More than 6,400 Mass employees make over $100K

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

Everybody in the Private sector doesn't get paid Salary. There are plenty of people who work Hourly, get paid Overtime and at a time and a half rate.

Its not just the Public Sector employees that are getting paid overtime

Dad, if you hyper-disect every one of my posts, I promise that you'll find these issues. I don't see you doing that to anyone else, but that's OK, because I have no problem admitting when I'm wrong.

I never, ever said that no one in the private sector gets paid hourly. But many, many people in the private sector (especially those that are full time with benefits) are "exempt", which means their salary covers their workweek, regardless of how many hours they work. Is that correct?

"Its not just the Public Sector employees that are getting paid overtime"

True, very true. But it's also very different, and here's why. In the private scetor, if a company wants to pay overtime, they still have to make their customers WANT to buy their product. If a company can figure out how to pass on that cost to their customers in a way that makes those customers still willing to voluntarily pay that cost, I say good for that company. But the customer has the easy choice to say "no" to that cost of overtime, simply by buying from a competitor.

The public sector has MUCH more authority over their customers (the taxpayers). If the public unions give themselves a big fat raise, I (as a taxpayer) cannot easily choose not to pay that cost. That cost is forcibly passed on to me, taken away from my kids' college fund, and I cannot stop it (unless I move, which is a lot more cumbersome than simply buying something from another company, and a lot more expensive).

Would you say that's a significant difference Dad?

Dad, can you answer a simple direct question?

"Since most of the private sector did away with pensions years ago, because they were too expensive, why is it unfair to ask public unionized employees to follow suit? If everyone else is forced to find a way to live with whatever we accumulate in our 401(k)s, why can't teachers and cops do the same thing? Why can't public servents live with the same benefits offered to the taxpayers whom they serve?"

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

Would you say that's a significant difference Dad?

Dad, can you answer a simple direct question?

OMG, I can't answer it, its impossible. I have been beaten by you, painted into a corner and trapped by your Superior Intellect and Amazing Internet Prowess....Kirk to Bridge, Get us out of here.

You posted a question and people here are trying to give you there take on it....but everytime they post something you don't agree with you come back w/ the "Can't Anybody answer a simple question" argument.

I'll Answer them for you and then maybe we can move on.

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

Would you say that's a significant difference Dad?

Difference in What? I stated that Private Sector Employees receive time and a half for overtime worked also.....so in that case the answer is No....No difference at all. Overtime is Overtime

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

Dad, can you answer a simple direct question?

Yes.....but note that your "Simple Direct" Question is really 3 questions

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

"Since most of the private sector did away with pensions years ago, because they were too expensive, why is it unfair to ask public unionized employees to follow suit?

Its Not....Ask Away. No law says you can't ask

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

If everyone else is forced to find a way to live with whatever we accumulate in our 401(k)s, why can't teachers and cops do the same thing?

They Could

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

Why can't public servents live with the same benefits offered to the taxpayers whom they serve?"

They Could

There....now can we move on.

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

OMG, I can't answer it, its impossible. I have been beaten by you, painted into a corner and trapped by your Superior Intellect and Amazing Internet Prowess....Kirk to Bridge, Get us out of here.

You posted a question and people here are trying to give you there take on it....but everytime they post something you don't agree with you come back w/ the "Can't Anybody answer a simple question" argument.

I'll Answer them for you and then maybe we can move on.



Difference in What? I stated that Private Sector Employees receive time and a half for overtime worked also.....so in that case the answer is No....No difference at all. Overtime is Overtime



Yes.....but note that your "Simple Direct" Question is really 3 questions



Its Not....Ask Away. No law says you can't ask



They Could



They Could

There....now can we move on.

Dad -

"OMG, I can't answer it, its impossible. I have been beaten by you, painted into a corner and trapped by your Superior Intellect"

You said it, not me. I make no claims to have any special intellect. What I have is common sense, intellectual curiosity, honesty, and the desire to debate other similar individuals, especuially those who disagree with me, since that's how you learn. Unfortunately, it only works if the other folks are as willing to answer direct questions as I am, and on this issue, they keep dodging.

"Overtime is Overtime"

In the private sctor, customers can easily and freely choose to refuse to pay the costs of employee overtime. In the public sector, if unions want overtime, they take it from taxpayers with force of law. You claim you see no difference between money that is voluntarily traded and money that is confiscasted with force of law? Those 2 things are identical to you?

You did answer part of my question, in that you admit there is no reason why they can't live with 401(k)s. So, given how burdensome current tax rates are, don't you think they SHOULD live with 401(k)s, given that you concede that they COULD? Seems to me that the only answer to that question is "yes", unless you believe that public employees are somehow more entitled to wealth than taxpayers.

Dad, I admit I'm asking tough questions, these are not softballs.