|
Water: Bako is Conservative But Cannot Conserve I Love Sam Cooke Time Out, Toddlers! Karl Rove & Why Americans Continue to Lose Where the money goes in the health care scheme of things Steve Dalkowski -Ron Shelton's Take on a Bako legend It costs how much for Development League Basketball? The morning paper Sicko- The campaign to keep America from health care reform AARP publishes 8 myths about health care reform June 06 July 06 August 06 September 06 October 06 November 06 December 06 January 07 February 07 March 07 April 07 May 07 June 07 July 07 August 07 September 07 October 07 November 07 December 07 January 08 February 08 March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 August 08 September 08 October 08 November 08 December 08 January 09 February 09 March 09 April 09 May 09 June 09 July 09 August 09 September 09 October 09 November 09
RSS 2.0![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Share! |
|
|
County Layoffs, did the light just get turned on?
Could not help but notice the comments in the "County authorizes layoffs" article found in today's local paper. Here's a choice one from Jim Fitch: "These are real people. These are real lives," he said of the employees. "It hurts. I stay up at night thinking about what's going to take place." This comment comes from the painful reality that nine positions were "deleted" from the Assessor's department, which resulted in six layoffs. Jim, where have you been for the past two years? Did you think all those small business closings and major layoffs at shuttered department stores, real estate offices, title companies, car dealers, home builders, newspapers, television stations and oil fields somehow were about robots being retired? All the people in all those areas were "real people" with "real lives" too. Jim had another great line while pleading with the BOS about sparing his department from suffering a loss of manpower: "I don't like to think I'm a revenue generator," Fitch told the board. "But I am." I hate to burst your bubble, Jim, but you and your department are not revenue generators, and to boldly state before the public that you think you are shows not only ignorance of the highest order, but also an arrogance that defies description given our market situation. Jim, your salary, and your department's budget, exist solely due to the revenue the tax base here in the area provides. When all those houses lose all that value due to exceptionally poor planning with the resulting glut of homes in this vicinity sinking to levels not seen in more than twenty years, and all those businesses close or shrink to the point where the tax money they now produce is a small fraction of what was formerly available there is very little revenue produced. And you and your department are not the engine driving the money car into the Kern County garage. Based on your comments to the Supervisors, the wrong people did get cut. You and your boss should have been the first to go. And in my humble opinion every other department head should also be eliminated first before the grunts have to suffer the axe.
5 comments from 4 users
1
posted by
blognroll
on Jun 10, 2009 at 10:29 AM
The more you lay people off and cut their wages, the less money goes into the economy which creates another inane argument for cutting more jobs and laying more people off. We've got to get more creative about how to generate profit instead of taking away people's other means of supporting the battered economy. posted by
donmason
on Jun 10, 2009 at 10:39 AM
I completely agree Adam.
The most important quality in a business manager is foresight. Unless this quality is present, first and foremost, there’s no reason for the position.
Yes, he should be fired and replaced. At the very least, a 50% pay cut that represents his true worth and competency to the taxpayer.
The other paradox here is the public sector always tries to rationalize pay and benefits by crying for “parity” with the private sector.
Now that aggregate private sector compensation is down 20% from pay cuts, lay offs, benefit cuts, and reduced hours, I’m still waiting for 20% pay and benefit cuts across the board to maintain the precious “parity” with the private sector.
Start with top management, and work down until the budget is balanced. That should spare the grunts. posted by
CatherineBaker
on Jun 10, 2009 at 10:40 AM
I thought the same thing, Adam, when I read that. In fact, my mom and I were just on the phone talking about it. Fritch's "MY office is too important to cut!" was laughable. Yeah, Fritch, only YOU and YOUR dept are what's important here. Geez. "But MY office generates revenue! Uh, you want specifics? Uh...I'll have to get back to you on that...." LOL! I also found it irritating that the Board of Supervisors' promises to cut their own staffs and their own pay were SORTA kept. Not by Rubio (YET, he swears) and really, not by McQuiston, either, who is taking a FURLOUGH day, instead of a paycut. Well la-di-da, McQuiston, but a furlough (a day off without pay) IS NOT the same thing as a paycut (which is working THE SAME amount of hours, just for LESS money.) Here's where you can stick your furlough, McQuiston! And have you taken your pay cut YET, Rubio? posted by
donmason
on Jun 10, 2009 at 10:46 AM
The more you lay people off and cut their wages, the less money goes into the economy which creates another inane argument for cutting more jobs and laying more people off. We've got to get more creative about how to generate profit instead of taking away people's other means of supporting the battered economy.
This is true only for the private sector. In the absence of debt financing for government services, (which is highly responsible for much of the problem), laying off government workers has no long term net effect on consumer purchasing power, since the tax savings accrued is spent by the consumer. Gross profit generated by the private sector is the source of net tax revenue. Government services are an overhead expense,not a profit maker. posted by
sagefever
on Jun 10, 2009 at 11:24 AM
1
BAKERSFIELD.COM HOT TOPICS: |