Tag Archives: unions

February 24, 2013 · 9:02 am

An Eye On Ackert, Part 5 Bullies, Traitors and Tea Parties

ackertThe American Revolution started largely because of tyranny and oppression fostered in the name of a King.  Today we have oppression fostered by the school yard bullies in the State Legislature in the form of unfunded mandates upon the municipalities.

Emboldened with a sense of power and self-assurance the legislature has continually piled more unfunded mandates on local budgets requiring taxpayers to fund requirements unsupported by State resources.  State Representative (R) Tim Ackert has never been fond of bullies in the school yard and he is not too happy about the unfunded State mandates.

The State has mandated a “prevailing wage” be paid on municipal projects which has discouraged some contractors from bidding on work and requires taxpayers to pay more for the work than would be paid for the same labor on another job.  This creates an artificial market with limited competition and hence unnecessarily increases add to the cost of construction projects paid for with local tax funds.

Representative Ackert is taking action calling for some changes.  He has propose two measures, the first being HB-5962, An Act Concerning State Contributions To Municipalities And The Prevailing Wage.  The proposal would exempt municipalities from the prevailing wage laws unless the state contributes twenty-five per cent or more of the total cost of the municipal project.

While a better solution would be to remove the mandate or at least require the State to fund more than half, this is a first step in the right direction.  The reality is with so many Democratic Legislators beholden to the special interest of union labor even this small step would be a huge win for the taxpayers of Connecticut.

The second proposal being offered by Rep. Tim Ackert is, An Act Increasing The Prevailing Wage Threshold known as HB-5964.  This proposal would increase the threshold amount for construction projects to require prevailing wage to five million dollars for new construction and on million for remodeling.  The current requirements call for $400,000 and $100,000 respectively.

Once again Ackert is stepping in the right direction attempting to find an island of common ground with recalcitrant Representatives willing to put the wants of a special interest above the welfare of the taxpayers.  Finding an island of commonality however, could prove to be more difficult than holding back high tide on Long Island Sound.

Doing the right thing for your constituents can be difficult when facing a political majority willing to protect their political supporters with public tax dollars.  When a majority of our legislators are will to openly and proudly destroy an open and free market while instituting higher taxes to pay for prevailing wages and unfunded mandates they are not serving their constituents they are oppressing them.

These two proposals like the Boston Tea Party of 1773 are sending a message; it is time to fight back in the name of the taxpayers.  If he keeps marching in this direction Mr. Ackert could become known as “Tea Party Tim”.

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Filed under CONNECTICUT ISSUES, Coventry CT, CT issues, POLITICS

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November 16, 2012 · 2:00 pm

Governor Malloy Sees Red Iceberg

The most recent State budget figures show a projected budget deficit in the current fiscal year of $365 million and that like an iceberg is only the small amount you see on the surface.  The real problem lurks below the surface or in this case in the next fiscal year forecast.

If you thought the weather forecast in Connecticut was bad when Storm Sandy was on our doorstep wait until you hear the fiscal forecast.  For taxpayers with health problems such as high blood pressure or issues of stress, it is recommended that you sit down and take a few deep breaths before reading the next paragraph.

According to press reports Connecticut Democratic Governor Dannel P. Malloy said Thursday that the state now faces a potential deficit in the next year of 1.2 BILLION DOLLARS.  Now the next cry you will hear from our esteemed members of the General Assembly will be nobody saw this coming and oh what a big surprise.  Hogwash!

Make work projects of little value including the Busway between New Britain and Harford or the local guiderail project on Route 275 are symptoms of a greater disease, that of overspending.  Combine the addiction to spending with the lack of political will to stand up for the taxpayers over the special interest of union labor and you have the fiscal iceberg our ship of State is about to hit.

Connecticut was once considered to be the richest State in the union and a leader in innovations and skilled manufacturing.  Now we have willingly accepted and voted for economic policies that have turned our vibrant cities into memories of the glory days when their economies were strong.  Our cities have seen their economic engines flee to the suburbs and once vibrant neighborhoods now are dwellings of dependency.

