Illinois Democratic Speaker Madigan tells public employee unions to sit and spin

[Willinois]

Some Democrats are a little slower to rally around public employees when its a Democrat attacking them and their pensions instead of Scott Walker. In Illinois, Democratic Speaker of the House Mike Madigan refused to attend a summit called by unions to work out the pension issue. His rejection letter included this line:

“It is time for labor to come to the table with an honest proposal that recognizes the state’s serious fiscal condition and puts government employees on par with those in the private sector relative to a benefits package.”

The Koch Brothers couldn't have said it better. The private sector doesn't like public employee pensions because it makes their weak pensions look less appealing. There has been an agenda by corporate interests to weaken public employee benefits for years. Once public employee benefits are cut, companies can cut benefits in the private sector even more. "Democrat" Mike Madigan has adopted the Koch agenda of lowering the standard of living for everyone.

[pappy]

Defined benefit corporate pensions have been going the way of the dinosaurs for decades now. Rather than protect the private sector workers some continue to push for a race to the bottom for all workers. Their model is the sweat shops and child labor used in places like China and many others.

[Willinois]

(01-31-2013 10:05 AM)pappy Wrote:  Rather than protect the private sector workers some continue to push for a race to the bottom for all workers.

Exactly.

[sandnsea]

They want everybody to be a $10 an hour worker except upper management, who "earn" their $500,000+ salaries.

[azmouse]

(01-31-2013 10:58 AM)sandnsea Wrote:  They want everybody to be a $10 an hour worker except upper management, who "earn" their $500,000+ salaries.

$10? That much? They'd still think the workers were overpaid at that amount. The rich want everything.

[pappy]

(01-31-2013 03:29 PM)azmouse Wrote:  

(01-31-2013 10:58 AM)sandnsea Wrote:  They want everybody to be a $10 an hour worker except upper management, who "earn" their $500,000+ salaries.

$10? That much? They'd still think the workers were overpaid at that amount. The rich want everything.

Which is why they even oppose minimum wage laws. In right wing world we would have the opportunity to start working 3, 4 or 5 part time jobs as early as 9 or 10 years old. If we get really lucky we might be able to afford bootstraps by the time we retire. Of course by that time we'd be too old to pull ourselves up with them.

[sandnsea]

(01-31-2013 03:29 PM)azmouse Wrote:  

(01-31-2013 10:58 AM)sandnsea Wrote:  They want everybody to be a $10 an hour worker except upper management, who "earn" their $500,000+ salaries.

$10? That much? They'd still think the workers were overpaid at that amount. The rich want everything.

Well I was thinking of the professionals that have city/county jobs, dept heads and such.

One of these days I think they're going to ccome up with the idea that people should be so grateful to have a job that they should pay the employer to keep it.