I, Public Employee
This could be a Costa Mesa employee.
There is so much anger, innacurate information out there.
I hope to clarify things within the next few days.
Have a nice Costa Mesa weekend.
wl
Wisconsin in Costa Mesa?
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/22/opinion/22cronon.html?_r=1
6 comments:
Wendy, the article was excellent and I don't think I have ever heard a public employee express themself as well. I am confident that many, if not most Costa Mesa employees feel the same way about the job they do. I wish the best for them and am optimistic that the citizens of the community will stand behind them as well.
I read the linked article and the comments. The comments are horrific: how dare a man seek a job with reasonable wages and retirement security? Whatever is the matter with people that they so disrepect someone who does his job every day as best he can? Why isn't this anger directed at the guys who brought down the banking system and walked off with hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayers' hard-earned money?
Great article. One of his points deserves elaboration. He talks about how, when things were good, people used to look down on parks maintenance workers; now they're jealous of those same people because they have good jobs and a generous pension. I've spoken with many City employees who said their friends in the private sector used to laugh at them for taking City jobs with lower pay and fewer (if any) perks. While their friends had high salaries, company cars, and expensive homes, the City employees had modest salaries and homes, and drove their own cars.
The truth is, public employees often make a conscious decision to be fiscally-responsible and "save" for their retirement through lower pay and higher pension benefits, instead of enjoying the instant gratification of high salaries and lavish comforts.
Now, those who squandered their high salaries and have little or no pensions are jealous of the public employees who looked toward the future. Should the public employee be demonized for good planning? If you take away their pensions, who will compensate them for the lower salaries they collected all these years in exchange? Compensation is a total package, and can't be measured by one element alone.
I enjoyed the article and found the comments based on ignorance and lack of information. Being a retired public servant, I am well aware of the reasons many of us chose to serve our communities, schools, cities etc... We are hired based on education, skills, knowledge and expericne whether a grounds person, custodian or executive secretary. Thanks for standing up again to the "boys" on city council, stay strong I support you as do many others.
Wouldn't it better to focus on the core issues facing the City and the manner in which they should be approached then to rant about political divisiveness? All members of the Costa Mesa Council are Republicans. Not all Republicans nor Progressives think alike. Four members of the Council appear support a meat ax approach. Kill now ask questions later. That approach is unpopular with residents no matter what party if any they are registered with. Not withstanding the screaming far right and far left. So speak to reason and civility not rancor. Get that message out. America is a middle of the road Republic and I have faith that in the end reason will prevail.
The fly in the ointment Eleanor, is that all the anger, hate, demonization and even death threats that seem so prevalent now against the Tea Party, Wall Street bankers, C.E.O.'s has spilled over to the fat public employees who have the media reported "huge" pensions and "fat" salaries. Anyone with a good job, pensions, health insurance and other perks has become a target especially public employees who work for and are paid by the public. People are worried and stressed. That is why some of the commentators have suggested to knock off the hate/anger messages and focus on the issues that effect the residents and community. You are a better person than your 3/26 post calling for "anger" reflects.
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