Comments on: Lazich accepts generous raise, implies state employees don’t deserve same

By: Zach W

Zach W — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:22:03 +0000

Blue Collar/LaFay, if you think a 2% raise is a “sweet deal,” then I don’t think there’s much I can say to change your opinion. My original point in writing this entry was not to complain that I didn’t get enough – in fact, I was happy to get any raise at all – but my point was to point out the hypocrisy of a state lawmaker voting against a raise for state employees while turning around and accepting an even larger raise for herself.

As for your comment that public sector guys are whiners and entitlement slugs, I’ll just note that if you think state employees have it so easy, then you should seriously think about applying for a job as a corrections officer, because I’m sure you’ll find state employment isn’t as easy as you think it is.

By: Fred Keller

Fred Keller — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:07:44 +0000

“Therefore, I have decided to accept the pay raise that I will use toward charitable contributions.”

Nuance, folks, nuance…

“…I will use it toward charitable contributions.”

Does Lazich mean ALL of the 5.3% increase? She didn’t say that.

By: Blue Collar

Blue Collar — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:57:29 +0000

Better yet 8:51, tell us what union you’re in, what you had and what you’ll lose.
Maybe that way there wouldn’t be this preception that you guys got such a sweet deal at the expense of us taxpayers.

See me and some of my buddies have lost our jobs and we now work at jobs that pay about 1/2 to 1/3 as much and have no where near the benefits we had.

When we hear that teachers have this QED or whatever thing and they still bitch when they get a 3.8% raise, see it ticks us off.

They’re crying cause the raise isn’t enough. They have no clue what it must be like to keep your family fed when you’re making half of what you did and then you have to pay COBRA healthcare costs just to keep your family covered for big health problems.

See I have NO sympathy for the public sector guys. They are in the same bucket as the UAW auto workers in my book. Whiners and entitlement slugs.

By: Zach W

Zach W — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:41:23 +0000

“Does that justify annual increases above the rate of inflation.”

The inflation rate in 2007 was 2.85%. PSS employees received a 2% raise that year. By my math, PSS employees received a raise below the rate of inflation, which seems to debunk your assertion.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:24:44 +0000

Of course state employee pay taxes. Does that justify annual increases above the rate of inflation. Ive had the luxury of living outside this state and than working alongside state employees in a rather sized agency for 7 months as a contractor. First hand accounts my friend of the laziest slow moving people determined to put everything off until tomorow that is possible, and if its due tomorow, thats a callin day planned in advance. Two people from the same area not 40 feet apart working the identical work with deliberate duplication to justify PSS position. As a taxpayer, very sickening to watch. As a business owner, incorporate in Delaware. My point was simple, every organization feels the pinch of recession, unless your a Wis. state employee. Its simply time they feel the value the jobs they hold and stop whining about subsidized food breaks in between structured breaks or grievance meetings. Lets count all the hours for a year that state people have spent in grievance meetings and make that public. The Wisconsin taxpayer deserves to know how much slop they get for there dollar.

By: Zach W

Zach W — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:15:22 +0000

LaFay, I have a question about your most recent response. You said, “Have you ever wondered what its like to work for a startup company? One that actually creates jobs that pay taxes instead of milking taxpayers.”

Now I’m just curious…are you asserting that state employees don’t pay taxes on their wages? That seems to be what you’re saying, and I want to be absolutely clear on the point you’re trying to make.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:08:22 +0000

Thats just the way private industry works. Have you ever wondered what its like to work for a startup company? One that actually creates jobs that pay taxes instead of milking taxpayers. Many, many 50 hour weeks with no pay. Thats how it works.
real wages in the rest of the country are flat or declined in the past 10 year period, except those for Wisconsin bargaining units. Im certain many new folks will apply, the truly talented and exceptional are what the state should be employing. To do that requires leadership to eliminate the deadwood to make way. I expect this is about to happen. Watch and see.

By: Zach W

Zach W — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:16:35 +0000

So LaFay, I take it by your comments you’d be willing to work a 50 hour workweek without getting compensated for the full 50 hours? Am I also to assume you’d be perfectly happy to work a job and not get a raise?

Oh, and just to dispel any misinformation, employees of the state – at least all the ones I know – work 40 hour workweeks; not 38 hours, and not all state employees get 4 weeks of vacation.

As for your assertion there are thousands of hard working Wisconsinites who would love to serve the public at current wages, I don’t dispute that, but if those same folks would love to work for the state, all they need to do is apply for a job.

By: Insider

Insider — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:10:33 +0000

Great job Mary Lazich. Its hard not to notice the large amount of whining that occurs with all the state bargaining units. Before one makes an ethical assessment of right and wrong regarding who is deserving of pay raises, lets first survey the PSS, PSRP, and AFL/CIO state employees. I would like to see how many in numbers have worked a 50 hour workweek without overtime in the name of serving the public. When one works a 38 hour workweek with 12 holidays, earned sick days and 4 weeks off every year, one expect fingers to point at what appears to be laziness. Its time for wholesale cuts in the head count.
If you havent noticed, Im estimating there are thousands of hard working Wisconsinites who would love to serve the public at current wages froze as they are.

By: Anon

Anon — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:11:02 +0000

Good for her.