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Walker has no right to even talk about decertifying the unions. If it weren’t for unions and what they have done over the years many of us would not have the wages or benefits that we do.
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Unions aside, the idea of having to put in for your health insurance is something that needs to be brought up. I pay fully a third of my take home pay for my health plan. Why shouldn’t state and city and school workers do the same? Attempting to decertify the unions involved will only serve to tie up the debate in courts.
State employees should have to pay for a portion of there health care, just like the private sector. They should also set forth with there own retirement accounts, like 401k’s and Roth IRA’s.
lordairgtar wrote:
Quote:Unions aside, the idea of having to put in for your health insurance is something that needs to be brought up. I pay fully a third of my take home pay for my health plan. Why shouldn’t state and city and school workers do the same? Attempting to decertify the unions involved will only serve to tie up the debate in courts.Maybe you’re asking the wrong question. Instead of asking “why shouldn’t they pay for their benefits like me” you should be asking “why can’t I have benefits like them?”.
The healthcare system in this country will never improve if everyone just accepts the status quo. I imagine you don’t like allocating a large portion of your income to pay for healthcare. We need to work for a change in the system to make this better for you and everyone else who is forced to pay a huge amount of money for healthcare.
Zac,
It’s not quite that simple. In theory, I agree with you.However, when you factor in, that for the past 10 years or more, most state employees have given up yearly pay increases and cost of living increases to maintain and hold their health care costs and retirement benefits at current levels. The hourly wage or salary that most state workers take home is much below their counterpart in the private sector.
Garibaldi wrote:
Quote:lordairgtar wrote:Quote:Unions aside, the idea of having to put in for your health insurance is something that needs to be brought up. I pay fully a third of my take home pay for my health plan. Why shouldn’t state and city and school workers do the same? Attempting to decertify the unions involved will only serve to tie up the debate in courts.Maybe you’re asking the wrong question. Instead of asking “why shouldn’t they pay for their benefits like me” you should be asking “why can’t I have benefits like them?”.
The healthcare system in this country will never improve if everyone just accepts the status quo. I imagine you don’t like allocating a large portion of your income to pay for healthcare. We need to work for a change in the system to make this better for you and everyone else who is forced to pay a huge amount of money for healthcare.
Health care is a priviledge, not a right. Health care should be at a person’s discrection, not a gov’t mandate. If someone want’s health care, they can pay for it, like car or life insurance. Programs like BadgerCare get abused on a regular basis… Because those in charge of such programs allow it to happen. Yes, I have health care, so people probably think its easy for me to spout off about it. I have to pay for half of my plan, its about $35 a week out of my check pre-tax. I am fortunate to have an employer that offers such benefits (for now, until he realizes its cheaper to pay the fines for not offering this benefit), and that $35 a week is worth it anytime I need medical attention.
I say this with the utmost sincerity – People need to get off there ass and get good jobs. Low income households need to quit having children they can’t afford. Badger Care should only be offered as a low-cost insurance plan available to those who are small business owners or college students.
MMRJR wrote:
Quote:Zac,
It’s not quite that simple. In theory, I agree with you.However, when you factor in, that for the past 10 years or more, most state employees have given up yearly pay increases and cost of living increases to maintain and hold their health care costs and retirement benefits at current levels. The hourly wage or salary that most state workers take home is much below their counterpart in the private sector.
So what your saying is, State jobs aren’t as gravy as they sound? :whistle:
Even with giving up pay increases, I don’t see too many state employees hurting financially. Marshall, I know you’re a state employee, and I mean no offense when I say this, but when I hear State workers crying about there wages, I compare them to UAW workers who cry they can’t afford to live (In large houses with garages full of campers, new vehicles every 6 months, 4wheelers, snowmobiles, jetskis, etc.) when GM wants to restructure there contracts. State employees also still have the best benefits around, even if they can make more money in the private sector.
When you say get out and get good jobs, I don’t think that is possible today, unless you have a specialized skill that requires advanced education. Most of the good jobs that were available in this country for the average person don’t exist anymore. They have been moved offshore by the corporations who could care less about the workers in this country. The majority of jobs available these days are service level jobs.
Why does health care have to be a privilege? That argument might make sense if affordable health care was available. Affordable health care isn’t available for the average worker, that is why major changes are needed. If the profit motive was taken out of the health care industry we would be better off. Unfortunately the whole process has been corrupted. And if people in this country think it is the best health care system in the world they are sadly mistaken.
This country is in the midst of losing its standing in the world as far as the place of opportunity. We have double digit unemployment and the jobs that have been lost and off-shored will never return. For the first time children will have a lower standard of living than their parents.
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