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I changed the wording to better reflect what I meant.
Regardless, it's not my problem anymore! When I go back to visit, I try not to eat in Omaha to avoid the restaurant tax that was necessary to pay for firefighter pensions.
My company and the nature of our work, we do a certain amount of work with various governmental agencies. I have, over the yrs, seen a level of laziness and waste that is downright shocking.
IDK, I've had offers to work for a couple of different places and I've turned them down, in retrospect, I think that was stupid.... I should have jumped in on the gravy train trough.......
Obviously I could make more in the private sector if I moved to a different state. I realize that government workers should not expect huge salaries. I am a taxpayer too and would like to think our tax dollars are being spent wisely. There are tradeoffs that make the lower salary worth it, and at this point in my life I am okay with that. I have crunched the numbers in my head and I am doing just fine.
That may change in the future or it may not (or I might not have a choice in the matter). I don't have a crystal ball, unfortunately.
However, I live in a state that is doing pretty well despite the economy and has low unemployment. We do not have nearly the issues that California has!
Obviously I could make more in the private sector if I moved to a different state. I realize that government workers should not expect huge salaries. I am a taxpayer too and would like to think our tax dollars are being spent wisely. There are tradeoffs that make the lower salary worth it, and at this point in my life I am okay with that. I have crunched the numbers in my head and I am doing just fine.
That may change in the future or it may not (or I might not have a choice in the matter). I don't have a crystal ball, unfortunately.
However, I live in a state that is doing pretty well despite the economy and has low unemployment. We do not have nearly the issues that California has!
I used to look down my nose at a lot of the state workers. I'd do training presentations to a group of say 15 people and literally only one or two people would be paying attention the rest sat there like slack jawed zombies. IDK, when I get training I pay attention cause I need to perform, I don't go through all of the hoopla that these go through to get fired.
IDK, the flip side is I'm stressed and tired and generally just sorta cranky cause I'm tired of having to "perform"..... I want to sorta coast a bit more now. I really sorta wished I would have taken one of the job offers that I had.....
I changed the wording to better reflect what I meant.
Regardless, it's not my problem anymore! When I go back to visit, I try not to eat in Omaha to avoid the restaurant tax that was necessary to pay for firefighter pensions.
Still wrong though.
I know I pointed it out ad nauseum in the Omaha forum, but only 8% of the pension shortfall was due to the whole pension spiking issue. The other 92% was stock market losses and money the city borrowed from the fund. The citizens of Omaha actually got a HUGE break because the law requires the union and the city to both cover 50% of the deficit. Had the unions only had to cover the deficit from spiking, the citizens would have had a much higher burden on their hands.
It also bears mentioning that the whole spiking issue was basically a bone Mayor Fahey threw to the unions after he outright refused to agree to any wage increases. He either didn't realize the problem that would happen, or knew he wouldn't be running for another term and didn't care, but had he met the unions even halfway on the raises there wouldn't have been an issue.
Well, as far as I'm concerned one could question whether they deserve what they get, shortfall or no shortfall. I don't know, I got pretty tired of hearing them and other city workers whine about having to chip in for their health premiums and retirement. Welcome to life as the rest of us know it!
Of course, now I don't have to pay my health premium and while I think that's awesome, I know I'm pretty damn lucky.
Have you thought about moving back and running for mayor someday? I might vote for you if I ever planned on actually living in city limits. LOL
Well, as far as I'm concerned one could question whether they deserve what they get, shortfall or no shortfall. I don't know, I got pretty tired of hearing them and other city workers whine about having to chip in for their health premiums and retirement. Welcome to life as the rest of us know it!
Of course, now I don't have to pay my health premium and while I think that's awesome, I know I'm pretty damn lucky.
Have you thought about moving back and running for mayor someday? I might vote for you if I ever planned on actually living in city limits. LOL
I don't think there was much whining, and both unions made some very significant concessions in the negotiation process. I think alot of what people mistake for whining was simply firing back against the likes of Becka and Dave Nabity who tried to demonize the unions with half truths and lies. Nabity actually had to settle a lawsuit with the President of the Fire Union over some of the comments he made.
It's funny you mention that though. My American Government Professor says I should be a political science major. Maybe after the Army Flight School thing pans out I'll consider it.
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