Can I Get an Amen??

[BLAZER PROPHET]

I have never heard of a kindergarten teacher making $100K per year in salary.

 

[RR7]

Small businesses are a part of the private sector. A very big part of it, actually. A poster claimed he'd never heard of anyone paying for their own health insurance completely in the private sector. I answered it.

42,000,000 workers in the private sector work for companies with <100 employees.

http://www.census.gov/epcd/susb/latest/us/US--.HTM

Here is the breakdown for Oregon.

http://www.census.gov//epcd/susb/2008/or/OR--.HTM

If we're just going to count large companies in the private sector, does that mean I can stop paying taxes to support the PERS freeloaders? I mean, if my work doesn't count, why should I have to pay taxes to support BlazingGiants' large family on the public dole?

I didn't say, nor did anyone else, that we SHOULDN'T count small companies. You said the private sector has to pay fully for insurance. BG said he never had, nor had anyone he ever talked to, and I said the same is all. That a lot of private companies do pay more than 50% of health insurance.

 

[3RA1N1AC]

yes, i think teachers and firefighters are good, therefore, i hate america

i hope romney comes in and crushes those teachers and firefighters, im gonna vote for him twice

 

[PapaG]

Portland workers make more than those in the private sector in terms of median salary.

http://wweek.com/portland/article-17969-public_paydays.html

Mayor Sam Adams and other local leaders want to attract renewed attention to growing economic disparities across the city (“Equally Confused,” WW, Aug. 31, 2011).
There’s one gap they may prefer not to dwell on: The relatively attractive compensation of local public employees compared to the rest of us.

The median household income in Portland is roughly $47,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

New public data obtained by WW show that the majority of city of Portland and Multnomah County employees are doing better individually than most Portland households.

Records show the median annual pay for a city employee is $51,400; at the county, $53,600.

At least 772 city and county employees make more than $100,000 a year, not counting benefits. That’s about 6 percent of the county and city workforce combined.

While that won’t exactly get them an invite to Davos, Aspen or even the Multnomah Athletic Club, it does clearly place them among what’s left of the city’s middle and upper-middle classes.

The numbers also indicate that workers in some departments do better than those elsewhere in the bureaucracy. The Portland Fire Bureau, for instance, pays management and senior union workers better than even the overtime-friendly Portland Police Bureau.

The pay figures for these local government workers do not include their health benefits or contributions to their Oregon Public Employees Retirement System pensions.

The greatest disparity these public pay numbers reveal may be how few Portlanders could actually make the cut for good government jobs.

More than half of Portlanders over 25 have not completed so much as an associate’s degree—which tends to limit their earning potential, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics analysis.

Better-paid public employees tend to have advanced degrees (including M.D.s and J.D.s.) or professional certifications (including police officers and firefighters).

Last week, WW published the salary data for 9,000 city employees—and a table of the best-paid among them—at wweek.com/citypay.

This week, we publish the numbers on 4,600 county employees below.

Some words of caution: The city and county report their numbers differently, so that prevents a reliable apples-to-apples comparison. For instance, the county’s salary list doesn’t tally each employee’s earned overtime; the city’s does.

The county also accounts separately for more than 1,150 on-call employees, who make between $9.50 and $90 an hour (animal-care aide on one end, dentists on the other).

We’ll update the info online as we obtain more.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

I have to point out the irony of the poster doggedly defending public employees haranguing a member of the private sector that pays for his family's lifestyle.

Keep it up. This is good stuff, and it's going to be a big thing come November.

How am I doggedly defending public employees? Explain to me? I just was bashing firefighters. I just know for a fact that several sectors of public employees make far less than their private counterparts. I never said "all". I never made radical claims.

For the record, this thread is about you claiming that PERS is completely to blame for the tuition issues. You got exposed as being incorrect, and rather than accepting your point of view as incorrect, you went down a whole new tangent. Now that is funny, ironic, and downright entertaining. Which plays into my earlier point that you have a stance, and you stick with it, whether you're proven wrong or right. And then you find whatever you can to try to back your point. But get this.... PERS isn't the sole thing causing the tuition problem.

As for some irony you see... I have a good life, no complaints about it. And I've earned everything I have. I don't receive handouts or bailouts. I work in the private sector. This wasn't even the topic of discussion. You know my original point (that PERS isn't the sole reason for the tuition issue). Just admit your original claim was incorrect, or exaggerated, and that closes the case.

 

[PapaG]

I have never heard of a kindergarten teacher making $100K per year in salary.

Salary plus paid benefits = total compensation from taxpayers. 12 first-grade teachers making over $100k in compensation from taxpayers.

I couldn't find Kinder data, but here is 1st grade date for PPS.

http://oregoncapitolnews.com/govdoc...ame=&like-last_name=&total=&campaign=1&page=1

 

[PapaG]

yes, i think teachers and firefighters are good, therefore, i hate america

i hope romney comes in and crushes those teachers and firefighters, im gonna vote for him twice

When you cross the line into ridiculousness, it's just not funny.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

I have never heard of a kindergarten teacher making $100K per year in salary.

