Scranton, Pa slashes City workers' pay to minimum wage

[DaveTN]

This is what’s going to happen to many of our cities and States.

http://bottomline.ms...to-minimum-wage

[Caster]

MMmm, hmmm and what happens when the the city works dept. is run by minimum wage guys and your sewer blows out, there's a pot hole the size of a bomb crater, ect.

[laktrash]

MMmm, hmmm and what happens when the the city works dept. is run by minimum wage guys and your sewer blows out, there's a pot hole the size of a bomb crater, ect.

Or your house is on fire. not to mention LEO s

[Sam1]

All the good workers will be gone and the only people that will fill those positions are ones that shouldn't be working in the first place.

[DaveS]

Well...no pay no services right? That's a bad deal!!!

Dave

(931)802-2138

Sent from my Dell Desktop using the Keyboard

[Dennis1209]

They pretend to pay us and we pretend to work.

It's going to get interesting folks.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Okay, I'll bite.

Let's say you are like that Stockton, California town, would you decide that a paycheck is better than filing bankruptcy?

Would you rather have a job, or would you rather be let go if the funds are going too fast at the current rate?

I'm not taking sides on this, just presenting a scenario. If the municipality is out of money, what do you do?

Assuming that you municipality employees live in the community you work in, you probably knew of the impending

crisis, but chose to ignore, and decided to ride things out. You are in denial if you do this and you are not protecting

yours or your families prospects for a brighter future.

Of course, it is just a scenario. You could always go to the federal government for a handout.

Edited July 11, 2012 by 6.8 AR

[Dolomite_supafly]

Of course, it is just a scenario. You could always go to the federal government for a handout.

But eventually the Feds are going to suffer the same fate.

Cities cutting wages are also cutting federal taxes collected. This only hastens the demise of the government and those relying on them for survival.

At some point we are going to fail and fail BIG! When we do the great depression is going to look like pretty nice.

Dolomite

[sigmtnman]

It's about damn time. Most cities spent more than they had keeping up with the Joneses.

The government needs to step aside so the Free Market can work. What will really happen is the people will be taxed out of their homes so the workers can get paid.

[VERO1]

I am sure all the legal bills from the lawsuits will really help their budget out.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

They won't have to defend much when they end up filing bankruptcy. Things are going to get real bad.

But eventually the Feds are going to suffer the same fate.

Cities cutting wages are also cutting federal taxes collected. This only hastens the demise of the government and those relying on them for survival.

At some point we are going to fail and fail BIG! When we do the great depression is going to look like pretty nice.

Dolomite

You beat me to it, Gordon. With some of the entitlement attitudes, things will drop like swatted flies and people won't know what hit them.

Very depressing.\

It's what we get when we live in la-la land too long. Denial.

[Mark A]

I will bet that Holder had to change his shorts when he saw this. He will go screaming into town with the rest of the DOJ. Anything that can distract from fast and furious will get his immediate attention...

Mark

[sigmtnman]

Well, they are progressive.

http://www.scrantonpa.gov/

First elected mayor of Scranton, Pennsylvania in 2001, Christopher A. Doherty is presiding over the most dramatic transformation in the city’s history and the most amazing of any city in Pennsylvania. New construction and the rehabilitation of historic structures is transforming the look of the central business district, parks are being transformed, neighborhoods are being revitalized, and the first massive infrastructure improvements in the city’s modern history are being made.

transformed it right into bankruptcy...

Edited July 11, 2012 by sigmtnman

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Maybe Carl Dean should go back up north and help Scranton. He's about to finish Nashville off.

[TMF]

The people of Scranton deserve the politicians that they get. Surely no one saw this coming in 2001, but I doubt that their city government adjusted appropriately to the crisis. I feel bad for the city workers. It really isn't their fault, unless of course they've had a union draining the cities finances through its employees. Overall, it is the fault of the community. They get to vote. They vote in Republicrat career politicians that only serve their own needs for power instead of serving the people. Their city will suffer greatly as the experienced employees jump ship and move elsewhere creating a vacuum to be filled by increasingly incompetent stooges. Look north to Detroit... that's where we're all headed.

