Monday, April 29, 2013

LA Times reporter: Time for public sector unions to pay more

Steve Lopez, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, says members of public sector unions to cough up more cash.
It's time for public employee unions to wake up and take a look around. Government services are shrinking, cities are crumbling, and they're enjoying pay and benefit packages that many in the private sector would kill for. They need to give a little back. Yeah, I know, some of them already have. But it's time for a little more.

On healthcare contributions. On raises. On pensions. On retirement ages.

Why?

Because up and down the state of California, and beyond, public officials foolishly negotiated contracts they can't pay for without taking a cleaver to basic services, including police and fire protection, park maintenance, street repair. It's not just the fault of those contracts. There's also the economic dip and the housing crash, which put a squeeze on revenue. But that perfect storm has led to big trouble in San Jose and Stockton and Fresno and San Diego.
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