Give PapaG a minute. He'll find an article on it. There will be at least 1 teacher making $100K. But it'll fail to mention that the teacher has been teaching 30years, and there are extenuating circumstances also involved, and that $100K includes all benefits.

 

[PapaG]

How am I doggedly defending public employees? Explain to me? I just was bashing firefighters. I just know for a fact that several sectors of public employees make far less than their private counterparts. I never said "all". I never made radical claims.

For the record, this thread is about you claiming that PERS is completely to blame for the tuition issues. You got exposed as being incorrect, and rather than accepting your point of view as incorrect, you went down a whole new tangent. Now that is funny, ironic, and downright entertaining. Which plays into my earlier point that you have a stance, and you stick with it, whether you're proven wrong or right. And then you find whatever you can to try to back your point. But get this.... PERS isn't the sole thing causing the tuition problem.

As for some irony you see... I have a good life, no complaints about it. And I've earned everything I have. I don't receive handouts or bailouts. I work in the private sector. This wasn't even the topic of discussion. You know my original point (that PERS isn't the sole reason for the tuition issue). Just admit your original claim was incorrect, or exaggerated, and that closes the case.

PERS is largely to blame for tuition increases, school closings, and other failures in our educational system.

 

[PapaG]

Give PapaG a minute. He'll find an article on it. There will be at least 1 teacher making $100K. But it'll fail to mention that the teacher has been teaching 30years, and there are extenuating circumstances also involved, and that $100K includes all benefits.

LOL

You called that one.

 

[3RA1N1AC]

When you cross the line into ridiculousness, it's just not funny.

whats ridiculous? teachers and firefighters are ruining america!

 

[Natebishop3]

I think Obama is a lousy president..... and I still think he's going to win. Romney doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell.

1. He's a Mormon.

2. He's white.

3. His name is Willard.

 

[PapaG]

Can I also point out that a lot of private sector workers don't have the extra money to spend on a CPA doing their taxes?

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

LOL

You called that one.

And I'll be you the 13 teachers right at $100K have put in 25+ years each.

Considering how many teachers there are in the district, that's not very many making that much. And what is the annualized other?

And if the annualized salary is $70K, does that mean they really only make $52,500 - $56,000? When we use the term "annualized," it usually means you're taking what an employee makes over his/her service period (9-10 months for teachers) to arrive at compensation for the entire year.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Can I also point out that a lot of private sector workers don't have the extra money to spend on a CPA doing their taxes?

I would argue there's more people in the private sector that pay for CPA's than public employees. If you're in the private sector, you're more likely to be a contract employee or own your own business. Therefore, you're more likely to need a CPA, because there is a lot more difficulty surrounding those, than the simple W-2 wage earner.

 

[porkchopexpress]

Portland workers make more than those in the private sector in terms of median salary.

http://wweek.com/portland/article-17969-public_paydays.html

No sources, but the fact that public facilities have had to cut many lower paying service jobs (think janitors) to the lowest bidder, not only does that drive the median public salary up, it drives the median private salary down. So your stats are helped by the fact that they are cutting costs. Similarly, there are no public fast food/retail//other low paying service type jobs so the the median salary SHOULD be higher.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

When I google topics that would help explain the cause of rising tuition, I see a lot of mention of spending on administration (in large part due to the Federal government requiring certain and specific reporting if the institution wants Federal funds), an increase in student support services, inflation, Baumol's cost disease (which can be tied to inflation), etc.

Nobody knows the real cause, and every article says there's a lot of debate, but that one thing is for certain: the cost of everything is increasing, and that the entire financial system is out of balance somewhere - but nobody knows where the imbalance occurs - EXCEPT for PapaG.

PapaG in 2012!!

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I think Obama is a lousy president..... and I still think he's going to win. Romney doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell.

1. He's a Mormon.

2. He's white.

3. His name is Willard.

I love it. For the first time in US history there is a black president. Now, a white person claims it is a disadvantage to be white when running for presidency, lol.

So was it a disadvantage being black for the centuries this country has only seen a white male president?

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I find public employees seem more bitter about their jobs than private sector employees. Makes me beleive a public sector job is not all that desireable (PERS or no PERS). Of course there could be many reasons (like public employees whine a lot more or my small sample size), but I've got my theory and sticking to it.

 

[Natebishop3]

Portland State, for example, is a piece of shit organization with a bunch of money grubbers in charge. There was an article in the school newspaper a year ago about how the school had over $100 million squirreled away, even though they were raising tuition and asking the staff for their support in cutbacks. What a joke.

