The propaganda machine is clearly out in full force about the increased contribution rates, but where were they when “taxpayers” had their contribution rates DECREASED because of outsized investment gains? There were years when “taxpayers” paid NOTHING toward pension contributions. Shouldn’t we average out the contributions paid into the system instead of focusing on a couple of years during which there was a “financial crisis”?
If there is one thing I think everyone desperately needs to understand, it is this: The people behind the anti-union movement are NOT taxpayer advocates. They are corporate/financial interests who are trying to privatize our public assets and resources. The unions are the only thing standing in their way, which is why they are resorting to “divide and conquer” tactics where they pit private workers against public workers. They are playing on people’s emotions and stirring up envy — using the “financial crisis” as their opportunistic tool…so many people are in dire straits, they are now able to pit us against our own (middle-class worker vs. middle-class worker). I went into it some more in this thread.
This move toward privatization has been going on for decades. We now have far more “government contractors” at the federal, state, and local levels doing work that was once done by public employees. Ask yourself this…have your taxes gone down as a result of this privatization? Are our expenditures and deficits reduced as a result of this privatization? Think hard about the FACTS. Do your own research and come to your own conclusions. Think about where the money goes if it is being spent on local salaries/benefits vs. going to some corporation that might be located in another state or country.
From everything I’ve seen, privatization does NOT result in savings for taxpayers. Instead, it decimates the job market, concentrates wealth into the hands of a few wealthy and well-connected people, and lower wages for ALL local workers — public and private, union and non-union.
I honestly am not here to convince people to agree with my stance, but I think it’s extremely important that people understand WHY we’re hearing the anti-union propaganda and know WHO is spreading it. Know the facts, then decide for yourself if YOU would benefit from the privatization of all public assets and resources. Ultimately, that’s what this argument is all about. It is NOT about tax savings for Joe Sixpack; I can assure you of that.
