George Rebane
The government employee compensation and pension crisis is beginning to come up on everyone’s radar. Well, perhaps everyone except some very closeted socialists here in our neck of the woods. I am always amazed when I read and sometimes participate in the comment thread of an article either published on a blog or a newspaper’s website. The comment thread of my 18jul09 editorial column – ‘Dear Government Employees’ – in The Union lived up to expectations. (also on RR here)
Many of the commenters had trouble keeping track of the editorial’s theme that made a fairly simple and widely acknowledged point. Government employees have become an unbearable cost burden to governments at all levels. The way that their salaries, pensions, and other benefits are compensated is no longer tenable, and that financial house of cards is now about to collapse.
Some members of the local readership however demonstrated that 1) they were unaware of this critical issue, and 2) that anyone introducing it must needs be an unsavory, selfish, and greedy kind of person who has no appreciation of the role of government in civil society. These folks also seem to have a lively imagination, seeing attacks on their cherished collectivist beliefs where there are none. To them it really doesn’t matter, a strong counter-attack is always the best defense, even against an imagined assault.
But the biggest surprise was that there still exist people who read newspapers (and presumably consume other media) and who are totally ignorant of what’s happening in not only the country, but the entire world, as governments try to contain costs. And, of course, the major costs are always those paid to legions of government workers, the necessity of whose jobs are revealed when they must be either fired or cut back. Apparently I was the one who brought that little piece of news to them. And not having heard it before, they naturally thought I had fabricated it all from a fevered and discredited ideology. So they were somewhat disturbed that all these fine government workers stood accused of being a material part of the current crisis.
I am sure that we in Nevada County are not alone in harboring such cohorts of the un-anointed. They no doubt exist all over the country, and must feel equally surprised and angry as the gory details of the complex and secretive compensation packages begin to be disclosed. Because such revelations would put major dents into the sheltered belief systems of anyone with even a smidgeon of critical thinking skills.
RR will continue to post on the details of government employee compensation packages as they become available. In the interval, were we to welcome some of these irritable and irritated innocents to these pages, I offer the following links which should convince them that I am merely a messenger whose message about the government employee problem was, perhaps, more succinct, clear, and focused.
Here from the 4jul09 Contra Costa Times.
Here from the 6jul09 WSJ.
Here from the 8jul09 Sacramento Bee.
Here from the 9jul09 Times-Herald.
Here and here from the 9jul09 Governing.com.
Here is continuous coverage from PensionWatch.com.
Here from the 17jul09 San Francisco Chronicle.
And here again from today’s (20jul09) WSJ.
A perusal of these reports should inform even the most ardent left-winger of the scope of the government employee compensation problem. Perhaps then they may bring their wits to bear, without dilution, on this specific issue. And hopefully some will communicate their newfound concerns to their Democratic electeds who now dominate most legislatures in the land.
rebanesruminations.com 
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