Auditor report a reminder that UC compensation is out of control

By Marc Joffe
05/02/2017
Last week’s report from State Auditor Elaine Howell reveals some disturbing budgeting and compensation practices at the University of California’s Office of the President (UCOP).  But the problem isn’t just limited to UCOP; it is a systemwide phenomenon.  We have previously reported that Robert Reich makes close to $300,000 annually to teach one class at...

TAGS: public employee compensation, public pensions, university of california

Vernon, California: More Public Employees Than Residents

By Conor McGarry
10/12/2016
Vernon, California is so famous for its history of corruption that it was the municipal star of season two of HBO’s “True Detective” series. Now the tiny L.A. County city can claim another achievement: Vernon is the only California city with more public employees than residents. Vernon’s 210 residents are served by 271 city employees,...

TAGS: California, public employee compensation, San Francisco, Vernon

California Business Community Should Not Enable High Cost Government

By David Kersten
08/29/2016
The business community is in a very tough position in California.  The California Legislature is completely controlled by the Democratic Party and its pro-labor base. The California Republican Party and Republicans candidates are their most natural allies but Republicans are only viable in a relatively small minority of legislative races. The result is that the...

TAGS: Prop. 30, public employee compensation

CA Democrats are Not Standing Up for "Working Families"

By David Kersten
05/09/2016
It’s election season, so every California Democrat politician is out there on the campaign trail, precinct walking with their “friends” in labor, and speaking to labor organizations and anyone else who will listen.  They are speaking with one voice–that ” we are proud to stand up for working families.” This may sound like a great...

TAGS: AB 32, climate change, Governor Jerry Brown, Prop. 13, public employee compensation

How California's State and Local Governments Can Save $50 Billion Per Year

By Edward Ring
05/12/2015
Back in the early 2000’s, in the aftermath of the internet bubble’s collapse, California’s state and local governments endured a period of austerity that resulted in “furloughs,” where, typically, employees would take Friday’s off in exchange for a 20% cut in their pay. That is, they worked 20% less, and made 20% less in pay –...

TAGS: public employee compensation, Transparent California

Desperate Hot Springs – Another California city teeters on the edge of bankruptcy

By Steven Greenhut
12/10/2013
In what may be the most embarrassing California-related headline to appear in a while, Reuters announced last month: Tony resort city mulls bankruptcy, blaming wages, pensions. That supposedly “tony” city is Desert Hot Springs, on the northern edge of the Coachella Valley near Palm Springs. Though it’s certainly true that Palm Springs and many of its...

TAGS: Desert Hot Springs, municipal bankruptcy, public employee compensation

What If Every Worker Made What City of Irvine Workers Make?

By Edward Ring
04/23/2013
“Jennifer Muir, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Employees’ Association, which represents more than 18,000 public employees in Orange County, said the California Public Policy Center’s study was a politically motivated attack on public employees and unions. Aside from promoting the center’s anti-public employee union agenda, Muir said, the reports are misleading and shift focus away...

TAGS: Orange County Employee Retirement System, public employee compensation

Public Employee Compensation Reform is Vital

By Lanny Ebenstein
02/21/2013
Individuals who oppose comprehensive and fundamental reform of public employee compensation can only be considered to be in denial. Almost every government agency in the country is going broke right now. Almost all are cutting back services and reducing staff. Government is diminishing at the state and local levels before our very eyes. Our streets...

TAGS: public employee compensation, public employee unions

California State Controller’s Employee Pay Tracker Grossly Understates Actual Compensation

By Edward Ring
11/14/2012
California state controller John Chiang has unveiled a website that tracks public employee pay. Unfortunately, the website provides grossly misleading information. The data compiled and summarized on this website report average wages that are literally one half to one-third the amount of total compensation actually earned by California’s state and local public servants. The impact...

TAGS: public employee compensation