Friday, February 18, 2011

The unthinkable now thinkable

It used to be that Public employee’ pensions and health benefits were untouchable. But now that is also on endangered. Many states trying to balance their budgets and facing billions of dollars in deficits are trying to rein in costs and any amount of money they can find that will slash their expenditures is no longer sacred. First it was the pensions and now they are attacking the health benefits that were promised when we were living high and having a party. Although I can understand that public employees make much less than private employees but times have changed and you cannot tax the already overtaxed public with more property tax increases.

Either the pensions and health benefits would have to roll back or cut or there will be layoffs since states and cities are cash strapped and unlike the Federal Government, they cannot print money or run a deficit year in and year out. Although the unions are out in force and trying to fight the reduction in pensions and health benefits but they are starting to realize that sacrifices are due and the already cash strapped public is not going to pay more taxes to support the out of control pensions and health benefits. The states are looking down on budget deficits in the billions and they are cutting to the bare bones and still can’t get out of their budget mess and since the pensions and health benefits are really the biggest expense in their budgets, the Public employees should start to brace for cuts.

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