A few days ago I noted Hamtramck, Michigan Seeks Bankruptcy. That Hamtramck is clearly bankrupt, unable to bay bills, saddled with unions salaries, pension promises that cannot be met, as well as other problems it desperately needs to get rid of without burdening taxpayers even more, is of no concern to the current governor of...
In Monterey County, Maryland, the Washington Post reports the county government spends 80% of their budget on personnel costs – a not unusual percentage. In their November 27th editorial entitled “Taming Montgomery’s Unions,” they further report that in the past 10 years salaries for Montgomery County employees have gone up 50% and health and pension...
It is not the best of times for unionized workers in America. However, while some workers have become resigned to new post-recession economic realities, others seem to be living in a dream world of rigid and righteous entitlement. And not surprisingly, it seems to break down by sector — private and public. A case in...
One might argue that if public sector workers are paid over-market wages and benefits, then lowering their wages and benefits to levels comparable with private sector taxpayers might take away the need to push for higher taxes. Less visible but equally relevant to taxpayers are the compensation packages provided to public utility workers. These public...
On August 4th an interesting analysis of public sector compensation was posted on the blog Inflection Point Diary entitled “How to Figure Out How Much Money a Local Government Manager Makes.” In this decidedly conservative analysis, the conclusion was that “real annual compensation at least 33 percent higher than the ‘salary’ the city would have...