[quote=jstoesz]This topic has lost all substance and has denigrated a circular shouting match. There is no way you are going to convince CAR or jp or the rest that the public sector is overcompensated. It is just not going to happen. And like wise, not in a million years are you going to convince the rest of us, that these folks are underpaid civil servants acting out of a need to help their fellow man.

I do tend to wonder if that old saw applies to even this topic (on both sides of the argument I might add)…

“It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it.”

Maybe I am unfairly impugning others motives…[/quote]

You got me thinking, probably unintentionally!, that I should have added that police and fire are supposedly “public service” jobs — yet their unions fight for the best pay and benefits they can squeeze out of municipalities or the state.

I think municipalities need to start operating in a similar fashion. When faced with strikes or “blue flues” as many overpaid workers as possible should be fired and replaced with qualified people at as low pay and benefits as possible.

In fact, I would go so far as to see about renegotiating contracts as an alternative to layoffs. If the employee is truly worth more they will certainly go out and earn it, and more power to them! The reality, however, is likely that they’re kidding themselves.

In this way people will be closer to being paid what they are actually worth. With so many on this board fans of realistic pricing of property I’m surprised that everyone can’t get behind this concept.

That said, jstoesz you have highlighted that many people vote on issues with their emotions and no rational argument will ever sway them. They would probably say that people like me vote with their emotions too — but in a different way. I would probably be accused of having my views due to meanspiritedness.