in the framing of state policies toward businesses.

                     

                    I'm all for safety and fairness to workers, but when high school dropouts can make $80K on the assembly line turning bolts, and not show up for work 1/3 of the time without being fired, the system is doomed to implode.

                     

                    The unions like to scream lower wages, but there is a market value for wages.  When unions force companies to pay far above market value for work, the company is uncompetitive (see US vs foreign auto companies). 

                     

                    We have a fight going on here in Indiana now over right to work legislation.  A few months back there was what I think was a former GM plant that was set to shut down and end like 600 jobs.  A company came in and offered to buy it and keep the jobs there if they took a significant pay cut (so it matched what the buyer could have done elsewhere).  The union rallied and won, turning down the cuts.  So now the plant shuts down and the jobs are gone.  I'm sure GM moved a few of the workers, but a lot of them were against rejecting the wage cuts and the couple I spoke to are very angry at the union "protecting them" by eliminating their jobs.

                    "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

                     

                    I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

                     

                    obiebyke


                      Public workers are not looking to profit at anyone's expense. I do not want you to suffer so I can have what you apparently think are cushy benefits. The unions are willing to accept cuts. We just want to keep our collective bargaining rights. I guess that's too much to ask.

                       

                      The super-rich are distracting the middle class by pitting us against each other, then taking off with the real money. Looks like they're getting away with it.

                      Call me Ray (not Ishmael)

                        Public workers are not looking to profit at anyone's expense. I do not want you to suffer so I can have what you apparently think are cushy benefits. The unions are willing to accept cuts. We just want to keep our collective bargaining rights. I guess that's too much to ask.

                         

                        The super-rich are distracting the middle class by pitting us against each other, then taking off with the real money. Looks like they're getting away with it.

                         

                        I take offense to the idea that if the middle class are not as supportive of unions as you would like that we must have been duped by the super rich evil bad guys.

                        Runners run

                        obiebyke


                          I take offense to the idea that if the middle class are not as supportive of unions as you would like that we must have been duped by the super rich evil bad guys.

                           

                          Did you catch that I am also middle class?

                           

                          Whatever. Be offended.

                          Call me Ray (not Ishmael)

                            I find this a bit interesting:

                             

                            "Gov. Scott Walker wants to help fix state finances by cutting benefits for union workers and wiping away their ability to negotiate over anything but their wages, setting up a potentially explosive battle in the Capitol.

                             

                            That would mean public worker unions would not have any say on benefits and work rules and would face a new restriction on salary increases as well.

                             

                            Walker's bill also would allow public employees to avoid making payments to unions if they don't join those unions. Now, workers can choose not to join unions, but they must make "fair share" payments similar to dues - a requirement that unions say is needed because all workers benefit from their work at the bargaining table.

                             

                            But the measure would exempt law enforcement and firefighters - groups that supported Walker in the November election - from those bargaining changes."

                             

                            The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

                             

                            2014 Goals:

                             

                            Stay healthy

                            Enjoy life

                             

                            obiebyke


                              Yeah, Burnt Toast. Weird, huh? Even funnier, it doesn't exempt all law enforcement. Corrections officers, for instance, are outta luck. And guess what? The corrections officers' union didn't support Walker. Hmmm...

                              Call me Ray (not Ishmael)

                                Did you catch that I am also middle class?

                                 

                                Whatever. Be offended.

                                 

                                I did catch that subtle nuance, yes.  The fact that there were two sides of the middle class being pitted against each other was somewhat of a clue.  Did you catch that the huge majority of the middle class are not union members?  That might have more to do with why there isn't a ton of sympathy for unions than the super rich evil bad buys.  Don't get me wrong, the Koch brothers are super rich evil bad guys, they just don't have anything to do with my or most people's opinion on this.  Sympathy for unions is at an all time low--that's just the reality in which you and your union colleagues are operating.

                                 

                                If you don't like the pay and benefits package that your employer offers, you can go work elsewhere.  That's how it works in the real world.

                                Runners run