OT: Public pay & benefits

[Anonymous]

Most firefighters retiring today with 20 years service are getting pensions of much more than $50K annually. No matter how you calculate it, these guys are getting packages that are worth way north of $1 million.

(BTW, the fact that interest rates are low means that the government/taxpayers will have to foot even *more* money than they would if rates of return were higher.)

Of course they are doing it for the pensions. How many people would not take a job that comes with a “bonus” of more than a million dollars after just 20 years of service?

Sure, lots of people make big money, but here’s why it’s different for government employees:

It is not uncommon to live to be 90 years old – many state employees will start collecting pensions at 50 and receive payments for 40 years. (The average is probably close to 30 years.)

With the current shortfalls in pension funding, it will take decades of taxes to pay the bill for the services we are receiving right now.

Our children, or grandchildren, will get their first job decades from now, and part of their state income taxes will be used to pay the bill for the fire/rescue/whatever that we read about in yesterday’s headlines.

Should children who aren’t even born yet be be burdened with paying for services that were provided last year?

[Anonymous]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]That long pension “tail” is what killed GM and Chrysler.[/quote]

Yup,

When someone buys a Chevy Malibu today, some of the proceeds go to the guys who built the Pontiac Tempest my father bought in 1965.

Not exactly a sustainable business model…

[Anonymous]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]That long pension “tail” is what killed GM and Chrysler.[/quote]

Yup,

When someone buys a Chevy Malibu today, some of the proceeds go to the guys who built the Pontiac Tempest my father bought in 1965.

Not exactly a sustainable business model…

[Anonymous]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]That long pension “tail” is what killed GM and Chrysler.[/quote]

Yup,

When someone buys a Chevy Malibu today, some of the proceeds go to the guys who built the Pontiac Tempest my father bought in 1965.

Not exactly a sustainable business model…

[Anonymous]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]That long pension “tail” is what killed GM and Chrysler.[/quote]

Yup,

When someone buys a Chevy Malibu today, some of the proceeds go to the guys who built the Pontiac Tempest my father bought in 1965.

Not exactly a sustainable business model…

[Anonymous]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]That long pension “tail” is what killed GM and Chrysler.[/quote]

Yup,

When someone buys a Chevy Malibu today, some of the proceeds go to the guys who built the Pontiac Tempest my father bought in 1965.

Not exactly a sustainable business model…

[jpinpb]

The highest life expectancy I came up w/in my search for firefighters was 82.9, depending on what age they retire. That’s setting aside the quality of life. Maybe they’re pulling along an oxygen tank/respirator b/c their lungs are charred. I don’t know about firemen, but a lot of cops I know work well past the age of 50. The average age guys begin these jobs are 25-28.

People, if you want to be pissed b/c future kids are paying taxes for something, direct it to the big banks who took billions and we’re not done, so maybe trillions. Don’t take it out on someone who is working for a living. It’s not an easy job or I’d imagine many of you would be out there doing it, making all the supposed money you think they make, pension and all the benefits that go along w/it. Reality is you have no interest, even w/all the money and everything you think they are getting.

[jpinpb]

The highest life expectancy I came up w/in my search for firefighters was 82.9, depending on what age they retire. That’s setting aside the quality of life. Maybe they’re pulling along an oxygen tank/respirator b/c their lungs are charred. I don’t know about firemen, but a lot of cops I know work well past the age of 50. The average age guys begin these jobs are 25-28.

People, if you want to be pissed b/c future kids are paying taxes for something, direct it to the big banks who took billions and we’re not done, so maybe trillions. Don’t take it out on someone who is working for a living. It’s not an easy job or I’d imagine many of you would be out there doing it, making all the supposed money you think they make, pension and all the benefits that go along w/it. Reality is you have no interest, even w/all the money and everything you think they are getting.

[jpinpb]

The highest life expectancy I came up w/in my search for firefighters was 82.9, depending on what age they retire. That’s setting aside the quality of life. Maybe they’re pulling along an oxygen tank/respirator b/c their lungs are charred. I don’t know about firemen, but a lot of cops I know work well past the age of 50. The average age guys begin these jobs are 25-28.

People, if you want to be pissed b/c future kids are paying taxes for something, direct it to the big banks who took billions and we’re not done, so maybe trillions. Don’t take it out on someone who is working for a living. It’s not an easy job or I’d imagine many of you would be out there doing it, making all the supposed money you think they make, pension and all the benefits that go along w/it. Reality is you have no interest, even w/all the money and everything you think they are getting.

[jpinpb]

The highest life expectancy I came up w/in my search for firefighters was 82.9, depending on what age they retire. That’s setting aside the quality of life. Maybe they’re pulling along an oxygen tank/respirator b/c their lungs are charred. I don’t know about firemen, but a lot of cops I know work well past the age of 50. The average age guys begin these jobs are 25-28.

