In their opinion, one that ought to be considered, the dysfunction of municipal balance sheets shouldn’t be blamed on the individual employee. They weren’t the ones who advocated for increased pension and pay during the 1990s. In fact, many of the employees simply show up to work and do their job.
But it seems that at least some of the angst and anger revolving around public pensions is being levied at the individual employee, instead of the responsible parties, who have either retired, been voted out of office, or have moved on to other jobs in other cities.
From the Marin Independent Journal:
A number of veteran Marin County employees who work hard for their pay and pensions are sick and tired of being flayed by irate taxpayers who think public workers get too much for doing too little.
Others at the Marin County Civic Center say they don’t give critics and the politics of the moment much thought as they focus on getting their jobs done. They note pension cutbacks are in the works for new hires – and that retirement is too far away to worry about in any case.
Whether employees bristle at critics or simply try to ignore them, many share the common bond of pride about doing meaningful work that provides community service.
Read the full article here.