What Scott Walker Does Not Say About Public Employees

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker issued a press release on Monday,  The Cost of Public Sector Benefits. This document of over 500 words and all sorts of data began:

Madison–In an effort to raise awareness about the cost of public sector employee benefits today Governor Walker’s office released the following fact sheet.

The 'fact sheet' never once addressed the cost of employing a public worker in Wisconsin. The 'fact sheet' provided information about the cost of the retirement system, how much taxpayers pay for public employees health insurance and the cost of HMO co-pays.

The 'fact sheet' never gave the total cost to the taxpayer of a public employee.

WISCONSIN WORKERS ARE NOT OVER PAID OR OVER COMPENSATED

For the millionth time --- Wisconsin public employees do have better fringe benefits than the public employee in other states. That is because everyone from the firefighter to motor vehicle workers, teachers to snow plow drivers, choose to take their compensation in health insurance and retirement contributions.

For example Wisconsin teachers rank 20th for average teacher's salary among the states . Add in the fringe benefits and Wisconsin may be as high as 17th or 16th, not an outrageous ranking for a state that values education.

NO BONUSES

The Wisconsin public employee who receives a bonus is a rare exception. Yesterday GM announced that all hourly workers will receive a $4000 bonus. Private sector employees receive bonuses, at times stock options, and many other privileges not afforded he public employee. II never met a public employee who's golf outing was paid by their employer.

EFFICIENCY OF OUR STATE WORKERS

Wisconsin is the 20th most populated state but we rank 27th in number of full time employees.  We get more productivity from Wisconsin public employees. Wisconsin state workers are doing more than their counterparts in other states.

Comments

[Joanne]

Unfortunately, in a world where public employees are demonized (except somehow the governor, who has been a public employee most of his adult life), detractors aren't bothered by facts. But thanks for posting this.

You could also point to the huge bonuses at Spectrum Brands, although the company is still losing money.

[Gene Rankin]

My wife & I were public employees until our retirements. Did we get rich? No, we did not. As a matter of fact, the pay was damned poor. Was the health insurance (and an extremely well-managed pension program) the deciding factor in our electing to stay with the public sector (or, in my case, to move back to it)? Absolutely.

[Rich Eggleston]

Scott Walker is a guy who knows the cost of everything, but the value of nothing.

[buckyblue]

We'll be looking for a strong progressive voice in three years, once the debacle which is Scott Walker is done. Or, if we get some grace from God, after the recall is over in a year. Paul, I nominate you!!!

[Katrina]

This was posted on FightingBob.com. It is so cool.

Packers Support Public Employees
A statement released by current and former Green Bay Packers in support of public workers! Aaron Rodgers and Charles Woodson are union reps themselves...

"We know that it is team work on and off the field that makes the Packers and Wisconsin great. As a publicly owned team we wouldn’t have been able to win the Super Bowl without the support of our fans.

"It is the same dedication of our public workers every day that makes Wisconsin run. They are the teachers, nurses and child care workers who take care of us and our families. But now in an unprecedented political attack Governor Walker is trying to take away their right to have a voice and bargain at work.

"The right to negotiate wages and benefits is a fundamental underpinning of our middle class. When workers join together it serves as a check on corporate power and helps ALL workers by raising community standards. Wisconsin’s long standing tradition of allowing public sector workers to have a voice on the job has worked for the state since the 1930s. It has created greater consistency in the relationship between labor and management and a shared approach to public work.

"These public workers are Wisconsin’s champions every single day and we urge the Governor and the State Legislature to not take away their rights."

Signers of the statement include: Curtis Fuller, Charles Jordan, Bob Long, Steve Okoniewski, Brady Poppinga, Jason Spitz and Chris Jackie.

[Mary Ann Zaggy]

Why doesn't the good governor post information about the generous pensions and generous health benefits/entitlement programs which taxpayers fund for the Governors, the U.S. Congress, and other higher-up public employees?????????????? How "productive" are U.S. Congressment and U.S. Senators? Does anyone track THEIR productivity?

[Atlanta Roofing]

I think the lesson here, when this is coupled with the story David is covering, is that conservatives are pushing change far beyond where they have public support – which creates an great opportunity for push back. In fact, while this may be an extreme case, most of the agenda is pretty unpopular. The lack of push back has made them arrogant. If you could create these sort of protests everywhere, I suspect the public would rise up against the TP. Question is, how do you create it?

[Marilyn Jacobson]

I would think if this insane legislation is acutally passed ther would be legal recorse...Can Unions be disolved...I don't think so ! Well, maybe in Iran.

[New Buffalo MI fishing]

You would rather cut the pay, and take away the right to do anything about it of average hard working people making about 50k and less than raise taxes on the 2% of people who are the only ones to see their pay increase over the decade? That just don't make no walking around sense. You must have manure for brains.

[jb]

you folks are lost, facts is the benefits of public employees far exceed most anything in the private sector and most people in the private sector have to turn a profit or perish. I don't know where you people get your facts but they hold no weight on the street. O by the way most don't work 40 hours either.

[WhoGaveRepublicansThePower?]

Since the so called "representatives" of the state won't allow this bill to be discussed citizens should take the next step and stop buying the products and services of Walker's financial backers. Especially those that don't pay their share of taxes because Walker's regime has passed laws to protect them.

[Kevin]

Funny how Walker never knocks himself in the overpaid government employee bunch does he? Sure he likes to brag about giving back 370,000 in his time as Milwaukee county executive but does he mention how much he kept? I heard him say he gave back money because he felt bad making more then the governor. Well the governor made over 130,000 in 2009 I would feel guilty if I was him as well. That is three years worth of salary for me. So for a guy that is overpaid to complain about people that earn their money sounds kind of stupid to me. So lets look at that again. Never finished college but yet makes plenty of money off of the poor tax payers in this state, no wonder he as it in for the teachers. They apparently didn't teach him anything. It is not what you know it is WHO you know and that is the example he is setting for the young people in this state. How proud I am to be a citizen of Wisconsin, NOT!

[Kevin Smith]

Mary Anne Zaggy you are correct. Why isn't that published? Why do they need all of the people under them? Walker keeps saying that the government is too big, kind of like his ego, but yet he keeps adding people around the 100K per year salary but yet laying off people that actually work? How does that work? Now take those people laid off out of the pool of people spending money in this state and everyone suffers. I can't believe how some people in this state are so blind about things. I would rather have my taxes go up a little and keep the quality of living nice then to live in a toilet and keep my taxes the same. Yes I did say the same because I have not read anywhere where Walker is lowering the taxes for any of us working people, you have to be rich in order to see that benefit from Walker or a buddy that can or will do him a favor. The good ole boy network is alive and well in Wisconsin!