Why can't teachers/cops live with 401(k)'s instead of pensions?

[Chesapeake Bill]

Jim,

Depsite your acertions, I do get it. You do not. The Nobel Prize winning economist George Friedman even understands the value that government research puts into the economy. Were it not for DARPA attempting to share research we might not have the internet, arguably one of the largest economic drivers of the modern era. Without scientists at NASA trying to build a better space ship we would not have the IPod. Government's role (particularly the military machine's) is to absorb the high cost of product development through research so it can then find comemrcial applications. Sure you can pick some obscure research about bovine flatulence research and argue its validity. What you cannot do is back up you statments about public servants building wealth. Public servants oversee the billions spent on research every year so that our economy continues to thrive and rebound. If the students are not educated they cannot compete and the economy suffers. If crime goes up businesses leave. Therefore public service does help build wealth. I find your tirades like those of a big bully who fires shots across the bow of others but calls foul when they fire back.

[detbuch]

Originally Posted by Chesapeake Bill

Jim,

Depsite your acertions, I do get it. You do not. The Nobel Prize winning economist George Friedman even understands the value that government research puts into the economy. Were it not for DARPA attempting to share research we might not have the internet, arguably one of the largest economic drivers of the modern era. Without scientists at NASA trying to build a better space ship we would not have the IPod. Government's role (particularly the military machine's) is to absorb the high cost of product development through research so it can then find comemrcial applications. Sure you can pick some obscure research about bovine flatulence research and argue its validity. What you cannot do is back up you statments about public servants building wealth. Public servants oversee the billions spent on research every year so that our economy continues to thrive and rebound. If the students are not educated they cannot compete and the economy suffers. If crime goes up businesses leave. Therefore public service does help build wealth. I find your tirades like those of a big bully who fires shots across the bow of others but calls foul when they fire back.

There would be no commercial spinoffs from government funded research without entrepeneurs. Nor would there be government funding of anything without those businesses and the employees created by entrepeneurs and the taxes collected from them.

Jim wants to know why public servants should get better bennies than the private servants who fund them. And he especially referred to the more local type public employees, not the rarified research types.

[scottw]

Originally Posted by Chesapeake Bill

Jim,

Depsite your acertions, I do get it. You do not. The Nobel Prize winning economist George Friedman even understands the value that government research puts into the economy. Were it not for DARPA attempting to share research we might not have the internet, arguably one of the largest economic drivers of the modern era. Without scientists at NASA trying to build a better space ship we would not have the IPod. Government's role (particularly the military machine's) is to absorb the high cost of product development through research so it can then find comemrcial applications. Sure you can pick some obscure research about bovine flatulence research and argue its validity. What you cannot do is back up you statments about public servants building wealth. Public servants oversee the billions spent on research every year so that our economy continues to thrive and rebound. If the students are not educated they cannot compete and the economy suffers. If crime goes up businesses leave. Therefore public service does help build wealth. I find your tirades like those of a big bully who fires shots across the bow of others but calls foul when they fire back.

really?, what does any of what you wrote have to do with teachers and police and the burden of unfunded pension obligations?

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by Chesapeake Bill

Jim,

Depsite your acertions, I do get it. You do not. The Nobel Prize winning economist George Friedman even understands the value that government research puts into the economy. Were it not for DARPA attempting to share research we might not have the internet, arguably one of the largest economic drivers of the modern era. Without scientists at NASA trying to build a better space ship we would not have the IPod. Government's role (particularly the military machine's) is to absorb the high cost of product development through research so it can then find comemrcial applications. Sure you can pick some obscure research about bovine flatulence research and argue its validity. What you cannot do is back up you statments about public servants building wealth. Public servants oversee the billions spent on research every year so that our economy continues to thrive and rebound. If the students are not educated they cannot compete and the economy suffers. If crime goes up businesses leave. Therefore public service does help build wealth. I find your tirades like those of a big bully who fires shots across the bow of others but calls foul when they fire back.

If you're saying that some publicly funded entities to produce valuable work, you get no argument from me.

However, the facts are that (1) in CT, Mass, and RI, we have tax rates that are higher than average.

(2) despite those high tax rates, we have managed to spend way more than we have, menaing we have lots of debt

(3) a huge reason for that over-spending is bennies to public employees.

Those 3 facts tell me that teh benefits promised to public employees are more than the taxpayers can reasonably afford. Pointing out that NASA does some worthwhile things, does not refute my point.