I know where my tax dollars are going, and I’m not happy about it. After reading about the Republican’s proposed Arizona budget, I visited http://www.azdatapages.com/datacenter/government/salaries
-arizona-employees.html to find out exactly where my tax money is going. There are 676 Arizona government employees who make over $100,000. The number of people employed by the Department of Corrections at this pay level is especially interesting. My tax dollars employ thirty dentists, twenty-eight physicians, and a countless hoard of other medical personnel to serve prison inmates.
In this new proposed budget, Arizona’s maximum security inmates will be moved to medium security housing. The department purportedly cannot afford maximum security. I’m not fully protected against these criminals, but it’s comforting to know that when they attack, their teeth will be clean.
Meanwhile, the Department of Public Safety has to fire 73 officers with this new budget because those officer salaries now have to pay for an increased number of retired employee pensions. Well good. Fewer officers on duty, fewer criminals caught; we won’t have to pay for their dental care as well.
Cut the excess within programs, that’s the answer to our budget problems. The Department of Corrections can find places to cut spending before resorting to the reduction of public safety. Pensions need to be adjusted or we will lose all of our active officers.
I am not an advocate of firing employees, but government salaries, pensions, and benefits are excessive. The recession is tough; all of us are cutting back. So should the government.
Cami Anderson
Mesa
Arizona Willie posted at 8:25 am on Fri, Mar 9, 2012.
What is it with these jealous people constantly wanting to cut other people's salaries and pensions?
How do you expect to recruit qualified people to fill these jobs if you don't pay a decent salary and benefits?
Want to see what kind of people you get?
Look at schools.
Every other week another story breaks about a teacher molesting kids. The pay is so low for teachers that only pedophiles want the job. And, despite already low pay, people scream about paying too much for education and " throwing money at the problem " as though NOT investing money will fix it. Yeah right.
The same people who don't want to pay government employees pensions and benefits think they deserve a nice salary and a pension and certainly would not turn down a job that provided them. They probably don't get that now and they are so jealous they can't spit.
VofReason posted at 1:00 pm on Fri, Mar 9, 2012.
Yes yes. Money from the Government isn't like other money that has to be earned and has a source. It just falls from the sky. This is why paying pensions- which almost no private companies offer is OK. Additionally, if this is news to anyone that the Government at any level isn't bloated and money isn't being spent efficiently, welcome to the real world. Education is probably the worst offender- how many retired teachers are being paid 80% of their last years salary after 25 years? How many administrators and people in the district make over 100K? This is why teachers don't get the salary they belive they are due. However, if they make 30K coming out of college, that is like making 45K working 12 months a year- right?