Today Connecticut has the largest burden of debt per capita of any State in our country.  Today the economic engines of the past are closing up or moving on.  Pratt Whitney in East Hartford is only a fraction of what it once was.  This week we hear once again reports of Pratt’s expansion in Florida.

Our ship of State is heading into perilous waters with economic icebergs on the horizon.  Our Governor, Dannel Malloy is looking less and less like a capable Governor and more like the Captain of the Titanic.  He has given us the largest tax increase in State history and now it appears he has overspent his budget in excess of a billion dollars.

Liberal Democratic financial leadership has destroyed our cities and we have now expanded their leadership to weaken our entire State.  The fiscal smoke and mirrors, dog and pony budget shows must stop.  It is time for the common sense sanity of our founding fathers to return.  It is time to limit spending, constrained to what we need and not what we want or what we can borrow.

(For more on Connecticut’s labor issue:  http://wp.me/pPLAn-nl)

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March 23, 2012 · 9:09 am

Taxes and Rose Colored Glasses

Would the average working man and woman support a tax increase in Connecticut?  They would if they had on a pair of glasses with rose lenses.  So who wears those lenses you ask?  State workers, and for them looking at the world through rose colored glasses is not new.  They bought and paid for the view and now enjoy the fruits of their efforts.

For years it is no secret public service employee unions have contributed tons of money to (some would say buy) Democratic State Legislators’ looking for their support.  The unions have refined the image of their members to be perceived as hard working average folks just eeking out a living, making ends meet by working hard.  Make no mistake some have a tough job and some we have seen or come in contact with seem to have it pretty cushy.

State employee unions supported Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy’s largest tax increase in the State’s history.  Can it be they are so dedicated and loyal that they are willing to give up what little they make to expand the size of government?

By now you may be wondering how much do they make?  Are they really like the average hard working taxpayers of Connecticut struggling to come up with more money to pay ever higher taxes?  Taxes that are added to nearly every item we need or buy and in some cases like gasoline are even taxed twice.

The average amount paid to a state employee last year was $74,239 in salaries, wages and benefits. Is that an average pay here in Conn?  According to the Connecticut Department of Labor using the most recent figures available the annual wage for Cheshire was $52,305 and the annual wage in Coventry was $33,692.  Now that puts things in perspective doesn’t it?  Thirty seven percent (37%) of state workers made more than $100,000 last year.  Are you kidding me that is more than 1/3rd of the total workers?

We have prisons where we lock up the crooks and criminals at least that is what we were taught.  So let’s take a look at that department.  It is interesting what we find, the average compensation package for employees in the Department of Corrections last year was $109,279 with 2/3 making at least $100,000.  That may seem high but maybe not, everything must be put into perspective.  So let us take a look the Department of Mental Health and Addiction for a comparison.

The percentage at DMHA of people making over $100,000 is also about 2/3 so it seems to be in line with the Department of Corrections except that the average here is $120,212.   We better take a look at a third department just to be fair.  Over at the Judicial Department the average compensation package was $98,658 with nearly half (47%) of the employees receiving more than $100,000.

Yes your economic future is secure, and your view of the world is rosie when you work for the State.  All the money you spent on supporting politicians has paid off.  So now who is really running the State is it the voters, the elected politicians or the union bosses?  We leave that an open question?

The view of our economic climate for some is so good that with rose colored lenses we are even considering raising local taxes.  The problem is rose colored lenses are sometimes so dark as to hide the real world and the hardships that exist.  The only solution for a voter looking at the real world is to change your glasses or change the way you vote.

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March 18, 2012 · 9:19 am

Read All About It: Connecticut Job Opportunities!

Jobs, jobs, jobs lately it’s the mantra of politicians but what does it mean here in Connecticut?  Is Connecticut creating opportunities the best way possible?  Let’s take a look and compare Connecticut with Indiana.

Since January 1st both states have taken major steps to create jobs but they have done it in different ways.  One state has taken the route of buying the jobs the other has improved job opportunities by becoming more competitive to attract employers.

