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You're welcome. After being in Iraq and Germany, and then coming back home to Long Island, I realized just what a great place it was, and its future potential, if managed well.
I agree about the school consolidation. That's a battle for another day, but it will always be in the back of my mind.
How would we go about making change with the Taylor Law protecting the salaries of the SCPD?
You're welcome. After being in Iraq and Germany, and then coming back home to Long Island, I realized just what a great place it was, and its future potential, if managed well.
I agree about the school consolidation. That's a battle for another day, but it will always be in the back of my mind.
How would we go about making change with the Taylor Law protecting the salaries of the SCPD?
If you check the links I cited on this thread/poll I created, you will find some information on the utilization of the Taylor Law as pertains to school district employees:
"Repeal the Triboro Amendment to the Taylor Law as it affects school districts. This amendment requires that the prior contract between the district and various school employee unions will remain in effect until a new contract is signed.
"It has the effect of making unions recalcitrant in their negotiating posture as there is no risk in holding out indefinitely for better terms. It also requires that the “step” chart now in almost all NY State school district contracts continue in effect. This “step” program gives every employee covered by the contract essentially annual raises even though no contract is in place. In essence, then, the Triboro Amendment forces school districts to negotiate new contracts with increased benefits and increased salary steps over the previous contracts. It is not a level playing field. There is no possible posture for “give-backs” or reasonable cost-of-living increases. It has resulted in contracts that give employees both annual increases based on longevity (the steps) and on year-to-year changes in the cost of living"
If you dig further around on the cited websites, perhaps there is more info on Taylor as it affects police depts., sheriff depts., etc., and don't forget the ever-increasing costs of the LIRR ... they are under Taylor too.
Note how this thread, which was about finding SOLUTIONS to our property tax problems, did not generate nearly as much traffic/interest/comments as threads simply COMPLAINING and RANTING about our property tax problems.
Sheeple like to complain rather than do something.
I was interested in working for the Suffolk County Police (with an aim for the emergency services unit, relying on my patrolling and demolitions experience). I scored very high on the test, but they turned me down this year because Levy doesn't have enough budgeted to hire new, more experienced (out-of-the-box) officers - only enough to maintain the exorbitant pensions of tired old ones.
If you check the links I cited on this thread/poll I created, you will find some information on the utilization of the Taylor Law as pertains to school district employees:
"Repeal the Triboro Amendment to the Taylor Law as it affects school districts. This amendment requires that the prior contract between the district and various school employee unions will remain in effect until a new contract is signed.
Actually the guaranteed raise by step is false. Step increments usually only apply to lower level, less than 15 year, employees. In many districts, individual steps end at 15 and have a block 15-20, 20-25 of years where everyone on those steps make the same, or some even have a max step level (say 20 years) where step increases no longer take place. So for these employees, they would see no raise in the scenario presented.
Being one of the resident public servant defenders, I will chime in again since I am in need of a good blasting today. I have in the past made COL in long island statements (LI near bottom in the US in terms of affordability) and I stand by those. In relation to the taylor law and contracts and such ...
I have many times admitted that the tax burden is at a critical point and is going to become a big problem in years to come (if not already for some). Instead of giving solutions, here is my opinion of what I THINK is going to happen to ease some of this.
1) Salary cuts, contracts changes ... cuts highly unlikely, reduction in percentage increases year to year more likely, political landscape difficult to attack and unfavorable.
2) New tier for incoming govt workers requiring mandatory lifetime contributions to pension system, in addition to the 10 years of contributions already required (actually not much of a savings here considering the well funded and managed pension plan is only about 6% of total budget 'salary' tax contribution).
3) New tier mandatory healthcare contributions at a rate of about maybe 20%. Possible, and likely extension of this contribution requirement to all current employees. (currently many already make this contribution (teachers that is), but it will make it uniform). This will actually be a big cut in spending for some districts.
extension of these moves to all govt employees could produce substantial tax reductions across the board.
Again, I might be wrong, but these are things I see as having a likelihood of happening in upcoming years. Probably other things I didn't think of as well.
I'm a young'en (22), can afford to spend time fooling around in politics before I have to worry about supporting a family, and am an extreme fiscal conservative.
I have ideas and some pretty descent contacts.
The only problem is I'm a little right wing (fiscally, not socially) for many of the people around here. Pure laissez fair doesn't appeal to the majority of people who have their hand in Uncle Sam's pocket.
