Bain-Blog

Monday, July 03, 2006

Ethics

Has Wisconsin Lost Its Ethics? In short, yes, according to a research paper written by Bill Lueders, news editor of Isthmus, a weekly newspaper in Madison. Lueders also the authored Could Campaign Finance Reform Happen Here? Both research papers are published on the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute website.

-Bryan

posted by Bryan L. Bain at 7/03/2006 12:29:00 PM

5 Comments:

  • Finally…..

    The Oshkosh Northwestern has picked up on the budgetary problems plaguing Oshkosh. In the Thursday 7-13-06 edition, the editorial published basically plants the flag right in the heart of the problem.

    No meaningful budgetary reform will happen until City Government gets control of wage and benefits paid to City employees.

    It appears that city staff wages and benefit have until recently been flying under the radar of public scrutiny. That all change several months ago when a classified add appeared in the ONW help wanted section. The ad was for a Transit Worker (bus driver). The notice clearly stated the starting wage of $18.05 per hour. That starting wage of $18.05 is only part of the story, as the entire compensation package is much greater when you add the Cadillac benefit package provided by the City of Oshkosh to their Union employees.

    A survey was conducted by the Transit Director. The results of that survey are even more shocking:

    Waukesha..........$12.30
    Duluth............$13.16
    Racine............$13.46
    Merrill...........$13.61
    Green Bay.........$13.66
    Eau Claire........$13.79
    Manitowoc.........$13.96
    Sheboygan.........$14.07
    Wausau............$14.51
    La Crosse.........$14.80
    Kenosha...........$15.17
    Fond du Lac.......$15.24
    Oshkosh...........$18.05
    Appleton..........$19.24

    Oshkosh is in an elite group. Clearly one of the highest compensated (hourly wage) of the entire State of Wisconsin!

    This all suggests that our LEADERS…our City Manager, City Supervisors and Administrators have not been working in the best interest for the average Oshkosh Taxpayer.

    How did this get so out-of-line with others? We have no answers.

    We must respectfully DEMAND accountability with our City Administration. We must direct that they place direct and focused priority effort into negotiating significant wage and benefit concessions with all city union employees and City salaried workers.

    If our negotiators are not able to secure SIGNIFICANT wage and benefit concessions, we must be ready to live with somewhat reduced City services as our only recourse will be to lay off City Staff.

    Layoffs should begin with areas easily outsourced, and have no impact on public safety.

    Areas to consider:
    -Parks Department
    -City Electricians
    -City Painting Division
    -City Sign Shop
    -Vehicle Maintenance
    and many others, that have no impact on Police or Fire coverage.

    The bottom line is this…the gravy train of city employment, the cocoon of wage and benefit excess for City Employees MUST END NOW!

    We as citizens can not tolerate elected officials that will allow City Administrators to continue with status quo.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 13, 2006 8:07 AM  

  • Brian,

    Please see the various other blog sites listed:

    eye on oshkosh

    tony palmeri http://talktotony.blogspot.com/

    Full of bologna

    Kent Monte


    Many other people are submitting good comments opinions on City Employee Wage and Benefits.

    Please lead the charge to insure that something is done about this.

    Our city is not bargaining in the best interest of the tax payer when going into negotiations with the Unions...and when granting raises to salaried city staff.

    When we see articles like were published in the Oshkosh Northwestern regarding bus drivers and other positions and what the starting base pay is for these positions, there are few who could denign that we are overcompensating city employees.

    Your supporters and taxpayers need you to be bold on this one Brian.

    Help please.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 14, 2006 11:39 AM  

  • This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    By Blogger Bryan L. Bain, at July 14, 2006 5:37 PM  

  • Anonymous-
    I have been following the discussions on the other websites and blogs. I believe the council should have all options available to us during the upcoming budget cycle. I also agree with the recent Oshkosh Northwestern editorial (http://www.thenorthwestern.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060713/OSH06/607130347/1189) urging the council to keep in mind the long-term impact and bigger picture when making these decisions. Thank you for your comments.

    -Bryan

    By Blogger Bryan L. Bain, at July 14, 2006 5:41 PM  

  • Unions are responsible for the creation of middleclass America as we know it, but just as corporate boards and CEO’s have fallen into the cesspool of greed, so have most of the Unions that still exist in America.

    Unions have taken a fascist stance and are continuing to demand status quo wage and benefit structures for their rank-and-file. In private industry, this has encouraged corporations to outsource manufacturing and employment to third world countries.

    In the public sector, many of those middleclass Americans working in manufacturing or middle management were victims of downsizing. They now faced with the reality that they can not continue to pay property taxes to maintain exorbitant wage and benefit packages offered to County, City and Public School employees...those that belong to public sector unions.

    Here is the reality. City, County and School Unions must come to the negotiation table with good faith and knowledge that they have milked the cow until it is nearly dry.

    The truth is that the only union locals that are still viable are those in the public sector. They are putting a huge financial strain on their fellow "blue-collar" neighbors and friends through rising property taxes. These union members are fighting the wrong fight. There are no bloated CEO's here, only underemployed average taxpayers!!

    If substantial concessions are not made, the unions that are attempting to protect their member’s jobs may face an insurmountable challenge. The taxpayers have had enough…they will demand that their elected representative do whatever is necessary to re-align the entire compensation system, even if it means wholesale dismissal of entire city departments.

    I would suggest that Union leaders take a page from the airline negotiation manual and prepare their members for a more austere future, in-line with what is occurring in the majority of the private sector.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 15, 2006 8:03 AM  

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