People, if you want to be pissed b/c future kids are paying taxes for something, direct it to the big banks who took billions and we’re not done, so maybe trillions. Don’t take it out on someone who is working for a living. It’s not an easy job or I’d imagine many of you would be out there doing it, making all the supposed money you think they make, pension and all the benefits that go along w/it. Reality is you have no interest, even w/all the money and everything you think they are getting.

[jpinpb]

The highest life expectancy I came up w/in my search for firefighters was 82.9, depending on what age they retire. That’s setting aside the quality of life. Maybe they’re pulling along an oxygen tank/respirator b/c their lungs are charred. I don’t know about firemen, but a lot of cops I know work well past the age of 50. The average age guys begin these jobs are 25-28.

People, if you want to be pissed b/c future kids are paying taxes for something, direct it to the big banks who took billions and we’re not done, so maybe trillions. Don’t take it out on someone who is working for a living. It’s not an easy job or I’d imagine many of you would be out there doing it, making all the supposed money you think they make, pension and all the benefits that go along w/it. Reality is you have no interest, even w/all the money and everything you think they are getting.

[davelj]

[quote=jpinpb] It’s not an easy job or I’d imagine many of you would be out there doing it, making all the supposed money you think they make, pension and all the benefits that go along w/it. Reality is you have no interest, even w/all the money and everything you think they are getting.[/quote]

Strawman argument alert. Based on the quality of the hamburgers I sometimes eat I could argue that a lot of folks making $10/hour in the fast food industry are overpaid. This doesn’t mean I think it’s “easy” or that I should have any interest in doing that job. My willingness to do someone else’s job has NOTHING to do with whether someone’s overpaid or whether or not the job is “easy.” Zero. “Overpaid” is a supply-and-demand issue combined with budgetary constraints. Whether or not I’m willing to do the job is an opportunity cost issue. I’m betting that most Piggs would be taking a pay cut – some rather large – to work a public safety job, thus they have no interest (excluding the issue of whether or not they have any interest in the content of the job itself). But this has NOTHING to do with whether or not these folks are over- or under-paid.

[davelj]

[quote=jpinpb] It’s not an easy job or I’d imagine many of you would be out there doing it, making all the supposed money you think they make, pension and all the benefits that go along w/it. Reality is you have no interest, even w/all the money and everything you think they are getting.[/quote]

Strawman argument alert. Based on the quality of the hamburgers I sometimes eat I could argue that a lot of folks making $10/hour in the fast food industry are overpaid. This doesn’t mean I think it’s “easy” or that I should have any interest in doing that job. My willingness to do someone else’s job has NOTHING to do with whether someone’s overpaid or whether or not the job is “easy.” Zero. “Overpaid” is a supply-and-demand issue combined with budgetary constraints. Whether or not I’m willing to do the job is an opportunity cost issue. I’m betting that most Piggs would be taking a pay cut – some rather large – to work a public safety job, thus they have no interest (excluding the issue of whether or not they have any interest in the content of the job itself). But this has NOTHING to do with whether or not these folks are over- or under-paid.

[davelj]

[quote=jpinpb] It’s not an easy job or I’d imagine many of you would be out there doing it, making all the supposed money you think they make, pension and all the benefits that go along w/it. Reality is you have no interest, even w/all the money and everything you think they are getting.[/quote]

Strawman argument alert. Based on the quality of the hamburgers I sometimes eat I could argue that a lot of folks making $10/hour in the fast food industry are overpaid. This doesn’t mean I think it’s “easy” or that I should have any interest in doing that job. My willingness to do someone else’s job has NOTHING to do with whether someone’s overpaid or whether or not the job is “easy.” Zero. “Overpaid” is a supply-and-demand issue combined with budgetary constraints. Whether or not I’m willing to do the job is an opportunity cost issue. I’m betting that most Piggs would be taking a pay cut – some rather large – to work a public safety job, thus they have no interest (excluding the issue of whether or not they have any interest in the content of the job itself). But this has NOTHING to do with whether or not these folks are over- or under-paid.

[davelj]

[quote=jpinpb] It’s not an easy job or I’d imagine many of you would be out there doing it, making all the supposed money you think they make, pension and all the benefits that go along w/it. Reality is you have no interest, even w/all the money and everything you think they are getting.[/quote]

Strawman argument alert. Based on the quality of the hamburgers I sometimes eat I could argue that a lot of folks making $10/hour in the fast food industry are overpaid. This doesn’t mean I think it’s “easy” or that I should have any interest in doing that job. My willingness to do someone else’s job has NOTHING to do with whether someone’s overpaid or whether or not the job is “easy.” Zero. “Overpaid” is a supply-and-demand issue combined with budgetary constraints. Whether or not I’m willing to do the job is an opportunity cost issue. I’m betting that most Piggs would be taking a pay cut – some rather large – to work a public safety job, thus they have no interest (excluding the issue of whether or not they have any interest in the content of the job itself). But this has NOTHING to do with whether or not these folks are over- or under-paid.

[Author]

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