I'm a young'en (22), can afford to spend time fooling around in politics before I have to worry about supporting a family, and am an extreme fiscal conservative.
I have ideas and some pretty descent contacts.
The only problem is I'm a little right wing (fiscally, not socially) for many of the people around here. Pure laissez fair doesn't appeal to the majority of people who have their hand in Uncle Sam's pocket.
You're assuming that most if not all people that are NOT conservative or right wing are taking from the government.. NOT true.. Not true at all..
seems to me those conservative republican types are the ones that are TRULY in Uncle Sam's pockets.. uh humm.. BAILOUT rich corporate CEOs
The reason people are unhappy with this is because of the incongruity. However, chopping away at pensions addresses a symptom, not a cause. There wouldn't be incongruity if others in the private sector were getting paid what they were worth. Ross Perot's giant sucking sound has been heard all around the US as jobs, pay and benefits have been vacuumed out of the country.
People are pointing at the wrong things.
???
Thank heavens your not our expert econimist.
I think what your saying is,.. we wouldn't have any problems if the USA was the USSR.
I think the pension we pay you and free health care went to your head,...there are people who don't work for the state or unions that keep your pay check coming. You would think a teacher like you would be thankful for the "little people."
Your solution suggest:
The landscaper you have,.. should earn $120 a cut instead of $40.
The guy at the window of McDonalds should have a Union package of $34/hr.
I would like to live in your world,..what does unemployment pay,..2000 a week?
Unfortunately, 75% of the people that have posted on this thread are either overpaid public employees or are married to one. They try and divert unrest toward a different breed of public sector worker (i.e. teachers whine about cop pay, and vice versa).
The truth is both cops and teachers are vastly overpaid. Cops have a GED-level education and *risk their lives* protecting us from the *dangerous* upper-middle class, saab-driving, guy next door. Teachers must invest so much effort into educating our privileged children. Gee I wonder if the reason our kids do so much better on standardized tests than their inner-city peers is because their classrooms are safe, their family can afford all of their necessities, and they come from generally well-educated, concerned households?
Bottom line is the public servants here on LI are nothing special. Vito the Guido who is Suffolk Cop does not have a harder job than an NYPD cop and does not have to deal with the NYC cost of living, but for some remarkable reason earns WAY more.
No more, let's not put up with this.
The Solution? Let's get rid of the Suffolk and Nassau Police Departments and use State Troopers instead. Most of upstate is policed by troopers alone, so it can be done. Heck, we're paying for State Troopers anyway, let's redeem our coupons.
As for teacher's, lets just dock their pay. Even if they top out at 90K as opposed to 125K I doubt many of the best teachers would leave. There are very few places in the country that they could make even that much.
We gotta call these people's bluffs. I guarantee you that the clout of the teacher's and police unions is nothing more than smoke and mirrors.
And the other 25% are young pups who don't have much life experience and a relatively naive view of the world.
I understand what you are saying, but how can we force private industry to raise pay and benefits for their workers? It is "private" industry after all. The government cannot force them to pay a certain wage or give certain benefits and the government also fails to penalize them for putting hundreds of thousands out of work every month. The only way would be a massive unionization effort and as unions are not popular and sometimes tend to go overboard and have too much power, I don't see that happening.
The way it is with the economy and the effects of globalization, where private industry can use all the resources of the infrastructure WE paid for with our tax dollars, and then ship the jobs overseas to low wage markets with no penalties at all, is putting the private sector worker squarely in the crosshairs: expected to pay the taxes so that corporations can reap the benefits of our infrastructure, yet given no jobs or jobs at declining wages and benefits. We have only seen the tip of the iceberg with offshoring IMO. These days are GOOD compared to what is coming. In which case, public sector employees will have to go with the times like everybody else. Sorry, we can't afford it any longer. These days many people are not even finding a job, such as attorneys. These days many people are making a lot less than they used to, such as doctors (HMOs limit what they will reimburse and are squeezing the doctors harder than ever).
Government can do whatever it wants. If corporations want access to our markets - and they do - they will do what is asked to access these markets. Laws can be passed regarding living wages. Workers should have more rights, NAFTA shouldn't have been passed, and our markets should be better protected.
If free markets are "the way it is" and "what we must do or be left behind," please someone point to the benefits for the working class.
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Won't buy ur dime for a quarter
