Post by 4dabers on Feb 6, 2017 9:58:24 GMT -6
JABF, is about 99% right on the money.
I too have lived here all my life and I have worked IN State government, and once entering the private sector, I have worked FOR state government as a consultant in the transportation field. If a private sector investment company did what the State has done over the years, they would be spending LONG prison terms. That part is right. However, lets not get all warm and sappy for our State Employees being "over worked". They are, in fact, under staffed because the State allows it's agencies to whither on the vine through attrition, and SOME employees ARE overworked as a result, but I didn't leave state government just because I wanted to make more money (although that was part of it). I left because I was frustrated with the fact that 30% of the people do about 70% of the work, and if you were one of the 30%, you were never going to make more than the 70% that often only put in about 3 hours of real work in the day. My wife worked for the State for about 5 years longer at a completely different agency and she observed the exact same thing. Many thought she was a bitch because people would wonder into her office and sit down just to shoot the shit when she had work to do, so she would run them off. Anyone can disagree with me, but I saw it with my own eyes for 10 years and it's a fact. Lets also keep in mind that it's not just the politicians that screwed the system; where were the Unions when all this "theft" was going on. As I recall, they would bitch and yell for the media, but then they would just shut up and go along. Why? Because they were funding the politicians that were doing it, then the politicians would give them non-sustainable benefits that made the matter even worse. I don't blame the employees for THAT, but the public Unions went along with it. The proof is in the pudding; I am only 52 years old and I have colleagues that are only a year or two older than me that are retiring? I'm not talking about just a few either; I'm talking majority. Hell, I've got friends that are teachers that are retiring with full benefits before they even reach the age of 55. Their pay is not THAT damn small to compensate for such nice benefits at the end of a career, especially when you consider that they only work 9 months out of the year and many never paid into the system themselves as the Unions negotiated the School Districts to pick up THEIR share. So I'm supposed to accept higher taxes that take away from MY ability to save for retirement MYSELF, so these folks can retire 10 to 15 years BEFORE I can even THINK about it? I understand cops and firefighters, their jobs are physical and age can effect their abilities to the point where it can be life threatening to themselves or those they are serving, but a teacher at a small town high school or a secretary at one of the state universities or an engineer at IDOT? Come on man.
We've gotten way off track on this. If you really have a problem with the workers comp issue, perhaps a comparison of the same laws with other states would be in order. Ours is so liberal that the insurance costs FAR more than most other states. That's why our businesses and jobs are leaving. It's costing businesses enormous sums more than most other states and it's a significant reason why you can drive through Illinois and see huge manufacturing plants sitting vacant and collapsing.
OK, off my pedestal now. Sorry for the political rant.