Connecticut Democratic Governor Dan Malloy announced on January 5th a plan to bring Jackson Laboratory to our state.  According to the announcement the plan includes the state giving Jackson Laboratory a $192 million construction loan which will be forgiven it Jackson is able to create and retain 300 jobs by the 10th year.  The state will further provide $99 million in research funding and a lease on land that Jackson will be allowed to buy for one dollar ($1.00) once 600 jobs are created.

So for $192 million Jackson need only create 300 jobs within 10 years.  That works out to 30 jobs a year for which taxpayers will have invested $640,000 per job.  That is the path for the Connecticut job solution.

Indiana Republican Governor Mitch Daniels was on the radio the other day talking about a different path to job creation.  February 1st Governor Daniels signed a Right to Work Act for Indiana.  This legislation frees workers from compulsory union dues when they are not members of a union.  It does not interfere with the relationship between unions and their current members.

Here’s what has happened according to the Governor, “We’ve already signed new agreements with three companies. One announced and two to come soon,” said Daniels. “There are 31 companies as of Friday night now in negotiation roles who have identified right to work as a major, if not the major, factor in their interest in Indiana.”

Governor Daniels admitted to one mistake while working to pass the legislation.  He said he probably underestimated how important the addition of right to work legislation would be to the business climate in Indiana.

The contrast between the states is stark.  Connecticut has spent a ton of money for a relatively small number of jobs each year over the next ten years.  While Indiana has spent only the cost of paper, ink and a pen to sign and enact legislation that is instantly attracting job opportunities.

Right to work legislation protects workers that choose to join and pay dues to a union while providing other workers the right to work without having to fund unions as non-members.  It is time Connecticut recognized the rights of workers to determine their own priorities within their work environment.

It is time for unions in Connecticut to stand on their own performance to attract dues paying members.  It is time to take the restrictive yoke of special interest off the shoulders of Connecticut workers and provide more job opportunities.  It’s time to pass a right to work act in Connecticut.

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February 27, 2011 · 11:22 am

Thinking out side the Box on Union Dues

Well we have all heard a great deal of irrational thinking about unions and the American worker this week.  It does not matter what side of the issue you favor the rhetoric has gone over the top from both sides.

Just the other day on one blog a supporter of unions called union workers “the bedrock of our society”.  This seems to imply something but it does not display an understanding of geology.  The top layer of bedrock is known as the rockhead and I am not sure if union workers want to be called rockheads.

Union labor today makes up a relatively small percentage of workers nationwide and yet it represents a far larger percentage of government employees.  This is especially true if you include the public employees within the educational systems across the nation.

There has been a great deal of protest from both union and non-union folks this weak and there are some issues that should be looked and discussed.  There is general agreement that the union movement grew out of a need for workplace reform and many would say that goal has been largely reached.  There is ample evidence of violence and a mentality of the ends justifies the means in the history of organized labor.  In many ways government has now enacted basic regulations that cover the areas that were in question at the time the labor movement in this country had its’ foundation.

Today things are different and certainly times have changed.  Big labor today deals with vast sums of money and is in many ways has become a business just like the companies or organization for which they supply labor.  Labor unions however operate under rather unusual exemptions and special laws that are unlike any other industry or organization.  The topic of the day will be restricted to the collection of union dues.

It is fair to ask the question why the government or any employer for that matter should be involved in the collection of union dues.  The union is a private group that establishes its’ own budget, spends money as they see fit and sets dues for members at levels they deem necessary.  Why should a union expect tax dollars, in the case of government workers to be used to collect and maintain records for the union?

It would seem very reasonable to allow unions or perhaps require unions to bill and collect their own dues in the case of government workers.  The government is an institution representing all the people and it is poor policy to provide special services to special interest groups at the expense of the general population where there is no benefit to the society as a whole.  That type of activity is not an intended the role of government.

Going forward voices on the issue of labor should be based on reason, rational discussion and not on emotion.  The volume of noise this past week across our nation far exceeds the voices of reason and understanding on this issue.  The rhetoric delivered from screaming bull horns will not result in any long-term harmonious resolutions.

 

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