I read the article with great interest from Saturday’s edition, “Concessions or cuts?” (Page 3) as we watch the county officials square off with all the public employee unions.
Before any talks begin, both sides have to understand, the free ride at the expense of the taxpayer is over. The financial numbers are real, the endless money well has gone dry, and it will be like that for at least the next five to seven years. There will not be a miracle in which money rains from heaven to bail them out.
The various unions and the county officials must work together and resolve these painful cuts. The decision is not easy or popular, but when the budget is tapped out and your checking account is broke, what other course do they have?
The unions and their membership live in total denial, because their only solution is to ask to raise taxes and fees. The unions claim they are underpaid in wages and benefits, (try believing that one), then try to scare us by saying their jobs are so important that the fate of mankind hangs in the balance if they are forced to do layoffs and are forced to give up a penny in wages and benefits.
The taxpayer is tapped out, many households have one or both heads of household unemployed, our property values have declined in many cases over 60 percent, many of us saw our retirements decline and lose value. The various public employee unions have forgotten who pays those wages and benefits — it not the magical money fairy, but hard-working taxpayers who struggle every day. They better learn to work with less and get used to the idea of paying a good share of their medical coverage, contributing to their own retirement account, and doing with fewer holidays and less paid time off.
The public employee unions all need to grow up, be adults and accept the reality of the situation. They need to learn change is ever ongoing and that government employment is not a job for life.
Let’s hope, if layoffs happen, their membership has resumes ready and, most important, they have skills needed in the private sector.
I usually skim over your letters, but I think you got it right this time, just lacking some OOMPA.
Think about comparing these various and county unions to how the city's union's P.D. got it right.
Include a simple comparison. Makes a stronger case for why unions should do right.
Especially in this economy where it's tough for everyone to take a cut.
Either way, NUMI is closing for sure, as I read in today's newspaper. Another larger paper. Not the Tracy Press.
There was an article in the paper today that said Toyota execs say it is not financially viable for Toyota execs to keep NUMI open.