What is fair pay/benefits for a government employee?

Obviously something between nothing and everything. Right now, too many people consider their work priceless and demand that those who pay their salaries impoverish themselves to do it.

In the cities that have been forced into bankruptcy the road workers get so much money in wages and benefits that there is no money left over to buy asphalt so the road workers can fill potholes. They are overpaid.

A good friend of mine is a retired police officer. With his pension and benefits he gets $7,000 a month. God love him, he too is way overpaid.

Maybe. What rank did he retire at?

Part of the reason cops and firemen have pensions is that they will NEVER make enough in salary (at most American PD's) to invest money like those in the private sector. Up until last year, NYPD's starting pay was 26,000 a year.

How can you attract someone to do a dangerous job, for low pay, low respect, low morale, etc?? The pension was always part of that. Many cops cant afford a 401(k). And, unlike the military, most look at that as a career, not something they'll do 4 years in and move on.

Now, the obvious respone is "We cant afford it!!!!". Maybe, maybe not. Depends on how we prioritize.

But if we dont, are we willing to accept far less qualified cops in the future, and thus, far worse service and more corruption?

Oh please, check your sources NYPD gets close to $45,000 a year just while in the academy! After 5 years they are over $70,000 and that's just BASE pay.

Benefits & Salary Overview | NYPDRECRUIT.COM
 
Fair pay is commensurate with what the labor market is paying.

Do we want to attract the best and brightest to government service or just those who will accept bare bones pay? Do we want $60,000 a year government lawyers negotiating with $300,000 a year corporate lawyers? Do we want VA doctors serving our veterans to make $70,000 a year while the market pays $150,00?

Ultimately, you get what you pay for

This.

.
 
Is there anything more petty than begrudging a working person a decent living?
 
the joint chiefs get 20 k a month....thats not bad....

A month? They should get that for a year. Presidents shouldn't get 125K year if that.

you think our Presidents are overpaid at 400 K a year?...the most stressful job out there....they all come in with darker hair,then have white hair going out in only 4 years time.....its what these guys get for lifetime pensions that should be looked at,thats what costs.....

They get free room and board, good grief, they are fine. They are public servants, they choose to run for the office. They will all tell you it is not about the money.
 
Cut the wage until there are not 500 people waiting in line for each opening, and then offer more ONLY after the jobs go unfilled and the gubmint is begging for help.


Easy.
 
Obviously something between nothing and everything. Right now, too many people consider their work priceless and demand that those who pay their salaries impoverish themselves to do it.

In the cities that have been forced into bankruptcy the road workers get so much money in wages and benefits that there is no money left over to buy asphalt so the road workers can fill potholes. They are overpaid.

A good friend of mine is a retired police officer. With his pension and benefits he gets $7,000 a month. God love him, he too is way overpaid.

Maybe. What rank did he retire at?

Part of the reason cops and firemen have pensions is that they will NEVER make enough in salary (at most American PD's) to invest money like those in the private sector. Up until last year, NYPD's starting pay was 26,000 a year.

How can you attract someone to do a dangerous job, for low pay, low respect, low morale, etc?? The pension was always part of that. Many cops cant afford a 401(k). And, unlike the military, most look at that as a career, not something they'll do 4 years in and move on.

Now, the obvious respone is "We cant afford it!!!!". Maybe, maybe not. Depends on how we prioritize.

But if we dont, are we willing to accept far less qualified cops in the future, and thus, far worse service and more corruption?

Here is what the starting pay for a NYC police officer. A pretty good package if you ask me.
$34,970 Starting salary (including holiday pay, uniform pay and night differential)
Excellent Promotional Opportunities
A choice of paid medical and dental programs
20 paid vacation days
27 paid vacation days after 5 years
Unlimited sick leave with full pay
Annuity Fund
Optional Retirement at one half salary after 20 years of service

NYPD - Frequently Asked Questions
 
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Obviously something between nothing and everything. Right now, too many people consider their work priceless and demand that those who pay their salaries impoverish themselves to do it.

