Government Salaries

[Chubminnow]

I agree with most everyone...it would not be a very good thing to have my salary posted for all the tax paying citizens to see...however, on the flip side...as a tax paying citizen don't we have the right to know where/how our money is being spent?

Kind of a catch-22 in my opinion.

[HURRICANEBOB]

I agree with most everyone...it would not be a very good thing to have my salary posted for all the tax paying citizens to see...however, on the flip side...as a tax paying citizen don't we have the right to know where/how our money is being spent?

Kind of a catch-22 in my opinion.

I'm just glad they don't have federal salaries listed. I make so much money it makes me sick. Ya right

[HURRICANEBOB]

FED SALARIES:

Now all ya have to do is know, the grade, step, and realize this pay table applies to only the states indicated. Locality pay varies by location. Fed freeze on salary locks things at the 2010 rates.

http://www.opm.gov/oca/10tables/pdf/CIN.pdf

Fair is fair, if the state scale is posted, why not the feds too.

[RoadToad]

I don't blame you guys a bit for disliking the fact that your personal salaries are a matter of public record. It is a bit of Catch-22, I guess. I mean, I know most government workers are just "working joes" like myself, and as far as I'm concerned what another guy makes is none of my business, so it does seem like they should be able to de-identify the information, at least to some degree, but then again, since your salaries come directly from tax dollars, we do need to be able to see where the money's going, and any lack of transparency is an opportunity for abuse. So I guess what it comes down to is you all are paying the price for the crooks who came before you

[HURRICANEBOB]

Salaries As of January 2010[update], the annual salary of each Representative is $174,000.[13] The Speaker of the House and the Majority and Minority Leaders earn more: $223,500 for the Speaker and $193,400 for their party leaders (the same as Senate leaders). A cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) increase takes effect annually unless Congress votes to not accept it. Congress sets members' salaries; however, the Twenty-seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits a change in salary (but not COLA[14]) from taking effect until after the next general election. Representatives are eligible for lifetime benefits after serving for five years, including a pension, health benefits, and social security benefits.[15]

And the President, this will make your head spin.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle7099221.ece

[Chubminnow]

Representatives are eligible for lifetime benefits after serving for five years, including a pension, health benefits, and social security benefits.

Lifetime benefits for government workers in general is what burns me up. I feel the same about any other worker too, auto workers, etc...why are all these people eligible for lifetime benefits? I sort of feel like I do ok on a month-to-month basis, but in no way will there be anything waiting for me at the end of my run except for what I have saved on my own. I have a 401K...and that's about it.

Let ALL levels of government workers (state and fed) scrimp and save the same way as MOST average worker bee's do...when they're finished with their run what they have is what they have...to heck with all these super gold rated retirement packages, just think of the money that would be saved.

Also...working for the sate and being eligible for retirement after 26 or 28 years of service??? Are you kidding me???? What makes these folks and their positions so high and almighty that they deserve such luxurious treatment?

[Chubminnow]

This bit of news doesn't come as a surprise but I just read on Yahoo that the traditional pension plan is disappearing. In 1980, some 39 percent of private-sector workers had a pension that guaranteed a steady payout during retirement. Today that number stands closer to 15 percent, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute in Washington, D.C.

[greenriverman1]

Lifetime benefits for government workers in general is what burns me up. I feel the same about any other worker too, auto workers, etc...why are all these people eligible for lifetime benefits? I sort of feel like I do ok on a month-to-month basis, but in no way will there be anything waiting for me at the end of my run except for what I have saved on my own. I have a 401K...and that's about it.

Let ALL levels of government workers (state and fed) scrimp and save the same way as MOST average worker bee's do...when they're finished with their run what they have is what they have...to heck with all these super gold rated retirement packages, just think of the money that would be saved.

Also...working for the sate and being eligible for retirement after 26 or 28 years of service??? Are you kidding me???? What makes these folks and their positions so high and almighty that they deserve such luxurious treatment?

Chub, all levels of gov workers do not make enough money to scrimp and save the way some folks with larger incomes can. I know first hand that some of us gov. workers work for our retirement benefits because there is no other reason you would work at some of these lower paying jobs.

Now I agree that there are also some of these gov jobs that pay big bucks but not all.

Also Chub all state retirement benefits are not the same.

DA

[HURRICANEBOB]

http://www.landrecords.jcc.ky.gov/records/S2Search.jsp

Wanna have even more fun invading someones privacy? Link is to Jeff county clerk. After you search and find someones salary working for the state, next run their name against the white pages and get an address, then check that against a map to get their county. If Jeff County, enter name, and look for deeds. Deeds have to state total consideration paid for a property, like their home. Them look for lien documents and you can compare the difference between the amount paid on the deed and the amount on the lien to come up with how much they owe on and how much down payment was made. Many counties have on line county clerk or PVA records data bases you can search. PVA records tell you what the house is worth IAW that PVA, the taxable basis, and shows how much they pay in taxes in some cases. Of course, some of these make you subscribe and pay a fee to see the public records. But I mean if you want to snoop, well......nothing is free.

Are we having fun yet? Okay, how about webcams in public bathrooms?

[Chubminnow]

Bob - The courier-journal is the original party that done the snoopin' as it pertains to this thread. In fact I think at one time they may have even printed it in the newspaper (not sure).

[HURRICANEBOB]

Yo Chub,

Not in any way intended as any form of inference to you or any one in particular. Just sharing the methods this nosey meatball uses.

[RoadToad]

I wonder why the CJ feels the need to maintain their own database, instead of just a link to the state site where the info is just as easy to find?

If it's any comfort, it's not just here. This site has links to where you can find the same information on all 50 states and D.C.: http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/...mployee_salary

This information has always been public, it's just that before the Internet we didn't have it at our fingertips. For instance, the PVA records Bob mentioned have always been open to the public, but you used to have to traipse down to the PVA office to find out what your neighbor's house was worth; now you can look it up on the web.