2011-02-27, 02:30 AM
Ok Will, let me start by saying thank you for finally taking the time to respond in this manner.
I will state once more on the collective bargaining, Collective bargaining would be allowed only on wage increases up to the rate of inflation. This is completely fair. No reason to battle over that.
I understand your issues in california. That said it is california not wisconson. As I stated in earlier posts, each state has a different economy and cost of living. I live in nevada, the state with the highest unemployment and home forclosure rate in the entire united states. So I feel your pain. That said, here is a calculation to show the difference in the cost of living from nevada to wisconson...madison wisconson to be exact. If I made 50k a year in nevada, I would only need to make 45k a year to keep my same life style in madison. That said, the average pay for a teacher in wisconson is about 100k. That is way more than is needed to live in that state. Wisconson has one of the lowest costs of living in the U.S. They can afford to take out some of the pay the currently get to put into the pension and health care. Everyone else has to to that there is no reason whay they cant too. Even more to the point there is no reason why the cost of their pension and health care should fall onto the tax payer either.
As for the minor note of selling assets. It is totally needed in order to get the defecit down to a more managable level. Wisconson is facing a 3.8 billion dollar defecit by 2013. Thats pretty big for a state of its population. I know about californias problems as well and I would question the reasons behind not selling assets in that state because I see no way out your states problems. California is and has been for a long time a state that is out of control. Though I think much of the problems there could be solved or at least lessened by getting rid of all the illegal immigrants. I know its a problem in nevada and can only immagine how bad it is there.
I will state once more on the collective bargaining, Collective bargaining would be allowed only on wage increases up to the rate of inflation. This is completely fair. No reason to battle over that.
I understand your issues in california. That said it is california not wisconson. As I stated in earlier posts, each state has a different economy and cost of living. I live in nevada, the state with the highest unemployment and home forclosure rate in the entire united states. So I feel your pain. That said, here is a calculation to show the difference in the cost of living from nevada to wisconson...madison wisconson to be exact. If I made 50k a year in nevada, I would only need to make 45k a year to keep my same life style in madison. That said, the average pay for a teacher in wisconson is about 100k. That is way more than is needed to live in that state. Wisconson has one of the lowest costs of living in the U.S. They can afford to take out some of the pay the currently get to put into the pension and health care. Everyone else has to to that there is no reason whay they cant too. Even more to the point there is no reason why the cost of their pension and health care should fall onto the tax payer either.
As for the minor note of selling assets. It is totally needed in order to get the defecit down to a more managable level. Wisconson is facing a 3.8 billion dollar defecit by 2013. Thats pretty big for a state of its population. I know about californias problems as well and I would question the reasons behind not selling assets in that state because I see no way out your states problems. California is and has been for a long time a state that is out of control. Though I think much of the problems there could be solved or at least lessened by getting rid of all the illegal immigrants. I know its a problem in nevada and can only immagine how bad it is there.