Comments on: California’s $21.3 billion hangover

By: Ulno

Ulno — Sat, 23 May 2009 15:39:43 +0000

Jon, the media is completely one-sided on this issue.

Checkout the newspaper headlines about how these cuts are causing nothing but pain for Californians. That’s exactly the opposite of the truth: these cuts are wonderful relief for the nearly 40 million Californians who won’t be taxed into oblivion by parasitic government employees.

The news media see their job as cheerleaders for big government.

By: jon k

jon k — Sat, 23 May 2009 04:40:58 +0000

Ulno, you are absolutely correct. Spending is out of control and the unions run this state, just look at who has all the money to run the TV ads for and against ballot props. Why does no one ask for a 10% to 20% wage cut to all state workers, like the private sector and small businesses are dealing with? Perhaps %10 on people making less than 75K a year, 15% up to 150K and 20% over 200K?

By: Prop. 1A’s union foes: Voters OK with tax hikes - Political Blotter - Politics in the Bay Area and beyond

Thu, 21 May 2009 19:13:24 +0000

[...] California’s $21.3 billion hangover [...]

By: John W

John W — Wed, 20 May 2009 23:21:50 +0000

Ulno,

Re: retiree benefits — Dan Borenstein writes excellent columns nearly every week on this subject in the Contra Costa Times. The newspaper has published numerous letters from those of us who share the concerns he has raised, as well as letters from people who have a different viewpoint.

By: John W

John W — Wed, 20 May 2009 23:16:31 +0000

I’m a socially liberal, fiscally minded Democrat. But I thought Tom McClintock made an interesting point on KGO radio this morning. He pointed out that, a generation ago, we spent less money on an inflation and population adjusted basis and managed to have great roads, free university education and public schools that the rest of the country envied. So, I think that people are (1) ticked that Sacramento can’t get it’s budget and priority-setting act together(even though we have made it very difficult for them with the 2/3 requirement and a history of ballot box budgeting); and (2) wondering why we tax and spend so much and still don’t manage to get basic things done. Although it is very difficult to get good data, I’m not sure that the basket of services CA state government provides through the general fund (education, health & welfare and corrections) is very different from other states that don’t seem to have these problems, at least not in a normal economy.

By: Ulno

Ulno — Wed, 20 May 2009 22:20:49 +0000

How about just _one_ story about the lucrative retirements that are given to public employees? Being able to retire at age 55, and getting 30+ years of your final year’s pay essentially doubles your salary.

Since we are talking about public employees, this information is all public record. In Hayward alone, there are 37 retired public workers that make more than $100k a year in pensions.

Check out http://californiapensionreform.com and look at City of Hayward workers. (Hayward Area Rec District is also listed). You’ll see names from city workers that will be very familiar:

CRAIG CALHOUN 13,263.66 159,163.92 HAYWARD
RAUL VALDIVIA 12,912.78 154,953.36 HAYWARD
PAUL VALENCIA 12,473.87 149,686.44 HAYWARD
LARRY ARFSTEN 12,470.51 149,646.12 HAYWARD
MICHAEL HYDE 12,463.48 149,561.76 HAYWARD
STEVEN MONTEVAGO 11,056.24 132,674.88 HAYWARD
DEAN MONTEVAGO 10,953.54 131,442.48 HAYWARD
DENNIS HOUGHTELLING 10,849.03 130,188.36 HAYWARD
DENNIS BUTLER 10,681.02 128,172.24 HAYWARD
JESUS ARMAS 10,655.25 127,863.00 HAYWARD
MANUEL SILVA 10,631.18 127,574.16 HAYWARD
SYLVIA EHRENTHAL 10,535.58 126,426.96 HAYWARD
GARY BRANSON 10,490.24 125,882.88 HAYWARD
LLOYD MYERS 9,974.05 119,688.60 HAYWARD
WESLEY ASMUSSEN 9,970.05 119,640.60 HAYWARD AREA RE
MICHAEL O’TOOLE 9,902.85 118,834.20 HAYWARD
STEVEN FAELZ 9,618.13 115,417.56 HAYWARD
JOHN BOYKIN 9,428.62 113,143.44 HAYWARD
GERARD DINNEEN 9,237.52 110,850.24 HAYWARD
RICHARD ALLEN 8,925.82 107,109.84 HAYWARD
WILLIAM SHIRLEY 8,837.10 106,045.20 HAYWARD
PAUL WALLACE 8,798.81 105,585.72 HAYWARD
DYANA ANDERLY 8,741.05 104,892.60 HAYWARD
ARTHUR WYDLER 8,618.90 103,426.80 HAYWARD
MART HOOVER 8,608.17 103,298.04 HAYWARD
JOHN KIESTER 8,605.40 103,264.80 HAYWARD
JAYME SOUZA 8,567.32 102,807.84 HAYWARD
MEL LAWRENCE 8,543.24 102,518.88 HAYWARD
GARY VOTTO 8,538.92 102,467.04 HAYWARD
JAMES SANTISTEBAN 8,513.10 102,157.20 HAYWARD
DOUGLAS MOON 8,489.02 101,868.24 HAYWARD
CHARLES HEITZ 8,486.85 101,842.20 HAYWARD
KENNETH GROSS 8,476.88 101,722.56 HAYWARD
RICKEY PARKER 8,445.37 101,344.44 HAYWARD
STEPHEN AKACSOS 8,424.16 101,089.92 HAYWARD
ROGER POWER 8,334.69 100,016.28 HAYWARD

How about the 10 from Union City:

RANDAL ULIBARRI 15,286.79 183,441.48 UNION CITY
ARCHIE TERRY 11,534.97 138,419.64 UNION CITY
ALBERT GUZMAN 11,359.87 136,318.44 UNION CITY
RODNEY ROMANO 11,224.97 134,699.64 UNION CITY
DONALD SCHUITEMAKER 10,870.98 130,451.76 UNION CITY
KENNETH HOKANSON 10,112.78 121,353.36 UNION CITY
MICHAEL SOUZA 9,670.26 116,043.12 UNION CITY
VALERIE CRAWFORD 9,481.28 113,775.36 UNION CITY
BRUCE HARTER 9,312.75 111,753.00 UNION CITY
MICHAEL SHELTON 8,936.67 107,240.04 UNION CITY

57 year old former Union City Police Chief is making $183k a year in pension payouts.

If you want to check out the rest of the states public employee pension payments, you’ll find 5115 employees making more than $100k in pensions.

This doesn’t even count complete health care coverage for themselves and their families.

And they get to retire at age 55.

Gravy train.

And we are the slaves out front pulling that train.

By: Elwood

Elwood — Wed, 20 May 2009 21:43:00 +0000

Thank God for the 2/3 requirement. It is the only thing standing between us and even more out-of- control spending. The dear dimmiecrats never met a “revenue enhancement” they didn’t like.

The state does not have a revenue shortfall, it has an overspending addiction. Our state taxes are already the highest in the nation.

The legislature needs to realize that government cannot be all things to all people. Just like you and me, they must cut spending to match the available revenue.