[crazynip]

Florida judge: Cuts to state employees' pay violated contract - St. Petersburg Times

Great news!

[tallrick]

I hate to say it but many government workers need to be let go to improve the quality of life in Florida. Not that I trust shady Scotty, but I have had many bad experiences with government employees, usually on the county level.

[MiamiRob]

"Fuhrer" Scott also had his rear end handed to him recently when his drug testing policy for welfare applicants & recepients was also called unConstitutional as well by the courts! I can't understand how 66,000 plus Floridians voted for him over Alex Sink. He's trying to turn Florida into Mississippi!

[ChrisA70]

So glad I no longer have to live in a state with one of the top loser governors... He is ruining FL...

[MovedfromFL]

This is a double-edged sword at this point. If the courts overturn this issue, then the 3% would have to be taken out of the FL General Fund and returned to workers. Of course, the money is already spent, so it would have to be carved out of the 2012 budget in the next legislative session.

We already know that sales tax revenues in FL are coming in well under projections. This will force lawmakers to make big cuts again in the next session.

So in the case of someone like my husband who is a public school teacher, he might get his 3% contributions refunded, BUT that money will be carved out of next year's eduction budget, on top of cuts already baked in by our declining sales tax revenues.

So here's your 3% back, but by the way, your job has been cut. We are already talking about going to a 4-day school week in Lake County b/c we cannot afford to keep the lights on.

Second, a pension is basically worthless without any kind of COLA (cost of living increase). It's like getting Social Security and never getting a cola increase.

If inflation runs around 3%, then your purchasing power is cut in HALF in 24 years. (less time if inflation is higher, which it has averaged since the late 1970's.) So if you get a $20,000 pension in year 1, and the same $20,000 pension in year 20, by year 20, your purchasing power is only equal to around $10,000!

My husband just moved his FL teacher pension to the investment plan so that he can get access to it if his employment is terminated. It's scary out there, and since we moved back to FL, he will be on annual contract forever. In fact, we just sold our house yesterday so that we can be ready to leave FL if we need to.

So even though state workers would certainly love to see that money back in their take home pay, it's a double edged sword because the state did NOT hold that money aside pending the court review. That pool of money would have to be "found" again (ie carved out of education or Medicaid spending!)

Also, one of Scott's top priorities for the next session is to claw back the pension 'savings' that local governments received. The rate was lowered but now Scott wants school districts to cough up that money, a year after it was spent!!

If these proposals come through, it will be like a bomb went off in school district (and local gov't) budgets all over the state. Right now, school budgets are projecting millions in shortfalls again for the next year. Things are just really teetering on the edge of disaster here.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by MovedfromFL

This is a double-edged sword at this point. If the courts overturn this issue, then the 3% would have to be taken out of the FL General Fund and returned to workers. Of course, the money is already spent, so it would have to be carved out of the 2012 budget in the next legislative session.

We already know that sales tax revenues in FL are coming in well under projections. This will force lawmakers to make big cuts again in the next session.

So in the case of someone like my husband who is a public school teacher, he might get his 3% contributions refunded, BUT that money will be carved out of next year's eduction budget, on top of cuts already baked in by our declining sales tax revenues.

So here's your 3% back, but by the way, your job has been cut. We are already talking about going to a 4-day school week in Lake County b/c we cannot afford to keep the lights on.

Second, a pension is basically worthless without any kind of COLA (cost of living increase). It's like getting Social Security and never getting a cola increase.

If inflation runs around 3%, then your purchasing power is cut in HALF in 24 years. (less time if inflation is higher, which it has averaged since the late 1970's.) So if you get a $20,000 pension in year 1, and the same $20,000 pension in year 20, by year 20, your purchasing power is only equal to around $10,000!

My husband just moved his FL teacher pension to the investment plan so that he can get access to it if his employment is terminated. It's scary out there, and since we moved back to FL, he will be on annual contract forever. In fact, we just sold our house yesterday so that we can be ready to leave FL if we need to.

So even though state workers would certainly love to see that money back in their take home pay, it's a double edged sword because the state did NOT hold that money aside pending the court review. That pool of money would have to be "found" again (ie carved out of education or Medicaid spending!)