[sigmtnman]

... What will really happen is the people will be taxed out of their homes so the workers can get paid.

See, That didn't take too long...

Last Friday, the mayor and city council, all of whom are Democrats, reached agreement on a financial recovery plan that among other things calls for a minimum 33 percent increase in real estate taxes.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/31/scranton-pays-up-owed-income-plus-interest-to-city-employees/

Coming soon to a town near you!

[Guest 6.8 AR]

The people of Scranton deserve the politicians that they get. Surely no one saw this coming in 2001, but I doubt that their city government adjusted appropriately to the crisis. I feel bad for the city workers. It really isn't their fault, unless of course they've had a union draining the cities finances through its employees. Overall, it is the fault of the community. They get to vote. They vote in Republicrat career politicians that only serve their own needs for power instead of serving the people. Their city will suffer greatly as the experienced employees jump ship and move elsewhere creating a vacuum to be filled by increasingly incompetent stooges. Look north to Detroit... that's where we're all headed.

And you don't think we in Clarksville are in any different shape?

All the crap hanging on in any city will drag it down when the lights go out.

[TMF]

And you don't think we in Clarksville are in any different shape?

All the crap hanging on in any city will drag it down when the lights go out.

I think that Clarksville is okay, but does a poor job planning for the worst. With post being there we enjoy the benefits of loose spending of folks with a steady source of income in a demographic that really likes to spend money (18-40). Even when things slowed down a few years ago they were quick to pick back up again. Homes are being built again and businesses are popping up the way they were in 2005-2006. The problem is Clarksville likes to blow that fresh wad of cash on stuff that is better spent elsewhere. Although I like the new Liberty Park, I'm not sure it was worth all that money spent on destroying the old one and building this one for a few people that are going to park their boats there. That money is better suited going into our school system which is at the bottom of the list in the nation. The problem I guess is that Piper couldn't splash his name all over the schools?

[Guest 6.8 AR]

The last decent mayor we had was

Ted Crozier. Remember him?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Guest 6.8 AR]

That park is a big joke and an

embarrassment, far as I'm

concerned. I thought the old

one was just fine.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TMF]

The last decent mayor we had was

Ted Crozier. Remember him?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Crozier was before my time in Clarksville, but am familiar with him due to his activity in the community. I thought it was pretty funny that he just removed his endorsement from Steward's campaign because he flip-flopped on the recent charter vote at the last minute.

[Guest TankerHC]

Thats the Unions for ya. Sue the City, make them pay what they dont have and go completely bankrupt, then when they start laying off the public servants, cry and whine about it.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Te

Crozier was before my time in Clarksville, but am familiar with him due to his activity in the community. I thought it was pretty funny that he just removed his endorsement from Steward's campaign because he flip-flopped on the recent charter vote at the last minute.

Tells you about his convictions/ principles doesn't it? He was a good mayor. Is a good man. Hell of a soldier from what I heard.

He and my dad were good friends.

[Ray Z]

I read here that most of you are against the working person and think that the poor cities and towns are going broke because they're paying too much. Smart people can make numbers say what they want them to say. The cities won't let independent auditors get hold of the books because they don't want anyone to really know where the money goes.

All the police officers out there that are willing to be shot at and put up with the crap that they have to to keep the politicians happy and gaining enough votes for next election for minimum wage raise your hand. How about the fireman out there? Are you willing to walk into a burning building for minimum wage. These aren't the only ones. I missed a lot of working class folks out there that are worth a lot more than they get payed.

Sorry folks, I will always believe that a working man is worth a lot more than some politician sitting behind a desk smoking cigarettes and telling lies on the phone all day.

[sigmtnman]

Not against the working man at all. Just against counties and cities that can't balance budgets and think they can tax whatever they want so everyone can live in a fantasy land trying to keep up with the jonses.