Wisconsin: State's public workers cope with reduced buying power following Walker legislation
See, everything's fine. They're coping. Or at least that's what the corporate-controlled media would have you believe.
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/state-s-public-workers-cope-with-reduced-buying-power-following/article_5ffff436-4e8a-11e1-9168-0019bb2963f4.html
The "shared sacrifices" brought government more in line with private business, said Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon.
Sorry, Jeff, that's a lie. If the public-sector workers were going to take a hit on pensions and health insurance, then they would have also needed a pay raise if they were to be "more in line with private business".
Hidden near the end of the article is this...
As a percentage of pay, the increases in employees' benefit contributions hit the low end of the pay spectrum hardest because the health premiums are flat dollar amounts regardless of income, the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau said September, shortly after the higher payments hit paychecks.
The pension premium, even though it is proportional to income — roughly 6 percent of pay — also stings more at low income levels, said Tim Smeeding, director of the Institute for Research on Poverty at the UW-Madison La Follette School of Public Affairs.
"If your current living costs allow nothing extra for savings, (the $21,000) employee is hurt more than the ($210,000) employee," Smeeding said. "I have had two people who work for me, just a bit above the lower rate, in my office in tears saying they are not sure how they will manage."
Recall or indictment/resignation. Whichever comes soonest will be fine with me.
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