feedback.pdxradio.com Topic: Republican governors piss off the wrong group: police officers and firefighters

NoParty on "Republican governors piss off the wrong group: police officers and firefighters"

NoParty — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 22:42:12 +0000

As long as it doesnt all fall into the gutter and we start talking about abortion then everything is cool!

fairandbalanced on "Republican governors piss off the wrong group: police officers and firefighters"

fairandbalanced — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:26:54 +0000

I was for awhile, LP, but then this thread made some twists and turns as all lengthy threads do, and my last posts were responses to questions.

Listener_Pete on "Republican governors piss off the wrong group: police officers and firefighters"

Listener_Pete — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:12:23 +0000

F&B, Why don't you stick with the point made by the OP?

NoParty on "Republican governors piss off the wrong group: police officers and firefighters"

NoParty — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:11:53 +0000

Huh? Women get taxed differently? Since when?

fairandbalanced on "Republican governors piss off the wrong group: police officers and firefighters"

fairandbalanced — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:02:03 +0000

I think we ought to also look at the 50% of taxpayers who are women and who will benefit by being taxed more fairly.

littlesongs on "Republican governors piss off the wrong group: police officers and firefighters"

littlesongs — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 10:51:35 +0000

A few tidbits to keep the discussion rolling along: "Republicans will surely protest that their efforts to undermine the public sector, whether by busting unions or slashing services, aren't sexist or racist -- they're just what needs to be done to balance the budget. And honestly, I suspect the gender and racial impacts of union-busting never consciously crossed Gov. Walker's mind. But not knowing exactly whom your policy decisions will hurt means you've never thought about the actual people who are affected by political maneuvering. If Republicans don't know who's paying for their attacks on public sector employees, it's because they just don't care." <a href="http://mobile.salon.com/politics/war_room/2011/02/24/battistoni_public_employees/index.html" rel="nofollow">http://mobile.salon.com/politics/war_room/2011/02/24/battistoni_public_employees/index.html</a> "Among occupational groups, education, training, and library occupations (37.1 percent) and protective service occupations (34.1 percent) had the highest unionization rates in 2010." <a href="http://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.nr0.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.nr0.htm</a> "Over all, women who worked full-time in wage and salary jobs had median weekly earnings of $657 in 2009. That’s 80 percent of what their male counterparts earned." <a href="http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/the-gender-pay-gap-by-industry/" rel="nofollow">http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/the-gender-pay-gap-by-industry/</a> Is America still a great country if we stubbornly refuse to invest in the very best cops, firefighters, librarians, teachers and nurses we can find? Do we really save tax dollars by creating an environment where corrupt law enforcement, arsonists and illiterate knuckleheads can flourish? How about dying alone in your hospital room with the call button still clenched in your fist? It's been said before: You get what you pay for.

duxrule on "Republican governors piss off the wrong group: police officers and firefighters"

duxrule — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 10:40:38 +0000

How many private sector companies have sold or merged, specifically to get out from under pension obligations that they failed to fund for years? I don't have exact numbers at my fingertips, but the number is substantial, and involves some of the biggest companies in the country. You keep talking like this is something that exists only in the public sector, when anything and everything could be further from the truth. As of November of last year, GM had an unfunded pension liability of nearly $30 BILLION. Again, years of bloated, inefficient private sector management and not-so-benign neglect of basic business responsibilities come to the fore. Unions are not to blame for this debacle. Crappy managers are.

Vitalogy on "Republican governors piss off the wrong group: police officers and firefighters"

Vitalogy — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 10:32:16 +0000

Nope. Lower wages will attract less viable candidates. You get what you pay for.

fairandbalanced on "Republican governors piss off the wrong group: police officers and firefighters"

fairandbalanced — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 10:29:02 +0000

"Some reconsider careers as lawmakers target union pay, benefits. " That's what will drive wages to fair levels. If too many leave, the wages will have to rise to a level to keep them.

Vitalogy on "Republican governors piss off the wrong group: police officers and firefighters"

Vitalogy — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 10:26:11 +0000

<a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42329275/ns/business-careers/" rel="nofollow">http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42329275/ns/business-careers/</a> Some reconsider careers as lawmakers target union pay, benefits.