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California State Bar Rejects Charges Against Mike Aguirre
"The hurrier you go, the behinder you get." === Why cant I learn that???— February 15, 2011 1:39 p.m.
Wisconsin Governor Proposes Deep Benefit Slashes
OK, I have a small ego. I'm definitely missing soemthing, I will cop to that fact!— February 15, 2011 1:09 p.m.
Wisconsin Governor Proposes Deep Benefit Slashes
I have no ego, but I do admit I have a certain amount of deep contempt for the public employee unions in this state. This coming from a hardcore democrat and STRONG union man the majority of my adult life. I remember back in the 80's when I worked for a company where the truck drivers were teamsters, and how the managers would gripe and complain about their $20 an hour wage-I was like you clown managers would have thenm working for minimum wage if you could-and that was how I viewed labor then, and how I still view it in the private sector today. But the public unions have created such a grip on the system, because they have a monopoly that is not open to competition, that it is the end of the road for me with their labor views and practices and I view them as the BIGGEST threat to the safety and survival of the poor and middle class today.. Back in the 1980's cops and FF's made roughly the same salary as union construction workers, today there is nearly no union work in the trades, and the wages are nearly the same today as it was 25 years ago, yet the compensation of cops and FF's has gone up to $200K per year in total comp. That is outrageous and a prime example of how upside down things have gotten. And for the record, the danger of construction trade workers is 10 TIMES as high as that of cop or FF. And the reason is simple and straight forward, they are ripping off the public, and most of the rip off is aimed at the poor and middel class- in the form of sales taxe hikes and various "fee/fine/cost" hikes/ Good examples are vehicle code infractions and higher education costs which are raising at 500% the rate of inflation. In 1988 the sales tax in this state was 6.5%, today the base rate is 8.75% and in places like La Mesa it is 9.5% and Los Angeles 9.75%. Thisre are 50% increases in a very shrot time sapn. And it just so happens to coincide with the 50% increases in pension hikes. There are Bay Area cities with sales tax rates of 10.25%-10.5%-nearly DOUBLE the sales tax rate in 1988. I am sick of this one class of employees getting royal, preferential treatment of Kings and Queens off the backs of the poor. It is a disgrace and shameful. I hope their entire ponzi scheme blows up in their faces, because when it does I am throwing a party.— February 15, 2011 7:49 a.m.
Wisconsin Governor Proposes Deep Benefit Slashes
So then you ADMIT that gov IS a monopoly. And considering that "public safety" is usually 60%-80% of muni budgets "managed competition" addresses just a small, very small, portion of the gov employee over compensation problem. BTW- I have no ego, in fact I an very humble. The fact is anyone who stands up to public employee scams are targeted and labeled because the public employees want to keep their scams going, they try to discredit anyone who stands up to them. So go ahead and slime away at me or whoever JustClueless, do it all day long, it won't stop me from exposing the truth.— February 14, 2011 9:29 p.m.
Why Was Toni Atkins Consulting for Developers Vying for Redevelopment Dollars After She Was Elected to State Assembly?
The latest project at Folrida and El Cajon is allowing them to build a 7 story 175 unit complex in a single story craftsman neighborhood ============ Are you kidding me, 7 STORIES!!!!!! In that area!!! What a diaster! I guarantee you if it was in their neighborhood, or over on Prosepect in la Jolla it would be a different tune...— February 14, 2011 7:37 p.m.
Gores in Intense Talks to Buy Detroit Pistons
The grew up in FLint? I never knew that! I wonder if they knew Michael Moore? I have been to the Palace, and it is pretty swank, and Aurburn Hills is a very upscale area of MI.— February 14, 2011 5:05 p.m.
Wisconsin Governor Proposes Deep Benefit Slashes
When is "managed competition" coming to the PD and FD JW??? I want to bid on a FF job. Let me know, I will not be holding my breath....— February 14, 2011 5:03 p.m.
Wisconsin Governor Proposes Deep Benefit Slashes
Gosh, why not collective bargaining for public employees? ========== I would nt allow it for a couple of very good reasons, #1- b/c they are a monopoly and their jobs are not open to the free market and competition, can you imagine how much money could eb saved if FF jobs were open to bid??....and #2) the public unions are not bargaining against an adversary, or someone who has an interest in keeping their salary and benefits at a reasonable or sustainable level, the officials that set their comp are bought and paid for with campaign $$$. I think those are two very compelling reasons that cannot be overcome. . . The employers have no obligation to grant excessive benefits, if that if what they think are being requested. ====== Gov officials have every reason to grant excessive compensation. . . Blame the employers, not the unions. ===== I blame both, there is no reason to blame just one. . . My own experience with the County is that the public employee unions, with the possible exception of Deputy Sheriffs, are rather weak, and not militant at all. ===== Are you for real?? The CA Teachers Association is the most powerful in the state. SEIU is right behind them. The prison guards union is a major threat in any election. The notion that public unions are weak is a joke, pure baloney.— February 13, 2011 9:29 p.m.
Still Another SD Ponzi Schemer Headed for Slammer
While I'm tickled that this skunk and others like him are going to prison, stories like these leave me wondering where the prosecutorial zeal is in persuing the capos in this plundering scheme and their political enablers. We all know who they are. =========== How many Wall Street execs went to prison over the biggest fraud our country has ever seen??? ZERO.— February 12, 2011 4:38 p.m.
Still Another SD Ponzi Schemer Headed for Slammer
As I have explained in numerous columns, a major reason for this is that the big Wall Street law firms have so much influence at DOJ and particularly the SEC. ============ It is not just Wall Street-it is Big Business, it runs the nation. Big Business buys politicians, who in turn put Big Business insiders into-and at the top of- the agencies that regulate the Big Businesses industries. It is especially true of Republican Presidents, but goes on unabated with Democrats too.— February 12, 2011 4:37 p.m.