Letter to the Editor
No to Vallejo
Published Monday, September 29, 2008
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To the editor:
The city of Vallejo, Calif., is filing bankruptcy. Over the course of a couple of decades, a city council more concerned with union wishes than citizens gave more and more pay increases, health care, paid leave and pension commitments, until finally the community went belly-up.
Firemen and policemen were commonly paid more than $300,000 a year, with months and months of paid leave. Pension commitments were close to 100 percent of salary.
Employees should always be treated fairly, and unions are a powerful shield for workers. It’s the job of unions to negotiate for their membership, but there must be someone representing the other side for there to be a real negotiation. Alas, for Vallejo, city council and union were on the same side.
Fairbanks has a state senator who spent years as a union business agent. Now a second one is running for the state house. How many union business agents can the Legislature accommodate before “the other side” is no longer heard?
We have a massive pension liability problem. Legislation addressed part of the problem in 2006. Unions didn’t like what was done; they want to return to the old retirement system. Municipalities and school districts across the state were being pummeled and plundered under the old system.
Stick with Mike Kelly, who helped fight for sound solutions. Stick with Jay Ramras, who stands up and speaks for “the other side.” We need strong leadership to stick up for what is affordable, reasonable and fair.
We don’t need the Vallejo model.
Community Discussion
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After watching those videos of the anti-union Republicans taking cash from Bill Allen, I think there is ample room for some more members of the opposing party.
I doubt that the Republicans will have much trouble having their side heard. They still have the numbers unless an incredible number change from Republican to Independent or Democrat.
Just another blame the workers for the mess letter. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. In my opinion, Kelly and Ramras are part of the problem, not the solution. Just my opinion though. Keep in mind Cal, without unions, we would all be working 6 days a week for the lowest wage an employer could get away with. No safety rules or retirements. But hey...you vote your way and I'll vote mine. Have a nice day and say Hi to your Uncle Scrooge.
The day of labor unions is coming to an end. In the US only 8% of workers are unionized. The backbone of unions, production of goods have long left this country for the third world. The last strong hold of unions are government workers and economics may deal them a blow. I doubt if China is going to allow international labor unions in.
While there may have been excesses in Vallejo, do you know what it costs to buy even a condo in that community? Housing costs are triple what they are here and that is before property tax, state income tax, city taxes and oh yeah, state sales tax. I would expect that people who put their lives on the line daily would be able to live in the community in which they worked in their own homes. What we do know about Kelly is that time over time, he does not stand on the side of working people, of the disabled, of wildlife, of victims of domestic violence. Why?? Because of his ideology. His ideology is not one that benefits the common good and for that reason, he should not be in the legislature.
Cal needs to open his eyes and take a look at who is voting for what. Kelly is the biggest embarrasment Fbks has and Jaybird a close second. Come one Cal, take a look at their records and ask yourself if we can't do better
Mike Kelly voted against the energy rebate that gave you $1200 apiece. I guess his thinking was that paying over $4/gallon for heating oil is a "piece of cake" (to quote from his earlier campaign) for the folks of Fairbanks to pay. It only goes to -40 or lower every winter here.
Please think about who you elect. Alaskans are electing people who take money out of their pockets.
I say he just looks like a weasel.
This has serious implications relating to the recent bill trying to be passed to "bailout" our financial institutions.
Read section 103 pg 13-14. This bill allows the government to buy out debt of cities, counties and failing retirement plans. This opens up one hell of a door for anyone or any entity that is failing to be picked up by the feds. This bill is nothing more than a power grab by the federal government.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/28...
Who here wants to throw down their own hard earned money for Vallejo?
This would have got way more feedback if it were labeled as union ignorance!
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