Once again, let’s step back to this article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. And let’s once again visit the incredible minds of State Sens. Steve Nass of Whitewater and Duey Stroebel of the Town of Cedarburg. The last time we talked about the Senators we discussed their suggestion that the safer at home closures ordered by Governor Tony Evers were unnecessary and could cause a revolt.
Well, one of their other talking points was the unfairness between private sector employees who were losing their jobs and public employees who were essential and getting paid to do their jobs.
Both also suggested it’s unfair that public employees are not being subject to pay cuts as owners and employees of private companies are losing work — an idea Evers also rejected Friday.
Stroebel also raised alarm bells about the state’s finances, saying the promises of the current state budget— which provides funding through 2021 — won’t be able to be kept under the current economy. He and Nass pointed out in their statements public employees haven’t been subject to pay cuts like others.
“I am not going to tell constituents, who are losing their businesses, getting laid off and seeing their nest eggs dip with the stock market to pay higher taxes so that state and local employees can avoid unpaid furloughs, or so that government programs can grow at twice the rate of inflation.”
As long as state employees are on the job and doing their job and in almost all cases I imagine their jobs are essential…there is no reason to cut their pay. At least not yet…the economy has to get pretty dire before we get to that point.
When asked whether he would consider imposing pay cuts for public employees, Evers said the idea was insulting to public workers.
The tens of thousands of state employees who are doing work for the state of Wisconsin are doing essential work,” Evers said, citing examples of workers processing unemployment claims, working in long-term care facilities for military veterans and overseeing state prisons. “To suggest that somehow state employees are not valued …
But in the meantime, I am waiting for the good Senators to suggest pay and per diem cuts for the Senate and Legislature (and their office staff) as at least a show of good faith.
fat chance of that. I just hope that the stay at home order ends so we can go to the capital and throw the bums out.
Isn’t the federal government sending money to small businesses afloat? I have not heard of anyone losing their business. Just sayin.
I am pretty sure the Tavern League of Wisconsin is letting telling these gentlemen how “essential” they are.
I’m writing my Representatives today with the suggestion that State Employees earning more than a certain threshold amount, say $50,000, take a pay cut of between 10-15% for the 2020 calendar year. Some categories, such as those involved in ‘front-line capabilities’ i.e. law enforcement and state health care, would be exempt.
“We’re all in this together.” I think this would be a great way for State Government to show some solidarity with its citizens, and recognize the shared pain we’re all experiencing.
What do you have against middle class workers?
I’m just curious, because you’re acting like state employees making $50,000 or more are living high off the hog. By your logic I should take a $7,600 pay cut simply because I made $700 more than $50,000 last year.
Your statement is precisely what’s wrong with so many conservatives – you have this irrational hatred of public employees…..why?