In the cities that have been forced into bankruptcy the road workers get so much money in wages and benefits that there is no money left over to buy asphalt so the road workers can fill potholes. They are overpaid.

A good friend of mine is a retired police officer. With his pension and benefits he gets $7,000 a month. God love him, he too is way overpaid.

I would kill for $7000 a month.
 
To all the far right, govt-employee haters out there....or anyone who wants to comment...thought I'd ask this: What is fair pay/benefits for a government employee (the essential ones)??? I'll throw out some examples. You tell me what fair pay / benefits would be for each:

US soldier/marine
US sailor
US pilot
US military officer (LT)

Federal police officer
State police officer
County police officer
City police officer (city over 150K people)
City police chief
City police Sgt

City fireman
City fire chief

Local teacher
Local principle

Local Dept of Transport supervisor
Local DOT bottom line worker

City sanitation worker
City sanitation supervisor



Now. We've heard the far right preach about how the govt needs to be "cut down" to size like the "rest of us". Well, here is the chance. Tell us what each of the above is worth, and how much in taxes you're willing to pay to make it possible. Those are very basic, essential services above. Right wing TP'ers should have a clear idea of how much they should make, and how much we, the customers, should be willing to pay for that to happen. Should be fun...........

I know this much the Military definently needs a raise, not too much but they definently deserve more than what they are getting.
 
Having have head the luck of working with world class oncologists, these guys/gals were well underpaid. Theirs was a labor of love.
 
Fair pay is commensurate with what the labor market is paying.

Do we want to attract the best and brightest to government service or just those who will accept bare bones pay? Do we want $60,000 a year government lawyers negotiating with $300,000 a year corporate lawyers? Do we want VA doctors serving our veterans to make $70,000 a year while the market pays $150,00?

Ultimately, you get what you pay for

lol, the best and the brightest..
they should never make MORE than the private sector..they aren't that damn SPECIAL
 
Fair pay is commensurate with what the labor market is paying.

Do we want to attract the best and brightest to government service or just those who will accept bare bones pay? Do we want $60,000 a year government lawyers negotiating with $300,000 a year corporate lawyers? Do we want VA doctors serving our veterans to make $70,000 a year while the market pays $150,00?

Ultimately, you get what you pay for

lol, the best and the brightest..
they should never make MORE than the private sector..they aren't that damn SPECIAL

^^^^ missed the point.
 
Fair pay is commensurate with what the labor market is paying.

Do we want to attract the best and brightest to government service or just those who will accept bare bones pay? Do we want $60,000 a year government lawyers negotiating with $300,000 a year corporate lawyers? Do we want VA doctors serving our veterans to make $70,000 a year while the market pays $150,00?

Ultimately, you get what you pay for

The MTA negotiated a phenomenal lease with Apple at Grand Central!

Absolutely phenomenal!

One for the ages!

Apple get primo space is Grand Central for 1/3, probably 1/4 of what a private landlord would have charged them.

Why the fuck do we need the MTA?
 
Fair pay is commensurate with what the labor market is paying.

Do we want to attract the best and brightest to government service or just those who will accept bare bones pay? Do we want $60,000 a year government lawyers negotiating with $300,000 a year corporate lawyers? Do we want VA doctors serving our veterans to make $70,000 a year while the market pays $150,00?

Ultimately, you get what you pay for

lol, the best and the brightest..
they should never make MORE than the private sector..they aren't that damn SPECIAL

Hence the word.....commensurate

If you want employees on the cheap, that is what you will get. Government Employees have to negotiate contracts on behalf of the taxpayers, establish technical requirements, serve as doctors and nurses, FBI agents,,,,,

If you want to draw the best and brightest out of College, you have to have competitive pay. Otherwise you will have C Students representing the government
 
Fair pay is commensurate with what the labor market is paying.

Do we want to attract the best and brightest to government service or just those who will accept bare bones pay? Do we want $60,000 a year government lawyers negotiating with $300,000 a year corporate lawyers? Do we want VA doctors serving our veterans to make $70,000 a year while the market pays $150,00?

