Richard Rider Rant: Government Craziness

Public vs. private salaries, California business climate, Republican Party straw poll, make a will, fire fighter jobs, beach booze ban, Second Amendment, Omaha Mall shooting

1. RIDER COMMENT: Here's my latest column discussing public vs. private salaries.

NORTH COUNTY TIMES
4 December, 2007
High Local Government Salaries Unfair to Taxpayers
By: RICHARD RIDER - For the North County Times

Every job has tradeoffs. Long ago, a government job offered low pay and modest benefits but great job security. No more.

Today most government jobs include much higher pay than equivalent private sector jobs, benefits far better than anything offered by private companies, and even better job security than before. The trade-off? Everyone else pays high taxes for this largesse, while government services steadily deteriorate.

For most of you, if you don't have a government job, you're a chump. Like me.

Oddly enough, today the most lucrative government jobs can be found at the city and county levels, which generally offer a better compensation package than state jobs. And state jobs generally are a better deal than federal government employment.

Local public employee labor unions argue that their opulent fringe benefits are necessary to compensate them for their supposedly low pay. As proof, they point to some other government entity that is paying higher salaries. But the real comparison should be public salaries vs. the average private sector pay in the same job categories, in the same geographic area (not counting police and firefighters, as their vocations are not comparable with local private sector jobs).

Sadly, there are no current local comprehensive salary studies comparing the public and private sector. I've been trying to develop interest in such a survey, but so far, no luck.

Nevertheless, there's plenty of evidence of this pay disparity. For instance, in April 2005, Fox 6 TV News did a quick salary survey of two common, comparable job categories -- comparing three area cities with the local private sector. Here were the results:

Legal Assistant
City of San Diego: $40,584 to $49,844
Carlsbad: $30,000 to $50,000
Escondido: $48,528 to $58,980
PRIVATE SECTOR: $28,000 to $33,000

From the low to high end, the difference between public sector and private sector pay is $12,000 to $17,000 -- roughly 42 percent to 60 percent higher pay for public legal assistants.

Custodian
City of San Diego: $24,672 to $30,000
Carlsbad: $27,664 to $33,144
Escondido: $26,688 to $32,436
PRIVATE SECTOR: $18,000 to $20,000

From the low to high end, the difference is $6,000 to $13,000 -- roughly 32 percent to 37 percent higher pay for public custodians.

The Fox story concluded with some quick interviews with people on the street, showing them the disparity in pay. They were surprised -- most thought it was the other way around.

Sometimes apologists for high government salaries will point to the relatively low pay of government middle managers and department head positions, claiming that equivalent private sector positions pay more. True at first glance. But the jobs are not the same. Private sector managers are paid to make their companies money. Public sector managers are paid to spend government money.

Furthermore, a public sector bureaucrat faces little consequence for incompetence. Just ask those comatose clods at Cal-Fire.

This "low government pay" canard has been the bedrock justification for the huge public employee pensions and gold-plated health care plans. If we are going to get control of our government expenses, more research exposing this pay disparity is imperative. After all, more than 70 percent of most local governments' budgets is for salaries and perks.

Bottom line? We need pay parity -- government salaries should be the same as the average salaries of the taxpayers who pay the bills.

Richard Rider, chairman of San Diego Tax Fighters, is a freelance columnist for the North County Times.

RIDER COMMENT on above article. My commentary generated numerous responses from both sides. Naturally I weighed in a bit as well.

2. RIDER COMMENT: The Tax Foundation has come out with their 2008 study of the "State Business Tax Climate Index." The news for California is NOT good.

Since 2004, California has slipped from 39th worst to 47th worst. While business property taxes are low, the rest of the state and local taxes range from bad to awful. The corporate state income tax ranks 40th. That state sales tax ranks 42nd. But the worst state tax is the personal income tax – California is now ranked the worst state in the Union for productive workers, investors and entrepreneurs. Included in that nasty ranking is the fact that California fully taxes capital gains as ordinary income.

This Tax Foundation comparison does not include other DE FACTO California taxes. Notably missing is the workers comp cost. Even after the reforms, it’s still far too high.

Another tax is the fact that California is the most litigious state. We all have to play (and pay) in the California legal lottery, where the only real winners are the attorneys.

I just got back from a CALA (Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse) presentation on A.D.A. bounty-seeking lawsuits being filed against businesses – especially small businesses. California is the worst state in the nation, and San Diego is the worst place in California. I’ll have more on this aspect in my next rant – it’s scary.

For the full Tax Foundation study, go to:
http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/22658.html

In particular, check out the actual rankings:
http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/22661.html

3. RIDER COMMENT: San Francisco Republican Party straw poll was cancelled at last minute because too many Ron Paul GOP-registered supporters showed up, and paid the admission charge.

Watch this GOP version of democracy in action.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_GADQv3vKs

4. RIDER COMMENT: Fortunately in the San Diego GOP straw poll this past week, not too many Ron Paul supporters showed up (while half the Mormon community did show up for Romney!), so Ron Paul took "only" second place.

Kudos to the local GOP for not following the San Francisco example.

5. RIDER FINANCIAL ADVICE COMMENT: Everyone should have a will.

We all know that. But too many don't have one. Also, too often our kids grow into adulthood without one. Bad idea.

