If you could pass one law..............

[mtangelsfan]

I don't think many people have a problem with what anyone makes.  I think the issue is that there seems to be no incentive to perform better than anyone else on the job.  When pay is solely base on longevity then what is the benefit for someone pushing harder than others.

 

At least that is my perspective on unions as a whole, not just public unions.

[nate]

There's no correlation between higher salaries and better performance.  Look how many corrupt teachers they have in LAUSD making close to six figures.

 

Because their union protects them from being punished.  Another strike against unions.

[TobiasFunke]

This leads to a question that I've always had. Why do so many people feel that public sector employees should take a vow of poverty and be grateful for the privilege? Do you not want highly qualified teachers? Wouldn't you prefer to deal with competent people when you get a driver license or apply for a permit? 

 

I realize there are far too many government employees but I would rather see the numbers cut down and the ones remaining well compensated.

here here

[Spirit]

This leads to a question that I've always had. Why do so many people feel that public sector employees should take a vow of poverty and be grateful for the privilege? Do you not want highly qualified teachers? Wouldn't you prefer to deal with competent people when you get a driver license or apply for a permit? 

 

I realize there are far too many government employees but I would rather see the numbers cut down and the ones remaining well compensated.

 

Good teachers should make good money.  Great teachers should make great money.  Bad teachers should get canned.  

[Lifetime]

Good teachers should make good money.  Great teachers should make great money.  Bad teachers should get canned.  

And that is the biggest problem. Merit is not in the equation for salary increases and it is extremely difficult to can poor teachers.

[arch stanton]

I don't think many people have a problem with what anyone makes.  I think the issue is that there seems to be no incentive to perform better than anyone else on the job.  When pay is solely base on longevity then what is the benefit for someone pushing harder than others.

 

At least that is my perspective on unions as a whole, not just public unions.

Yeah the longevity thing is a killer but it doesn't make unions bad. It makes the concept of seniority and longevity bad. Come to the middle east and see what employers have in store for workers without the right to organize. 

[Lifetime]

what is happening in the middle east is of no relevance to the current value of unions in the US. Logevity in and of itself is not bad. Seniority in and of itself is not bad. Absence of merit as a means for gaining longevity and seniority is bad - and that is a direct result of union efforts. 

[Lhalo]

This leads to a question that I've always had. Why do so many people feel that public sector employees should take a vow of poverty and be grateful for the privilege? Do you not want highly qualified teachers? Wouldn't you prefer to deal with competent people when you get a driver license or apply for a permit? 

 

I realize there are far too many government employees but I would rather see the numbers cut down and the ones remaining well compensated.

I don't want teachers to be public sector employees. Private competition would enable unqualified teachers to be weeded out of the profession.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

I don't think many people have a problem with what anyone makes.  I think the issue is that there seems to be no incentive to perform better than anyone else on the job.  When pay is solely base on longevity then what is the benefit for someone pushing harder than others.

 

Nevada state employees once had an incentive. However. merit pay was one of the first casualties in the budget cuts that started four years ago. Ironically, so was longevity pay - about two months before I would have qualified for it.

[mp170.6]

Nevada state employees once had an incentive. However. merit pay was one of the first casualties in the budget cuts that started four years ago. Ironically, so was longevity pay - about two months before I would have qualified for it.

 

I'm just curious, how was the merit pay determined? 

 

A lot of police departments in Orange County do not have merit pay, but they scam their way to higher wages and higher pensions through timely, but undeserved, promotions to Sergeant or Lieutenant about three years before they plan to retire.  Why three years?  Because the wages during those years are used by CalPERS to determine the size of their pensions, which can be up to 90% of their final average base earnings. 

 

So to put this in perspective, they average $70,000 to $80,000 in base salary from age 37 to 47.  Then they receive a promotion to Sergeant for three years with a base salary of $106,000.  With thirty years of service (3% for each year), they walk away with a $95,400 pension (90% of $106,000) annually for the rest of their lives, complete with cost of living increases, plus medical insurance paid for by the city. 

