Bloomberg News breaks new ground on state’s dysfunction

CalWatchdog Staff — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 15:59:33 +0000

Dec. 12, 2012

By Chris Reed

There are so many killer facts in the Bloomberg News story from Tuesday on how California went to hell that I barely know where to start. So many have never been exposed by the state’s mainstream media. (John Seiler blogged earlier on one of those killer findings from Bloomberg’s investigation.) I urge everyone to read the whole thing. Here is the striking opening:

“Nine years ago, California Democrat Gray Davis became the first U.S. governor in 82 years to be recalled by voters. The state’s 20 million taxpayers still bear the cost of his four years and 10 months on the job.

“Davis escalated salaries and benefits for 164,000 state workers, including a 34 percent raise for prison guards, the first of a series of steps in which he and successors saddled California with a legacy of dysfunction. Today, the state’s highest-paid employees make far more than comparable workers elsewhere in almost all job and wage categories, from public safety to health care, base pay to overtime.”

Pulitzers usually go to much flashier work than exposing government profligacy, but this is Pulitzer-worthy journalism, for sure.

‘Will work for shoes’

CalWatchdog Staff — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 02:24:54 +0000

April 22, 2012

By Katy Grimes

State employee discounts are getting ridiculous. Despite the fact that California state and local government employees are among the highest-paid in the country according the latest U.S. Census Bureau, they receive all kinds of crazy discounts.

I was shoe shopping over the weekend at DSW, a huge shoe retailer. As I was making my purchase, the clerk made a comment about me working for the state. It seemed like a strange comment, but then I realized that my wallet was sitting open on the counter and my Capitol press credentials were visible.

Before I could tell her that I did not, she had already keyed in a 20 percent discount on my purchase. And, she didn’t hear my answer anyway, as she was talking to another clerk. Apparently my Capitol credential was good enough to receive 20 percent off.

I don’t work for the state, but I support the state through excessive taxes.

I asked her why DSW was offering state employees a discount. The clerk said that they offer the discount as a promotion, and had recently offered a discount for school district employees.

It’s Good To Be the King

State employees receive all kinds of discounts–free and discounted bus and light rail passes, travel discounts, health club membership discounts, cell phones discounts, business discounts during the furlough, Apple computer discounts, Disneyland discounts, and even See’s Candies discounts.

There is a website dedicated to State Worker Deals, which advertises many different food and travel coupons and discounts available to state employees. “State Worker Deals was created by a former State Employee,” the website states. “Our founder always felt that State Government Workers are underpaid and work hard with sometimes little thanks. Our founder wants to provide State Government Workers and Retirees across the USA an opportunity to save more money and live a happy and profitable life.”

The days of state workers being underpaid in thankless jobs are long gone. But hey – discounts on shoes are always good. It’s just too bad DSW doesn’t offer small business owners or manufacturers the same 20 percent discount.

state workers – CalWatchdog.com

Bloomberg News breaks new ground on state’s dysfunction

‘Will work for shoes’