I found a pretty good online will preparation service. It is legit. Found some pretty good reviews of it as well.

You fill it out online, and they email you the completed documents. It asks no sensitive information.

And, to get you off your butt – it's FREE! Apparently the website no longer asks for the modest $9 they used to charge.

It's not the most flexible will, but it's much better than no will at all. It can be made specific for your state of residence.

Fill it out online, and then get it properly witnessed (VERY important, don't try to shortcut this procedure). Ideally you use a notary, but (as I understand it), you really don’t need to – especially with a modest estate and no contentious relatives drooling over your demise.

Remember, I am NOT an attorney. Rely on my comments at your peril. You should seek legal counsel, yada, yada, yada.

http://www.doyourownwill.com/td.asp

6. RIDER COMMENT: My press release on the San Diego Tax Fighters running fire fighter help wanted ads on Craig's List was well received.

I didn't even hear complaints from fire fighters -– probably because it hasn't appeared in articles or blogs yet.

I got two media coverages, but none from news departments. Chris Reed, the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE opinion editor and blogger, had a nice piece in his blog on the topic (see below). I understand that Roger Hedgecock on KOGO radio AM 600) broadcast the story on his talk show with positive comments, though I didn't hear it.
http://weblog.signonsandiego.com/weblogs/afb/archives/017040.html

7. RIDER COMMENT: There’s a new study from CATO about the "growth tax."

This paper details the very real financial costs of regional planning -– essentially stealth taxes levied on the unsuspecting population.

In areas with such restrictions, a median price house costs about five times the median family income –- and this is where the subprime mortgage blowback and housing price drops are greatest. In areas with no such government meddling, a median priced house costs only 2.7 times the median family income. To read the 20 page report, go to:
http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-606.pdf

8. RIDER COMMENT: The nanny state continues to intrude.

Now the city of San Diego has banned drinking at the beach 24/7, 365 days a year. The public parks can't be far behind.

Consider the progression of banning smokers. It's the INCREMENTAL loss of freedom that slowly turns us into compliant subjects of the state Puritans and wealth grabbers.

Yeah, yeah, I know. You don't like being around drunks. Me neither. But we should not punish everyone for the sins of the few. That is the rationale for the bans on gambling, drugs, pornography, etc.

Now the good news. There is an organized effort to overturn this new ordinance with a referendum. The bad new is that time is short -– less than 30 days to gather 31,000 valid San Diego city voter signatures. But it’s been done before, and can be done again.

All the information supporters need can be found on the organization’s website. Unfortunately there was a rally Saturday morning (12/8) to distribute petitions and urge the supporters on, but this rant will go out too late to announce that event.

With luck, shortly I'll have some of the petitions available in my home office.
http://bantheban3.org/index.php

9. RIDER COMMENT: Recently a pinhead professor wrote a widely published commentary, asserting that the 2nd Amendment does not protect the individual's right to keep and bear arms.

A rebuttal in the Contra Costa Times (San Francisco East Bay newspaper) by David t. Hardy neatly puts his assertions to rest.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_7610129?source=most_viewed

10. RIDER COMMENT: The Omaha Mall shooting got worldwide coverage.

But, aside from the commentary below on the Fox News network site, apparently not a single major news organization or newspaper mentions a crucial, recurring fact in such shootings. While Nebraska is a right to carry (RTC) state, the shopping mall banned guns from its premises. I guess the shooter was a poor sign reader.

This “gun free zone” aspect is the common thread that runs though all such shootings. As the old folk song asks, "When Will We Ever Learn?" As another pop song answered, "The 12th of Never."

An AP story (front page, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12/8/07) discussed security options, concluding that people would prefer freedom to government/corporate paid security to prevent or minimize the rare random shooting. But the story never mentions the third option – privately armed citizens.

The Omaha mall shooting was the worst mass shooting. But as the article below points out, the Utah mall shooting was cut short by an off-duty police officer who disobeyed the "no guns" signs at the mall and brought his handgun in with him. f he had not cut short the slaughter with his armed intervention, then the Utah shooting would probably have set the awful record for mass mall shooting deaths.

Omaha Mall Was "Gun Free Zone"
http://www.capoliticalnews.com/s/spip.php?article426

11. RIDER PERSONAL COMMENT: The motive for such these random shootings ending in the suicide of the killer often is fame (infamy) and notoriety.

In this case, the perp said so prior to the shooting. Of course, such killers are wildly successful in fulfilling that wish. We need to try to make that fame less appealing.

Unfortunately the immediate response by censor-minded folks is a law to keep the media from releasing the perp’s name. Not going to work. A voluntary cartel effort will always result in someone breaking the pact for better ratings or circulation. A mandatory censorship of the press would not pass a First Amendment review – thank goodness!

So what can the government do? Striking out at the relatives is unjust, and indeed might be desired by the perp. Instead, consider my insanely barbaric solution.

WARNING!!!!! Do NOT read this solution if you are a normal, even remotely squeamish human being.

[Actual horrible details removed -- EDITOR]

Now, aren’t you sorry you read that? Nobody listens to me!!

Richard Rider, Chair
San Diego Tax Fighters