This is a travesty and an outright invasion of privacy.
No wonder your paper is going down the toilet. Your company can spend unknown amounts of money to sue public entities for this information while it continues to lay off, furlough, and issue pay cuts to its own employees.
You condemn educated and gainfully employee citizens. Not to mention they provide vital services for the community. Where is the database of welfare and public assistance receipients who drain the state economy?? Isn't that also public knowledge, since I work and pay taxes that fund these programs.
These people may work for public entities but they are still private citizens. How about we put your name, salary and address right here for all to see?
The comment about the Nurses salary - it is not hard to believe. There is a shortage and they do massive overtime - even on call for emergencies. If the reader is suprised about nurses, best re check the long hours physician's put in. Some surgeries take over 10 hours and there are 5 or more to do. Rad Techs work very hard too and much overtime for emergencies ---
In short - if you pick a profession where you are at someones beck and call and it means life and death...and you usually have no life....wouldn't you expect to get paid a bit more? Not everyone can do it and not everyone is good at it either...so not just anyone can do it.
But I do agree with the comment of "rag doll" - LOL. There is a point where over worked is not a good thing at all and it is very common in the health care field.
PS - I did not take the care to look at what was published - but I am sure it was gross income. Many times the taxes eat these folks alive and working overtime...they don't see the money, sometime less in some cases ;)
In todays tough economic times, it is easy for people to get off track and loose perspective. But this article and online database is downfirght inhumane. It is frankly disheartening to see so many obviously quite intelligent people on this post ramble on about paying taxes into our public services, which are so very critical to our families safety and well being.
I have an MBA and had worked 20+ years in the private sector myself (predominantly high tech world) There are these "fat cats" in the private sector as well. Talk about being overpaid......There is no compelling reason to pay the CEO's of technology companies the exorbitant six figures they get paid, for driving forth yet another technology we really don't need in this world contributing to ewaste problem. We are over computerized enough. the next thing we will see in this nightmare of technology is a computerized toilet seat for the coach potato. Now there's another unecessary gadget to run out and buy.
The contra costa times article seems to cite the "fat cats" of the public sector. Yes, the CEO's of districts making $876K are grossly overpaid, (just as the CEO's in private sector are) and I'd say that in this financial climate we are in, I don't really blame folks for concern about paying hard earned tax dollars into that extravagance.
But what seems to be mistakenly implied is that ALL public employees are overpaid. This is not only entirely wrong, but ironic. We have PHd's with 30 years of experience out there working for the people, such as Scientist and Engineers whose job it is to keep our Bay waters clean of toxic chemicals. This is so YOU and I can have clean drinking water. How can you say if they ONLY make say $115K per year (which is grossly very underpaid for what they do for society) that they are overpaid? I hope I am mistaken here for this tupe attitude, which is frightening. these people could take their PHd's and 30+ years experience into the private sector and make $200K+ with their expertise. But they want to help people. and guess what? these people don't get paid overtime, and pay taxes into state and federal just like any of you.
If anything, we should be increasing the meager salaries of those people that work for the people (that's you and I). Nurses, teachers, environmentalist, social workers all do far more for our nation and society than those of us that merely helped design or market yet another video game or gadget to zone out our kids and add to obesity epedemic. does our cell phone really have to burp and [bleep] for us?
We have a toxic wasteland floating around the Pacific Ocean nearly the size of Texas. It is mainly public employees that clean these cancer causing waters and air for us. Meanwhile, our children deserve a good education, since they are the next generation of do-gooders to propel our nation further. I can see if you want to complain about paying taxes into unecessary war and missiles, but not in paying our public employees for performing among the most admirable, toughest jobs out there.
I am also glad I did not read the actual posted incomes....maybe I won't like it - LOL
Bottom line, we have our priorities backwards and upside down and if this keeps up we will have a country that is no longer the place people come to from all over the world for the best education and healthcare.
Technology is great, it has it's place and it can be positive - but there is a balance.
In the Community college, there has been a massive shift in the past 5 years. They have done a great job marketing technology...maybe too good.
You can go to college now and sit at massive computer labs. When I asked an instructor questions about books or tutoring (you know, interacting with people) - she continued to refer me to online and podcasts despite my redirecting her and asking her about resources that did not include this. She finally sighed and said "Well....actually, we are now trying to find a way to have mini session classes with teachers where we pull people out of the labs since 1:1 instruction is now needed. Problem is we need to figure out which students are on the same page at the same time since they are all at different levels on their computer programs, but they need some form of 1:1"
I sat in a history class (college) where the instructor did his residency in the White House mind you. He had to ask class to not text each other, turn their cell phones off etc...(they still eyeballed their iphones BTW). Later, when asked what Christopher Colombus was known for a student raised their hand and said "Isn't he the guy who proved the world was not square?" I could go on about my conversation with an local school teacher....but it will take this way too off topic
Either way - THIS is NOT and ABERRATION. This is a travesty.
Once upon a time....there was a not so distant world where I recall it was a priviledge to get a college education. One respected their instructor and the subject taught. Don't tell me this mind set is "old school" because it is NOT!
Posted on Saturday, 9/05/2009 - 12:37 p.m. PDT — by GLK
Joined: Dec 1969
Current Posts: 1
This is a travesty and an outright invasion of privacy.