 

But that's not all.  During their final three years, a mysterious "disability" surfaces so they find a union-friendly doctor to sign off on a phony medical retirement, which by law is 50% tax free.  Then they collect a worker's comp settlement, retire at 50, start a second career or spend most of their lives on vacation somewhere. 

 

Here in Fullerton, the disgraced former police chief got a medical retirement for high blood pressure, and a captain claimed paralysis for falling out of an office chair. 

[arch stanton]

what is happening in the middle east is of no relevance to the current value of unions in the US. Logevity in and of itself is not bad. Seniority in and of itself is not bad. Absence of merit as a means for gaining longevity and seniority is bad - and that is a direct result of union efforts. 

By all means put it on the unions. The other side are just innocent victims to those bullies. And let's not allow the rest of Planet Earth to interfere with our fantasy world.

[Lifetime]

LOL OK

[Vegas Halo Fan]

I'm just curious, how was the merit pay determined?

I'm not terribly familiar with it, because it has been suspended for quite a while. My understanding is that it is tied to evaluation scores. If an employee receives an "exceeds standards" rating he or she qualifies, provided that the employee hasn't already reached the top step of your pay grade. Generally speaking, about 10-15 percent of the people in my department get this high of a rating. 

 

Because our salaries at the entry step in most positions are not competitive with the entities we have to recruit against, most of my people were hired in at the top step, so they would not qualify for merit pay. Of the 25 or so people in my department, less than half a dozen could even be considered.

[halobob]

Changed my mind on this one...I would legalize gambling everywhere in the US and online.  Why should the government be able to tell me what I can and cannot gamble my money on?

[HaloMagic]

Changed my mind on this one...I would legalize gambling everywhere in the US and online. Why should the government be able to tell me what I can and cannot gamble my money on?

Nope. Can't do it. It's too dangerous. What if you're gambling and then you get behind the wheel of a car and crash and kill a family. We can't let that happen.

[mtangelsfan]

Jokes about family's dying in auto accidents are classy. 

[HaloMagic]

So is using these hypothetical family deaths to prevent free will.

[mtangelsfan]

Right, it's never wise to consider others' safety. 

[HaloMagic]

Consideration of safety is wise. Coming to the conclusion that preventing free will is the best solution, in this case, is not.

[mtangelsfan]

Dang, that poor serial killer can't exercise his free will to kill people.  That's just wrong.

[HaloMagic]

LOL. Joking about serial killers is classy.

Also, no one is advocating for the right to get high and kill people. But if they aren't killing people then there is no problem. The vast majority of people who get high don't kill people. Like VAST MAJORITY. So I think it will be alright.

[Angelsjunky]

I like the thread idea, although haven't read through it all yet. I can't narrow it down to one but a few that come to mind:

 

De-criminalize mind-altering substances and end the ridiculous "war on drugs."

 

Force all food companies to use noticeable and vivid labels on GMO products, as well as a warning label akin to what's put on cigarettes. Screw that, how about outlaw all GMOs and regulate pesticides and move towards all food being (again) organic.

 

Strict anti-cruelty regulations on factory farming.

[Angelsjunky]

Good teachers should make good money.  Great teachers should make great money.  Bad teachers should get canned.  

 

I agree with this in principle, although what worries me is how a teacher's goodness or greatness is determined. SAT scores of students and college placement? No. Sense of well-being and ability to actualize potentials and focus on personal passions? Yes.

[Lifetime]

They should be evaluated by their superiors like just about every workplace is. How are they doing meeting the requirements of their job description? Are they meeting the needs of the job or exceeding them. Aside from their specific classroom responsibilities, how are they impacting the school community? What is their classroom environment like? How well do they communicate their lessons to their students? Etc....... 

[nate]

I agree with this in principle, although what worries me is how a teacher's goodness or greatness is determined. SAT scores of students and college placement? No. Sense of well-being and ability to actualize potentials and focus on personal passions? Yes.

 

State standardized testing is definitely a good start.  As it is now teachers can do whatever they want.  Their job is not to focus on the students personal passions.  It is to give the children they teach a solid education so those students, and their parents can focus on personal passions, and achieve those.