Ultimately, you get what you pay for

The MTA negotiated a phenomenal lease with Apple at Grand Central!

Absolutely phenomenal!

One for the ages!

Apple get primo space is Grand Central for 1/3, probably 1/4 of what a private landlord would have charged them.

Why the fuck do we need the MTA?

You get what you pay for

See what the Apple negotiators were paid vs what the MTA employees were paid
 
I don't know if people on the Left have figured this out yet, but government, as practiced in the USA in 2012 has no bottom line accountability. In fact, the more expensive things are, the longer it takes, the better it is for government.

Of the buildings that were destroyed on 9/11, the one owned by a private company was rebuilt 6 years ago and is fully leased.

It took the Port Authority an extra 6 fucking years and an extra $4Billion!! Can you imagine any Private developer pissing away fucking billions and billions of dollars like that??????????
 
Fair pay is commensurate with what the labor market is paying.

Do we want to attract the best and brightest to government service or just those who will accept bare bones pay? Do we want $60,000 a year government lawyers negotiating with $300,000 a year corporate lawyers? Do we want VA doctors serving our veterans to make $70,000 a year while the market pays $150,00?

Ultimately, you get what you pay for

The MTA negotiated a phenomenal lease with Apple at Grand Central!

Absolutely phenomenal!

One for the ages!

Apple get primo space is Grand Central for 1/3, probably 1/4 of what a private landlord would have charged them.

Why the fuck do we need the MTA?

You get what you pay for

See what the Apple negotiators were paid vs what the MTA employees were paid

The MTA has no bottom line accountability, do you understand how vital that is?
 
Fair pay for public employees is a complicated formula and not dependent on what the services are worth. Much of it is how much the municipality can afford to pay. Police in a low income area can't expect people who make $25,000 a year to pay them $150,000 a year. Extorting it out of them by going on strike, witholding services or increasing penalties for minor offenses is reprehensible. You mostly get what you can afford.
 
The amount of money the Port Authority ran up in cost overruns on WTC would put you at Number 80 on Forbes 400.

Think about it.

People work their whole lives to build a fortune in real estate and the government pisses it away in a single project AND NO ONE IS ACCOUNTABLE!!
 
To all the far right, govt-employee haters out there....or anyone who wants to comment...thought I'd ask this: What is fair pay/benefits for a government employee (the essential ones)??? I'll throw out some examples. You tell me what fair pay / benefits would be for each:

US soldier/marine
US sailor
US pilot
US military officer (LT)

Federal police officer
State police officer
County police officer
City police officer (city over 150K people)
City police chief
City police Sgt

City fireman
City fire chief

Local teacher
Local principle

Local Dept of Transport supervisor
Local DOT bottom line worker

City sanitation worker
City sanitation supervisor



Now. We've heard the far right preach about how the govt needs to be "cut down" to size like the "rest of us". Well, here is the chance. Tell us what each of the above is worth, and how much in taxes you're willing to pay to make it possible. Those are very basic, essential services above. Right wing TP'ers should have a clear idea of how much they should make, and how much we, the customers, should be willing to pay for that to happen. Should be fun...........

Countering ignorance is fun. All employees, public or private should receive pay and benefits equal to the market price of the skills and knowledge that they bring to the job. Labor is a product that has a market price based on what knowledgable buyers are willing to pay for that labor. Those with few or no marketable skills or knowledge have low market value, since the market is well overstocked with those willing to work. Value increases as the value of the individual in question increases to the buyer who needs those skills and/or knowledge.

Except for the federal employees, who have never been allowed to negotiate for wages or benefits, public employees, in collusion with greedy politicians, have feathered their own nests to the point that the public can no longer afford to pay for their services. That needs to be remedied through state legislation that brings reason back to the table.

BTW, I don't recall too many right wingers wanting to reduce the pay of federal workers. They want to reduce the number of federal workers.
 

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