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San Diego City Employees pension fund ailing
There's little or no money for re-training (see the Economist article from a week or two back) while unemployment and COBRA are both more symbolic than substantive. ===================== COBRA is 100% symbolic. There was a study just a day or two ago that said COBRA for a family plan would consume 75% of UE insurance, and 40% of unemployment insurance for single coverage.— January 14, 2009 5:14 p.m.
San Diego City Employees pension fund ailing
There is little point to this thread other that entertainment, ============================ X2! I do think that the thread has set the record for most responses to a Reader online article though.— January 14, 2009 1:02 p.m.
Union-Tribune Now Telling Employees of "Audience Reach," Not Circulation
You mean I am so ancient that I will be horrified upon learning the meaning? ==================== In a word = yes.— January 14, 2009 11:15 a.m.
San Diego City Employees pension fund ailing
1. Employee pay and benefits. We've beat this to death here. Whether or not you think we should earn what we do, the facts stand. Firefighters have received a 5% pay raise over the last four years and expect nothing this year. We gave back more than that pre-tax by eliminating retirement pickup. So that's a net negative pay raise over 5 years. We pay more for insurance. We eliminated DROP for new hires. Etc. =================================== JF, the wages for the private sector have been the same since 2000, no increase at all, so you are still ahead without even comparing your pay and benefit scale. Secondly, you have a very secure job with zero chance of being laid off, while the private sector has no such job protections. So that alone is a tremendous plus to your Gov FF job. If I were you I would stop complaining and just be thankful for your job. I would stop asking for raises, more money, more benefits and more taxes to fund these luxuries-all of it needs to stop.— January 13, 2009 10:34 p.m.
San Diego City Employees pension fund ailing
Here was a cool link from the San Jose Mercury News regarding pension payments and their % of increase as a ratio to the CPI and other variables; http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11438103 San Jose pension costs soar with added benefits By John Woolfolk Mercury News Posted: 01/13/2009 12:00:00 AM PST "As San Jose police battle for enhanced retirement benefits they say are crucial to recruitment and retention, a series of earlier sweeteners has helped push the city's pension costs for officers and firefighters up 167 percent since 2000." "That's twice the percent increase in pension costs for the city's civilian workforce. And it far exceeds the federal Consumer Price Index for the Bay Area, which has risen just 23 percent during that time."— January 13, 2009 10:29 p.m.
Emergency 91910
Maybe they should cut back on some of their gold plated salary and benefits. Funny I never see that idea floated.....— January 13, 2009 10:22 p.m.
Union-Tribune Now Telling Employees of "Audience Reach," Not Circulation
Believe me, you dont want to know......— January 13, 2009 10:18 p.m.
San Diego City Employees pension fund ailing
So you say we make too much and we should cut salaries. Others say we should raise taxes so that we have more to spend in businesses across San Diego. We've already cut our salaries -- your turn. By JF =========================================== JF, I am sorry, but NO one says we should raise FF salaries except for FF's. You do NOT raise taxes to have more money to spend in "businesses across San Diego" because then you would have LESS to spend. You pay market rate for GED and HS educated employees-and market is not $200K per year.— January 13, 2009 5:53 p.m.
San Diego City Employees pension fund ailing
You're right. Something must be done. Start by ending corporate welfare for the rich. Pay average taxes for average services. Then we'll talk. Here's a link for you: http://www.cbp.org/pdfs/2008/0807_pp_cut... The title of that paper is "BUDGET CUTS OR TAX INCREASES: WHICH ARE PREFERABLE DURING AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN?" Take a look at this quote by Nobel prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz. ============================== Hey JF, did you know that the link you posted to that article was all straight from just FOUR ultra liberal, public employee, welfare queen groups??? Just look at the footnotes-the same people and groups, about 5, did all of those so called "studies", and they are just pure propaganga. Here, take a look at this paper and see what they have to say about your groups used for research in that pure baloney "study"; http://www.cheatingculture.com/liberalpolicy.htm Yes, Joseph Stiglitz (who did half that scam "studies") is a real source for truth; But therein lies the danger. This book can lead you into all sorts of trouble if you try to rely upon it. Stiglitz's selective use of facts leaves his arguments all full of holes. I'm sure he has the research backing for every word he writes, but it does not come through in the text. Anyone fresh from The Roaring Nineties and hoping to deploy Stiglitz's arguments to shut up that pesky neighbour who works in the City, will suddenly find themselves in an intellectual version of the final scene from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Heck. I can shoot Stiglitz's arguments out of the skies. And I largely agree with him. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/b…— January 13, 2009 5:50 p.m.
New York's Ponzi Scheme Wins for Size, but San Diego's Wins for Investor Gullibility
Made-off (with the loot) is said to be negotiating a plea bargain with federal prosecutors. If he gets anything less than the rest of his natural life in prison it will be a sham. I have a feeling he is going to get a slap on the wrist though.— January 13, 2009 5:31 p.m.