I understand profiteering in business, but not in public education. The school rapes the students on tuition, parking, housing, and books. Attendance is at an all-time high and yet tuition is going up. Funny thing, tuition is going up, yet they aren't hiring more teachers or creating more space. My classes are above capacity in the rooms and are violating the fire code. We have students crammed in the aisles and along the back wall. How am I supposed to learn if there isn't even a place to sit for a two hour class that I paid good money for? The administrators are lining their own pockets and building more housing so they can make more money. All so I can go to school and get a piece of paper that doesn't even guarantee me a job in this economy.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Portland State, for example, is a piece of shit organization with a bunch of money grubbers in charge. There was an article in the school newspaper a year ago about how the school had over $100 million squirreled away, even though they were raising tuition and asking the staff for their support in cutbacks. What a joke.

I understand profiteering in business, but not in public education. The school rapes the students on tuition, parking, housing, and books. Attendance is at an all-time high and yet tuition is going up. Funny thing, tuition is going up, yet they aren't hiring more teachers or creating more space. My classes are above capacity in the rooms and are violating the fire code. We have students crammed in the aisles and along the back wall. How am I supposed to learn if there isn't even a place to sit for a two hour class that I paid good money for? The administrators are lining their own pockets and building more housing so they can make more money. All so I can go to school and get a piece of paper that doesn't even guarantee me a job in this economy.

And that, Sir, is why I went to college when I did, and finished when I did. I had some opportunities that would have taken me away from school, and probably delayed my finish by a year or two. The tuition increase that has happened at PSU in the years after I left are about the only reason I don't regret not exploring my other opportunities.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

There was another thread on this, but graduating through correspondance classes is a big wave and the days of a big tution college experience are becoming less and less popular.

The reality is someone can get a degree from a UoO or OSU without really attending or paying those high tuition classes. I'm sure this is possible with other colleges too, but I do know poeple getting degrees from UoO and OSU through correspondence classes.

It sad, because I think the experience of being in an academic college environment is very valuable. But when you balance out teh experience vs. 100K in debt, the cheap degree is the way to go, IMO.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

There was another thread on this, but graduating through correspondance classes is a big wave and the days of a big tution college experience are becoming less and less popular.

The reality is someone can get a degree from a UoO or OSU without really attending or paying those high tuition classes. I'm sure this is possible with other colleges too, but I do know poeple getting degrees from UoO and OSU through correspondence classes.

It sad, because I think the experience of being in an academic college environment is very valuable. But when you balance out teh experience vs. 100K in debt, the cheap degree is the way to go, IMO.

This.

Really, the education helps, obviously. But more than anything, it's about getting your foot into the door, and/or, who you know. Then, you just have to take advantage of the opportunity you've been granted.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Portland State, for example, is a piece of shit organization with a bunch of money grubbers in charge. There was an article in the school newspaper a year ago about how the school had over $100 million squirreled away, even though they were raising tuition and asking the staff for their support in cutbacks. What a joke.

I understand profiteering in business, but not in public education. The school rapes the students on tuition, parking, housing, and books. Attendance is at an all-time high and yet tuition is going up. Funny thing, tuition is going up, yet they aren't hiring more teachers or creating more space. My classes are above capacity in the rooms and are violating the fire code. We have students crammed in the aisles and along the back wall. How am I supposed to learn if there isn't even a place to sit for a two hour class that I paid good money for? The administrators are lining their own pockets and building more housing so they can make more money. All so I can go to school and get a piece of paper that doesn't even guarantee me a job in this economy.

Well stated.

 

[Natebishop3]

I love it. For the first time in US history there is a black president. Now, a white person claims it is a disadvantage to be white when running for presidency, lol.

So was it a disadvantage being black for the centuries this country has only seen a white male president?

Do you hear that sound? It's the joke whizzing over your head

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Do you hear that sound? It's the joke whizzing over your head

There are some of us who actually agreed with the post, even if it was (obviously) intended as joke.

 

[Natebishop3]

There are some of us who actually agreed with the post, even if it was (obviously) intended as joke.

I use humor to get my point across. I legitimately do not think that Willard has a shot at the Presidency though

 

[MickZagger]

My neighbor across the street is a Portland firefighter. Nice guy, nice kids, great family.

Works 3 days a week, his wife doesn't work, he is a member at the Tualatin Country Club, and he's dumb as a fucking post. Nice guy, really, but trying to have a conversation with him is painful. You can almost hear the gears in his brain trying to formulate words to come out of his mouth. His wife, on the other hand, is very bright, has a bachelors degree, yet doesn't have to work to live in our nice neighborhood.

Thats just the way the cookie crumbles, brother. I never got my college degree and in 5 years will be making close to $100,000.

You don't have to go to college to be successful. No reason to be bitter about it.

 

[PapaG]

Thats just the way the cookie crumbles, brother. I never got my college degree and in 5 years will be making close to $100,000.

You don't have to go to college to be successful. No reason to be bitter about it.

Who said I'm bitter about it?

Thanks for telling me how much money you make, I guess.

 

[MickZagger]

Your bitter. You tried to bash me for never going to college in one of your past manic episodes.