I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

bluedahlia

ananda8

I don't understand those who object to decent salaries and benefits for government and union employees.  Shouldn't those who criticize government salaries be objecting to their own low salaries and non existent benefits and therefore be supporting unions?   

crazy4carrots

Notself -- To answer your question (and not answer it at the same time!), it's the very same folk who vote against their own self-interest, whether through ignorance, a weakness for propaganda and demagoguery, or selfishness (if I can't have it, no one else can either).

We Canucks value our teachers.  They are the second most important influence in our children's lives.  It's considered an honour to be a member of the teaching profession.  I'm astonished at how some states seem to consider teachers as mere budget expenses, rather than the tremendous assets they are to society.  I just read some stats which equated the devaluing of teachers (lower pay etc.) to students' scores in maths and reading.  If I were a parent (or even just a resident) in those states, I would be very, very worried, AND very, very vociferous in condemning the legislature for lowering educational standards.

Wabbit

For sure.  It is not a coincidence that wages have gone down and benefits have gone away at the same time that unions are being killed off.  Jealousy overriding common sense?  If you have no where else to go for better you are captive ... and employers will exploit that. 

QuinnCat

One of my coworkers, in the clerical staff, retired about a month ago, i.e, the lowest paid of the lowest paid.  She worked about 15 years, coming to the organization late.  In retirement, she has to pay the government!!  Her pension benefit (she is under the FERS post 1984 plan) is less than her health insurance obligation  (as I said, we pay about 1/3 of our premium, working or retired).  My guess is, she isn't quite eligible for SS, so she is getting the pension part only.  This probably means her pension is less than $300 a month.

IllinoisLady

Blue, I keep loving those Fox News posters.  I try to think of anything I can good about them and it just isn't there.  In the name of a job.....wonder how many people go to work there and just in my mind's eye, come home feeling snarly...if that is a word.

We are so fortunate to do what we love, and even if not total love, a whole lot of like.

Jackie

RetiredLibby

Okey dokey, just saw an example out of my office window of why you want a well-trained, fairly-compensated, motivated Federal employee at the console in the tower at National Airport. A helicopter was lifting off from the helipad at the Pentagon and flew a little close to the runway at National airport on which a passenger jet was on its takeoff roll. The plane had just rotated when the helicopter flew rather closer than I wanted to see. The helicopter banked sharply back toward the Pentagon and the airplane went up a little sharper than usual. Ugh. I need to stop looking out my window. It might not have been as harrowing as it looked from here, but it was enough make me hold my breath until the plane was well up and the helo was over the river.



L

QuinnCat

HL - how funny.  My "other" office was right next to an airport and it always made me nervous.  For some reason, Homeland Security thought this location was safer than being downstream from the dam (which was a much nicer location on the river).  Regularly, a jet belonging to one of the largest landowners in the USA (a billionaire, on Forbes) would fly right over my head reminding me that one of the passengers on that jet was a former college chum whose daddy set him up with the billionaire for a lifetime career in his company.  He wasn't particularly bright (we were in the same department), but he was "connected" and a classic good old boy.  I don't know why I'm mentioning this other than it seems like "perks" might be related, or "high salaries" or working for the government versus the private sector.

CherrylH

Let me add non-for-profits employees who are also paid a lot less than market value. It's even worse if you work for a religious organization. People act as if you should work for free, that it's your "Christian obligation." I left a corporate job in 2003, making 74K. I started my present job in 2004 making $51,000. If my 2% raise is approved by the Trustees at our annual meeting later this month, I'll be making a whooping $70,000. I have 40 years in the work force and a MSW. 70K is a very good salary, but doing similar work in the corporate world would easily double it. I have no idea if I'll be able to completely retire ever. End of rant. Oh, as someone reminded me earlier today, women are cheaper than men.

bluedahlia

Jackie I have a bunch of them.  heheheheh!

1Athena1

Bartender, rant on. Non profit pay is a mortal sin!

So this discussion begs the question.....who is fairly paid? That is, neither over-not under-paid. And it is possible to be fairly paid and make billions or peanuts...

Any candidates of people or professions?

alexandria58

I nominate doctors who are general practioners. 

bluedahlia

This guy kills me! 

Chickadee

Ahhhh Mr. Seven Dirty Words........the late George Carlin.

bluedahlia

Was he a liberal?

Chickadee

I don't think one could classify his politics..........he skewered everything and everybody.



Libertarian?

1Athena1

Sandy, good choice.

I also nominate highly skilled workers like plumbers.

Is Warren Buffet fairly paid? I say yes because he is self-employed, an entrepreneur, and is in the business of growing money, which he does very well.

But many a CEO on Wall Street who do mediocre jobs, get bailed out by taxpayers and reap huge bonuses they never earned are parasites.

Most university professors are probably well paid MOST fairly so.

I say most writers are grossly underpaid - hope it won't happen to you, though, Sandy. :-)

alexandria58

I wasn't going to say that.

1Athena1

C'est incroyable ce qui se passe chez les voisins....les sottises, les conneries!!

(Don't mind me. Long day at work.)

ETA: I think, Blue, that you and I are saying the same thing!

River_Rat

J'ai remarqué la même chose.

Long day for me too.

YramAL

I had to put that in the Google translator, Athena-my high school French is very rusty. Ha!

Mary

suzieq60

Keep posting en Francais - I love it!!

Enjoyful

Come and tie my shoes, seafood plate.



And that is the limit of my French.



In other news, I picked up my new reading glasses today and can now see in 3D for the first time in my life. I feel like I'm in a science fiction movie with a bad headache.

bluedahlia

Fanno proprio schifo!  In other words, ipsi nutrientibus.

Anonymous

enjoyful - hysterical!!!!!!  Love the image of the 3 d glasses. 

YramAL

Does this bother anyone as much as it bothers me? It seems like a slap in the face to victims of, and the families of victims of gun violence. Seems really tacky to me.

Mary

Anonymous

Mary

sick, sick, sick...http://washington.cbslocal.com/2013/01/07/groups-to-hold-national-gun-appreciation-day-this-month/

I hadn't heard of it before you posted.  Every day I am learning more and more how much I APPRECIATE and respect the President of the United States, and how grateful I am he was re-elected.  More than grateful, really. 

Hopefully on 1/19, most people will be busy getting ready to celebrate the Inauguration.  I certainly will.

YramAL

Yeah-because my first reaction to 20 children getting slaughtered is to go out and buy a gun and "appreciate it". Yuck.

Mary

bluedahlia

Exactly!  Makes me sick to my stomach!  Sickos!

IllinoisLady

Wow !!!!!   You really have to have total crap for brains to put up something like that now.  Your're right.  Total sickos!!!!! 

Sun......I too am still so thrilled that Pres. Obama got reelected.  Still amazed that I ever questioned it, but I do know things can happen.  Just thrilled all those True the Votes and others were put in there place.  Still chuckle now and then at the Republican fiasco....a bit sad.  Nobody knew what anybody else was doing.  If I hadn't of seen it all play out......I might not have totally believed it, but in startling color and gaping mouths election night. 

Anyway....long day so I'm getting ready here at a bit after 10 p.m. to put my clothes in the washer and go to bed.

Jackie