No wonder your paper is going down the toilet. Your company can spend unknown amounts of money to sue public entities for this information while it continues to lay off, furlough, and issue pay cuts to its own employees.
You condemn educated and gainfully employee citizens. Not to mention they provide vital services for the community. Where is the database of welfare and public assistance receipients who drain the state economy?? Isn't that also public knowledge, since I work and pay taxes that fund these programs.
These people may work for public entities but they are still private citizens. How about we put your name, salary and address right here for all to see?
Joined: Jul 2009
Current Posts: 361
The comment about the Nurses salary - it is not hard to believe. There is a shortage and they do massive overtime - even on call for emergencies. If the reader is suprised about nurses, best re check the long hours physician's put in. Some surgeries take over 10 hours and there are 5 or more to do. Rad Techs work very hard too and much overtime for emergencies ---
In short - if you pick a profession where you are at someones beck and call and it means life and death...and you usually have no life....wouldn't you expect to get paid a bit more? Not everyone can do it and not everyone is good at it either...so not just anyone can do it.
But I do agree with the comment of "rag doll" - LOL. There is a point where over worked is not a good thing at all and it is very common in the health care field.
PS - I did not take the care to look at what was published - but I am sure it was gross income. Many times the taxes eat these folks alive and working overtime...they don't see the money, sometime less in some cases ;)
Joined: Sep 2009
Current Posts: 3
In todays tough economic times, it is easy for people to get off track and loose perspective. But this article and online database is downfirght inhumane. It is frankly disheartening to see so many obviously quite intelligent people on this post ramble on about paying taxes into our public services, which are so very critical to our families safety and well being.
I have an MBA and had worked 20+ years in the private sector myself (predominantly high tech world) There are these "fat cats" in the private sector as well. Talk about being overpaid......There is no compelling reason to pay the CEO's of technology companies the exorbitant six figures they get paid, for driving forth yet another technology we really don't need in this world contributing to ewaste problem. We are over computerized enough. the next thing we will see in this nightmare of technology is a computerized toilet seat for the coach potato. Now there's another unecessary gadget to run out and buy.
The contra costa times article seems to cite the "fat cats" of the public sector. Yes, the CEO's of districts making $876K are grossly overpaid, (just as the CEO's in private sector are) and I'd say that in this financial climate we are in, I don't really blame folks for concern about paying hard earned tax dollars into that extravagance.
But what seems to be mistakenly implied is that ALL public employees are overpaid. This is not only entirely wrong, but ironic. We have PHd's with 30 years of experience out there working for the people, such as Scientist and Engineers whose job it is to keep our Bay waters clean of toxic chemicals. This is so YOU and I can have clean drinking water. How can you say if they ONLY make say $115K per year (which is grossly very underpaid for what they do for society) that they are overpaid? I hope I am mistaken here for this tupe attitude, which is frightening. these people could take their PHd's and 30+ years experience into the private sector and make $200K+ with their expertise. But they want to help people. and guess what? these people don't get paid overtime, and pay taxes into state and federal just like any of you.
If anything, we should be increasing the meager salaries of those people that work for the people (that's you and I). Nurses, teachers, environmentalist, social workers all do far more for our nation and society than those of us that merely helped design or market yet another video game or gadget to zone out our kids and add to obesity epedemic. does our cell phone really have to burp and [bleep] for us?
We have a toxic wasteland floating around the Pacific Ocean nearly the size of Texas. It is mainly public employees that clean these cancer causing waters and air for us. Meanwhile, our children deserve a good education, since they are the next generation of do-gooders to propel our nation further. I can see if you want to complain about paying taxes into unecessary war and missiles, but not in paying our public employees for performing among the most admirable, toughest jobs out there.
Joined: Jul 2009
Current Posts: 361
for "applause" -
On the other hand, I am kind of glad I don't.
Teri - I guess, all I can say is - YES!!!
I am also glad I did not read the actual posted incomes....maybe I won't like it - LOL
Bottom line, we have our priorities backwards and upside down and if this keeps up we will have a country that is no longer the place people come to from all over the world for the best education and healthcare.
Technology is great, it has it's place and it can be positive - but there is a balance.
In the Community college, there has been a massive shift in the past 5 years. They have done a great job marketing technology...maybe too good.
You can go to college now and sit at massive computer labs. When I asked an instructor questions about books or tutoring (you know, interacting with people) - she continued to refer me to online and podcasts despite my redirecting her and asking her about resources that did not include this. She finally sighed and said "Well....actually, we are now trying to find a way to have mini session classes with teachers where we pull people out of the labs since 1:1 instruction is now needed. Problem is we need to figure out which students are on the same page at the same time since they are all at different levels on their computer programs, but they need some form of 1:1"
I sat in a history class (college) where the instructor did his residency in the White House mind you. He had to ask class to not text each other, turn their cell phones off etc...(they still eyeballed their iphones BTW). Later, when asked what Christopher Colombus was known for a student raised their hand and said "Isn't he the guy who proved the world was not square?" I could go on about my conversation with an local school teacher....but it will take this way too off topic
Either way - THIS is NOT and ABERRATION. This is a travesty.
Once upon a time....there was a not so distant world where I recall it was a priviledge to get a college education. One respected their instructor and the subject taught. Don't tell me this mind set is "old school" because it is NOT!
OK - I am off my soap box