Also, one of Scott's top priorities for the next session is to claw back the pension 'savings' that local governments received. The rate was lowered but now Scott wants school districts to cough up that money, a year after it was spent!!

If these proposals come through, it will be like a bomb went off in school district (and local gov't) budgets all over the state. Right now, school budgets are projecting millions in shortfalls again for the next year. Things are just really teetering on the edge of disaster here.

That's really awesome news for our already underfunded/mostly lackluster schools and is sure to hobble corporate relocation and subsequent job growth, as well as heighten the existing brain drain for local graduates who hope to settle eventually and have a family.

[HeartofFlorida]

Originally Posted by MiamiRob

I can't understand how 66,000 plus Floridians voted for him over Alex Sink.

Easy. It's called the "Tea Party Agenda". They weren't voting for Scott, they were voting against Obama. This is what happens when people vote on vengeance instead of good sense which as you can see is lacking....

[HeartofFlorida]

Originally Posted by tallrick

I hate to say it but many government workers need to be let go to improve the quality of life in Florida. Not that I trust shady Scotty, but I have had many bad experiences with government employees, usually on the county level.

LOL! Start in the Legislative Branch where ironically Tricky Ricky won't release their salaries to the public. I wonder why.... No one talks about the cost of living increases they receive every year. No one talks about the year-end bonus they receive every year. But that's okay. He who controls the money controls how much NOT to give everyone else.

[Jo48]

Originally Posted by MovedfromFL

This is a double-edged sword at this point. If the courts overturn this issue, then the 3% would have to be taken out of the FL General Fund and returned to workers. Of course, the money is already spent, so it would have to be carved out of the 2012 budget in the next legislative session.

We already know that sales tax revenues in FL are coming in well under projections. This will force lawmakers to make big cuts again in the next session.

So in the case of someone like my husband who is a public school teacher, he might get his 3% contributions refunded, BUT that money will be carved out of next year's eduction budget, on top of cuts already baked in by our declining sales tax revenues.

So here's your 3% back, but by the way, your job has been cut. We are already talking about going to a 4-day school week in Lake County b/c we cannot afford to keep the lights on.

Second, a pension is basically worthless without any kind of COLA (cost of living increase). It's like getting Social Security and never getting a cola increase.

If inflation runs around 3%, then your purchasing power is cut in HALF in 24 years. (less time if inflation is higher, which it has averaged since the late 1970's.) So if you get a $20,000 pension in year 1, and the same $20,000 pension in year 20, by year 20, your purchasing power is only equal to around $10,000!

My husband just moved his FL teacher pension to the investment plan so that he can get access to it if his employment is terminated. It's scary out there, and since we moved back to FL, he will be on annual contract forever. In fact, we just sold our house yesterday so that we can be ready to leave FL if we need to.

So even though state workers would certainly love to see that money back in their take home pay, it's a double edged sword because the state did NOT hold that money aside pending the court review. That pool of money would have to be "found" again (ie carved out of education or Medicaid spending!)

Also, one of Scott's top priorities for the next session is to claw back the pension 'savings' that local governments received. The rate was lowered but now Scott wants school districts to cough up that money, a year after it was spent!!

If these proposals come through, it will be like a bomb went off in school district (and local gov't) budgets all over the state. Right now, school budgets are projecting millions in shortfalls again for the next year. Things are just really teetering on the edge of disaster here.

I read all 14 pages of the original Complaint. The Plaintiffs pleaded that all monies collected prior to a decision be placed in a special, and untouchable, fund. The judge denied this Everyone KNEW that this money would be spent before a decision was rendered. I suppose Scott and the legislature thought the judge would rule in their favor? You cannot amend a valid contract without the consent of BOTH parties to it. Can you imagine the chaos it would create in business if one party could change their contracts any time they wanted???

While the state can offer NEW employees one year contracts without tenure and a mandatory 3% contributory retirement plan, it cannot require this for current employees under old contracts.

I am sure the state's attornies knew what the outcome of this decision would be.

[crazynip]

Originally Posted by tallrick

I hate to say it but many government workers need to be let go to improve the quality of life in Florida. Not that I trust shady Scotty, but I have had many bad experiences with government employees, usually on the county level.

Punishing ALL the government workers is NOT the way to deal with that issue. I agree with your initial statement to some point, but the way he did this is absurd.