Killiana1a said:
I am fine with California declaring state bankruptcy so long as in doing so it does not violate 1st Amendment rights to "peaceably assemble" in unions and it does not violate California State Consitution protections for public employee pensions. You might be thinking, does this guy who works in mental health work in public mental health? No, the organization for which I work for is a 1000 employee private sector, for profit mental health company. As for Democrats cutting funding, it is regrettable but understandable. Governor Brown's budget called for across the board budget cuts and the elimination of state redevelopment agencies. Source: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/09/3310523/anatomy-of-browns-budget-plan.html I am more in favor of cutting the budgets of California Highway Patrol and state prisons. California state prison guards have an average salary of $57,000 (not to mention the cadillac benefits). Source: http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060228/news_1n28guards.html California Highway Patrol starting salary is $51,288/year (not including cadillac benefits). http://www.chp.ca.gov/recruiting/osalary.html I could understand these starting salaries if state prison guards and CHP required a 4 year degree, but they don't. Hell, if you are a friend or a friend of a friend, you don't even need an Associate's to get a job as a state prison guard or with CHP. If we are talking about cutting state government spending, then everything needs to be on the table. Including "public safety" whom Republicans and conservatives hail as essential and should never be cut. Last time I checked, state prison guards, police, and sheriff were not private sector, for-profit organizations bringing in their own revenue via the sale of goods and/or services. If the majority of your salary is paid for by tax dollars and/or government grants, then you are just as much a bureaucrat as the pencil pushers in the state capital regardless whether your bureaucratic duties require a gun and a badge. |
I don't get where you think bankruptcy would violate freedom to assemble... that's just goofy.
As for the State Pensions... they likely WILL end up having to or be cut. They're such a huge liability that you'll either have to get rid of them or morgage your future to pay for everyones retirement. Which is basically already what's happening. Getting rid of Library funding is just a travesty. It's where people can learn for free and also where the poor go to get computer access for employment. Relying on just private donations is a very risky gamble.
My point is though, even Democrats are inacting plans that force big cuts into historically democratic big government social welfare plans. It'd be like if you saw a Republican raise taxes. You'd know shit was really serious with the debt.
As for Prisons. You could always privatise them. Of course then you could end up with some pretty messed up situations since the state will only care about the lowest bid.
As for 60K being high for prison guards though... have you ever seen what prison guards do/go through? It's pretty brutal. I can scarecely think of 10 jobs i'd less like to do.
If anything you'd be better off passing a legalization of Marijuana and then just laying off guards.
The problem with guards getting overtime is the alternative is to hire more workers, who you have to pay pensions to.
