You can make 600K a year in CA without a college degree. (theater, high school)

[jm1982]

It’s totally corrupt . In L.A there was a scandal with animal control officers that were getting paid while not at work, holding yard sales etc

The head person gets paid over $378k ! that’s more than the governor of the entire state !

How does that make any sense ? It all adds up to a lot of tax payer money wasted . Tons of positions could probably be eliminated too .

“Goldstein showed the videos to Marcia Mayeda, the head of animal services, who earned more than $378,000 annually in taxpayer-funded salary and benefits.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by davidt1

Sound like you didn't even look at the link, because if you did, you wouldn't have made stuff up.

You're full of it. The link you posted is for supervisory positions.

Average total pay for a correctional sergeant in California is around 90 grand. Look it up.

[davidt1]

Originally Posted by max210

The real crux is that government employees salaries are not aligned with a private business free market system, they are overpaid. A business would fail if it was run like the CA government, you put in more than you get out.

Unfortunately there are those who want to protect the status quo because they themselves benefit from this welfare system. From a productivity standpoint a government salary is no difference from a welfare check. Then there is the traditional welfare system, also paid for by taxes, for poor people which pays out less on an individual basis.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by max210

The real crux is that government employees salaries are not aligned with a private business free market system, they are overpaid. A business would fail if it was run like the CA government, you put in more than you get out.

Lmfao. And a government will fail its purpose if run like a business.

Originally Posted by davidt1

Unfortunately there are those who want to protect the status quo because they themselves benefit from this welfare system. From a productivity standpoint a government salary is no difference from a welfare check. Then there is the traditional welfare system, also paid for by taxes, for poor people which pays out less on an individual basis.

“Productivity” - such as manufacturing, for example - doesn’t put out fires, apprehend criminals, defend against attacks, manage society equitably by laws, provide for education of citizens, ... and a VERY long list of other social management and enhancements for quality of life ... etc.

You both express this common fallacy that business is a singular model for humanity’s purpose. But the purpose of life, however mysterious it may be, is definitely not to serve the abstraction of trading value known as ‘business’.

Au contraire.

The purpose of government is somewhat variously defined, but always boils down to serving and protecting the qualities of life and safety of a society’s citizenry. Business is a valuable symbiotic function to government. And vice versa. They act in consort to mutual benefit.

But they are NOT the same. And neither functions without the other.

[TCROX]

Everyone should go to transparent California and check out how much money the "public servants " in their area make- it's disgusting and shocking
It will get lots worse if Gavin wins- count on it
Also do a search for little cities near you - it's all about the money

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by davidt1

Yes, you are taxpayers. However, public employees are paid with taxes. You get back the taxes you pay.
Other taxpayers are not paid by taxes. Their taxes pay your salary and benefits. There are probably one thousand regular taxpayers for every one public employee taxpayer.

As I said, our funding comes from property taxes. I don’t own property, nor do a good percentage of the folks around here... and yet we all still get to avail ourselves of government resources and services, including the library, right? So if we’re going down that road, almost everyone is getting more than they give.

Also, in many fields (like mine) the public sector jobs pay less than the private sector ones. I guarantee a library/research job at Google, for example, pays WAY more than I make at the public library. And they get bonuses + other perks, and don’t have to pay for things like union dues or forced CalPers contributions. Not that I’m complaining, just saying there are positives and negatives to each side.

By the way, I have been to the library and have seen what librarians do -- sitting around and looking bored since most people go to the library these days to use the internet.

No, you have not seen what we do... unless you’ve been to the back offices, where we do all the REAL work outside of sitting at a reference desk. Or did you think that was our whole job? Yeah, the books/materials just magically get ordered & weeded, databases maintain themselves, programs require no planning, etc. Suuure. And while our statistics on circulation (of actual materials) and program attendance say otherwise, thanks for perpetuating the stereotype that libraries are only for computer usage these days... it’s not true, but you’ll believe what you want. Do you even know the difference between a clerk and librarian?

