Retirement data is out there as well =) As someone who is on the list....I'll add my $.02. While people may @#$% about some salaries (and I will readily admit there is tons of waste in the upper management and political appointee positions) the regular grunt employees are underpaid. People cry about our pensions, however they never mention we are 20-30% underpaid when compared to the open market. I contemplated leaving a bit over a year ago. Every private position doing exactly the same job I do here was 20-30% more than my current pay. Pension padding is no longer possible for Tier III and on (with the exception of first responders), and new employees now have to pay into the fund for their entire career.Whew, thank God I retired in early 2008, no one knows what I made.
Pension padding happens all the time, it has not gone away. The guy who's close to retirement still gets all the OT, and NOBODY goes to jail for effectively STEALING from taxpayers. This is still SOP for PD/FD, don't kid yourself, I've seen it with my own eyes. The suggestion that employees have been "paying" for their benefits is hardly the truth, in reality the contributions remain minimal and pale in comparison to what someone in the private sector would be paying for the SAME benefits. While there's no doubt that the majority of public sector workers aren't getting rich off their jobs, it still doesn't change the fact that their wages and benefits now EXCEED what the same job in the private sector would offer. Public sector workers have seen wage and benefit escalation over the past several decades that's created the fiscal nightmares nearly municipality in this state is facing. The well is long past dry, so enjoy those benefits while you can, change is coming.
I never noticed anyone crying when we were making diddly in wages, while those in the trades were making 2 and 3 times what we were being paid.
I never noticed anyone offering to pay the over 70% increase in my taxes over the past decade.
nor mine
There are many administrative (NYSP Superintendent) persons who make policy (not law) that impacts us. This is public money and the taxpayers should know who gets paid what. Yes, there are under paid state employees but via patronage there are some overpaid ones. Public servants are employees of the taxpayers. Pistol permit information is private information on private citizens.
Again, not all of the money is public money. Not a single dollar from taxes goes to pay our salaries yet they are public.
I didn't say it has gone away - please read what I actually wrote. Anyone Tier 3 and beyond gets their pension based upon the average of their highest three salaries, so padding the last year as what Tier 1 people did and what First Responders do, doesn't have the same impact. And you are 10000% percent wrong that public sector jobs wages/benefits exceed the private sector. Maybe in some instances, but not in all. I received two job offers - both had higher compensation when salary/benefits were combined. The second offer actually had BETTER benefits than what we are offered. Why did I stay then? Job1 was a startup and I wasn't comfortable with the instability. Job2 was in NYC and the added hours didn't justify the extra compensation. Again, not saying there isn't waste or people who are overpaid, but simply stating that because someone makes 6figures means they are overpaid is absurd. We are constantly in the news for the amount of people making 6figures - what they don't tell you is it is upper management, skilled professionals with degrees, etc. I did the research when I was looking - every job listed was at least 20% more in salary. Add that up over 30yrs and it comes out to the amount SeeThroughNY says I would need to put away to equal my pension.
