Posted on 03/23/2011 1:18:42 AM PDT by Scanian
Public employees are retiring at a quickening pace around the U.S., providing a mixed blessing for state and local governments seeking to save money.
The retirements mean employers can shelve some planned layoffs. And some of the departing workers, generally more senior and higher paid, are being replaced by lower-paid employees with less-generous retirement benefits, government officials say. But the loss of veterans threatens to erode the quality of public services that make communities attractive, they say.
The exodus of public employees is an unintended consequence of states' financial struggles. Some workers have been required to take unpaid furlough days, and many fear they'll lose benefits at the center of political battles.
In Wisconsin, where lawmakers voted in mid-March to end workers' collective bargaining for future employment contracts, 3,362 people have applied to retire this year, a 73% jump from last year. And 10,975 people since the beginning of the year have taken the first step toward retirement—flooding the Wisconsin Department of Employee Trust Funds with requests for estimates of their potential benefits. That's up 134%.
Among Wisconsin public employees filing for retirement are Mary and Len Herricks, both teachers in Oshkosh. They put in their papers in mid-March after lawmakers voted to rein in most public-employee collective-bargaining rights.
"Not only am I losing salary and benefits and facing a bigger work load, but now they are taking away my rights," says Ms. Herricks, a 56-year-old elementary school teacher. A teacher for 35 years who earns in the high 50s, Ms Herricks can now retire and collect nearly her former salary. "Retirement was supposed to be something happy. I'm so sad."
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
LOL
In case you didn’t have time to read the comments section, someone did a bit of research. Turns out, this couple lied.....BIG TIME....about what they currently earn.
DataMine: Search Wisconsin teacher salaries
First name Leonard
Last name Herricks
Year and session 2009/10
Highest degree Master’s degree
Salary $75,916
Fringe $32,635
Position title Teacher
assign descript Academic Support- Teachers
Low grade served 09
High grade served 12
Bilingual code No
Full time equivalency 14%
Work site Oshkosh Area Sch Dist / West High
County name Winnebago County
First name Mary
Last name Herricks
Year and session 2009/10
Highest degree Master’s degree
Salary $68,423
Fringe $13,917
Position title Teacher
assign descript Elementary - All Subjects
Low grade served 03
High grade served 03
Bilingual code No
Full time equivalency 100%
http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/99999999/APC0110/80221166/DataMine-template&appSession=130288610719818&template=artinteractive
‘In case you didn’t have time to read the comments section’
Something I don’t do often enough, unfortunately. Sometimes the comments beat the article.
That WSJ comment tab is kinda hard for the semi-blind (me) to find. But it contains some pretty good stuff. The exchange between “Louis” and “James” was excellent. Too bad “John” had his deleted. It must have been a doozy.
As for that couple—cry me a river, folks. Poor babies. Lying babies at that.
“Ms Herricks can now retire and collect nearly her former salary. “Retirement was supposed to be something happy. I’m so sad.”
Could you explain yourself a little better Ms Herricks. Looks on the surface, you ought to be smiling all the way to the bank, so what am I missing?”
A while back it was reported that certain individuals in the People's Republic of New Jersey were able to take early retirements and continue working the same jobs at with the retirement income added to their normal pay.
Good research.
When you are a liberal you are entitled to lie
With such bad math skills she is teaching children?
What do you mean ALMOST THE SAME? Around here they start with Unused sick and vacation pay of Hundreds of thousands of dollars. Then Collect yearly income at least 15% higher than what they made during their working career.
Connecticut is Paying 45 Thousand former public workers in Boca Raton and some Double dipping as they take New jobs after retiring either at 45 years old or 50.
This is pathetic But dont violate their Rights
Yeah, that’s a real ball breaker of a retirement.
Mary and Len. 56 years old
Probably 100K a year retirement between them, plus paid medical, SS and Medicare.
Boo Hoo Hoo! Such a raw deal!
Where do I sign up?
Public employees should get ZERO when they retire...taxpayers don’t owe them a damn thing.
You're breaking my heart, b****.
They must live bombarded by union propaganda. They live in an alternate reality.
Retirement Board members: Len Herricks, Patrick Phair and ... [ etf.wi.gov ]
They are scam artists.
Mary and Len are sad because they didn’t get to stick around a few more years sweetening the pot for themselves working the system from the inside.
That’s whats going on here.
Don’t apologize for not reading the comments, I don’t always read them either. This particular one could not be ignored, however!
You do a great service here posting the most germane pieces, in the overnight hours. And I, for one, appreciate it.
If I haven’t said it before, thank you.
:)
Thank you very much.
I’ve noticed you posting comments quite often, which I appreciate.
Insomnia has some benefit, I suppose.
Couldn't have put it any better myself...
Unless you earned it.
Police do it every day. Many also go out on tax-free ‘disability’ pensions and turn around and start working another full-time jobs while double dipping on public pensions.
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