P.S. The busyness of a reference desk can also vary widely, from dead to INSANE. Try working the Cupertino children’s desk on a Saturday afternoon, or at San Francisco main library on a Sunday, and then tell me how bored you were. Trust me, it feels like you’ve just run a marathon when you’re done.

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by TCROX

Everyone should go to transparent California and check out how much money the "public servants " in their area make- it's disgusting and shocking
It will get lots worse if Gavin wins- count on it
Also do a search for little cities near you - it's all about the money

I don’t find it disgusting at all, because unlike you, I know what we earn in comparison to our private-sector counterparts. Are you equally disgusted by what all the executives at Google and Apple earn? Because OP is highlighting the public equivalent of CEOs & high-level executives, not the lower-tier employees... and it’s not like you can just apply for those jobs on a whim, without many years of experience and (in some cases) specialized education/training.

Just because the word “servant” is in the title, that doesn’t mean we should work for pennies... we are still working to make a living, and in most cases spent YEARS climbing to the levels we are at now. I started as a part-time librarian at the lowest salary step, earning less than poverty-level wages - and that was AFTER completing a BA + MLIS degrees. It has taken me 12 years to reach a MEDIAN salary for the region, so that’s disgusting? I think not. We still have bills to pay, and can’t live on good intentions or charity.

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by max210

The real crux is that government employees salaries are not aligned with a private business free market system, they are overpaid. A business would fail if it was run like the CA government, you put in more than you get out.

False. The OP is showing us the positions equivalent to a CEO or high-level executive... what do you think CEOs of the private corporations around here are earning, exactly? More than that, I imagine.

I know for a FACT that corporate librarians earn more than we do at the public library, since I’ve looked into those jobs myself. But I prefer working with the public, so the higher salary isn’t worth it to me. And without people who love serving the public, this society would crumble rapidly. I wouldn’t want to live somewhere without public teachers, librarians, cops, firefighters, animal control, correctional officers, etc. Would you?

Btw, if you all think we have it so good, why aren’t YOU applying for a public job? Lots of things fall under that category, so I’m sure everyone here is qualified for at least a few. Stop whining and start applying!

[JGC97]

Originally Posted by davidt1

https://transparentcalifornia.com/sa.../?&s=-benefits

Thanks to the disgraced Gray Davis, taxpayers are paying correctional "officers" sky-high salary and benefits. For some the total compensations come close to 1M a year. How does a correctional sergeant make over 600K a year in base salary? The next time you vote for more taxes, just remember you help make these public employees rich.

Chances are, that correctional sergeant has been with the department for decades. The base pay of a "newbie" is nowhere near that high, david. https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/Cal...es-E206351.htm

Also, if you look at the job description that CA4Now posted, it states very clearly the minimum qualifications one needs to have in order to become a correctional sergeant. And if you look closer at those qualifications, they must have at least one year of experience in the California state service performing the duties of a Correctional Program Supervisor I. Then, if you look at the educational requirements to even qualify for a Correctional Program Supervisor I, one must have experience as a group counselor (which requires a bachelor's degree), a current position of correctional officer or a Group Supervisor I (which is the trainee class in the series (under constant supervision) and must have at least two years of working in the applicable setting).

The point is, someone making the kind of money you're fretting over is attributed to someone who has worked many years on the job and has extensive knowledge of the policies, procedures and actions befitting the title.

Any job in corrections or law enforcement is a pretty dangerous job. Whether it's inside jails or prisons or on the street. When you work in a field where you don't know for sure you'll be coming home at the end of your shift, you better hope that putting your life on the line for that is well compensated. It's a pretty stressful job. Same goes for firefighters.

But like I said, the kind of money you're talking comes from many years on the job, not someone just starting out.

[Beardown91737]

This is why we can't have a no-kill animal shelter.