How can the Republicans complain about the great benefits that state workers get, yet in the next breath say that Govt will never be able to manage healthcare for it's residents?
4 comments:
Anonymous
said...
That's because State Gov't is not run like a business.
I can't count how many State Workers are unemployable in the private sector, but manage to keep State positions and have unions to protect them. Even if they sleep at their desk. I've seen it.
Me (To Manager): Why can't we fire Bob? He sleeps at his desk, contributes nothing to the team, and cannot even perform what's in his job description. He's even paid more than me. What's up with that?
Manager: Well, I really can't do anything about it.
Me: Just tell him he needs to learn how to perform the same tasks as everyone else here.
Manager: Actually, he has to want to learn. Still, I can't do anything.
I swear, it's like adult day care sometimes.
Here's another one I heard in the elevator, a lady discussing her new finance department position because she 'lost' her other job at a different agency:
Lady: Wow, I'm sure glad they didn't have to interview me for this position, I have NO idea what I'm doing.
Wow, that's really fair to everyone else in her team, isn't it?
Also, in light of all the failed IT projects in the State, costing millions of dollars, how many people were fired because of the delays? Zero. Can't show me one. Yeah, contractors were brought in to do the work, but the State managers sponsored the projects and were officially the Project Managers. Let's see the same thing happen in a private sector job, and see how many heads roll.
If no one who works in Gov't can be terminated for performance reasons, downsizing, or other reasons, then the Gov't should not be managing our health care. Those facts alone prove they will never, ever, be cost effective.
Now, if they were to change the culture a bit, and actually fire unproductive workers, I'd like the idea much better.
When I say 'fire', I really mean 'fire'. They are asked to leave, they lose their health benefits, paycheck, and pension. (Just like a private sector worker).
Every State Worker I've seen 'fired' actually keeps all of the above. They just get shoved to some other agency who had an open position. (Which probably didn't need to be filled). They repeat this for around 20-25 years and are then pressured to retire. Oh darn, guess I'll retire! Keeping the gravy train health care and retirement pay, of course!
Are there workers like the one you described working for the state? Absolutely? Is your description accurate for the majority of state employees? Absolutely not. Sure there are really lazy folks working for the state, and sure, they benefit from having a union to protect them, even when they screw up, but your characterization of state employees simply isn't fair.
As for your assertion that "no one who works in Gov't can be terminated for performance reasons, downsizing, or other reasons," I'll just note that's not been my experience. I've seen more than my fair share of fellow employees get terminated (and not just shuffled to another state job, but actually fired), so to say that state employees get to keep their jobs no matter what simply isn't fair.
4 comments:
That's because State Gov't is not run like a business.
I can't count how many State Workers are unemployable in the private sector, but manage to keep State positions and have unions to protect them. Even if they sleep at their desk. I've seen it.
Me (To Manager): Why can't we fire Bob? He sleeps at his desk, contributes nothing to the team, and cannot even perform what's in his job description. He's even paid more than me. What's up with that?
Manager: Well, I really can't do anything about it.
Me: Just tell him he needs to learn how to perform the same tasks as everyone else here.
Manager: Actually, he has to want to learn. Still, I can't do anything.
I swear, it's like adult day care sometimes.
Here's another one I heard in the elevator, a lady discussing her new finance department position because she 'lost' her other job at a different agency:
Lady: Wow, I'm sure glad they didn't have to interview me for this position, I have NO idea what I'm doing.
Wow, that's really fair to everyone else in her team, isn't it?
Also, in light of all the failed IT projects in the State, costing millions of dollars, how many people were fired because of the delays? Zero. Can't show me one. Yeah, contractors were brought in to do the work, but the State managers sponsored the projects and were officially the Project Managers. Let's see the same thing happen in a private sector job, and see how many heads roll.
If no one who works in Gov't can be terminated for performance reasons, downsizing, or other reasons, then the Gov't should not be managing our health care. Those facts alone prove they will never, ever, be cost effective.
Now, if they were to change the culture a bit, and actually fire unproductive workers, I'd like the idea much better.
When I say 'fire', I really mean 'fire'. They are asked to leave, they lose their health benefits, paycheck, and pension. (Just like a private sector worker).
Every State Worker I've seen 'fired' actually keeps all of the above. They just get shoved to some other agency who had an open position. (Which probably didn't need to be filled). They repeat this for around 20-25 years and are then pressured to retire. Oh darn, guess I'll retire! Keeping the gravy train health care and retirement pay, of course!
That is an indictment of the employees, not the benefits.
It is a bad argument. Noone would argue that Govt employees don't get good benefits.
Why don't we all deserve the same?
if this ideodic proposal goes through there will be no businesses in the state.
Anonymous #1-
Are there workers like the one you described working for the state? Absolutely? Is your description accurate for the majority of state employees? Absolutely not. Sure there are really lazy folks working for the state, and sure, they benefit from having a union to protect them, even when they screw up, but your characterization of state employees simply isn't fair.
As for your assertion that "no one who works in Gov't can be terminated for performance reasons, downsizing, or other reasons," I'll just note that's not been my experience. I've seen more than my fair share of fellow employees get terminated (and not just shuffled to another state job, but actually fired), so to say that state employees get to keep their jobs no matter what simply isn't fair.
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