With a Dem governor

http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/ALLMU.../id/402354

I think, as a society, pretty much everyone to the right of Dennis Kucinich is coming to the realization that government is too big and will have to be pruned back. I'm all in favor of making the cuts as gradual as possible, but one way or another the cuts -- # of employees, salaries, benefits, etc. -- will have to be made.

It is amazing how the political courage of Scott Walker in Wisconsin and Chris Christie in New Jersey has rubbed off on some of the most hard-core Democrat states in the country like New York, Massachusetts, and now Connecticut. I am curious to see if Jerry Brown can hold back the tides in California (or if he even wants to). California remains, as Reagan once said "the Big Casino" of American politics. If -- and it is a huge "If" -- the Democrat/statist/union alliance can be beaten back there, it really will be game-set-match for a generation or more. Stay tuned.

Christie & Walker get grief because they are Republicans. The mainstream media gives voice to the bitchers in those states. Most states have to have a balanced budget by law and even Democratic governors understand that concept.

(07-05-2011 09:05 AM)Native Georgian Wrote:  I think, as a society, pretty much everyone to the right of Dennis Kucinich is coming to the realization that government is too big and will have to be pruned back. I'm all in favor of making the cuts as gradual as possible, but one way or another the cuts -- # of employees, salaries, benefits, etc. -- will have to be made.

I will agree with you that cuts need to be made. Many states still have budgets that are at or close to the high revenue mark, and that is not sustainable at the low/medium revenue mark.

The problem comes with how cuts are made. In Florida, we have a program (the DROP program) that allowed public employees to retire for 30 days, then come back to their old job and collect both a pension and a salary. Of course, for this to work, you need the employer to keep the job open for you...so this almost always involves well connected employees that make six figures. What I described was deemed a "loophole" by the bill sponsor...yet that law remains on the books (although they now require a 6 month retirement as opposed to 30 days).

Was that law repealed this year? No, but they did get rid of 1,300 jobs, almost exclusively jobs that paid less than $30,000 a year. I do not find such a move to be in the public interest. Yet the right in Florida continue to defend such moves.

Quote:The problem comes with how cuts are made. In Florida, we have a program (the DROP program) that allowed public employees to retire for 30 days, then come back to their old job and collect both a pension and a salary. Of course, for this to work, you need the employer to keep the job open for you...so this almost always involves well connected employees that make six figures. What I described was deemed a "loophole" by the bill sponsor...yet that law remains on the books (although they now require a 6 month retirement as opposed to 30 days).

A similar deal exists for California public employees. Nothing like double dipping at tax payer expense.

It's all my fault. I still owe them some money for the property tax bill on my car.