Off topic, but not really
This blog brings you news and events on rescued animals or those needing rescue. This is one of my passions. Politics is another although I am not nearly involved in the political arena as I used to be, I still keep up with things. When something is happening to my state, and I find I cannot keep my mouth shut, I will post it on the blog. My reason for doing this is because in this state, politics means money. Money is the avenue we must use to save the homeless animals and the less money which is available for my passions, the more angry I get. If you don't like political discourse, please stop reading here and more animal news will be posted later. Once again, my blog, my decision.
Being the daughter of a career military person, I am also a 7th generation Floridian. I grew up having the best of both worlds, seeing the world and this country from a child's view but knowing Florida was my home and where all my family lived.
When my father retired from the Army, we moved back to central Florida and my father began his job hunt to supplement his military retirement. He took a job working for the U.S. Post Office and at the time, (this would have been 1972) many of the people he knew in non-government jobs were irritated and called him a double-dipper, because he was already drawing one retirement from the military and earning a second by working for the postal service. My father, who was a very wise man, said any young man could do the same as he did. His service was 20 years and he was guaranteed a retirement per his rank. He chose to join and his retirement was one of his benefits. He paid nothing into the system because he was a soldier.
About the same time he retired, the state of Florida was in a hiring crisis. They were desperate for teachers, firefighters and police officers due to the swarms of new residents coming to the state. To entice more college graduates to work for Florida state government, who didn't pay diddly compared to the private sector, they began offering very good benefits to their employees. It was the only way they could attract qualified people to hold these jobs. Many of these people are my age now and are at the point of retirement, or getting close.
Due to the financial inability of our legislature to keep our budgets under control, many of the representatives, including our new governor, are calling for these same employees to begin to pay their own retirement or a portion of it along with several other cuts in benefits. These employees are quite upset. I don't blame them.
They were hired under the auspices of the benefit package due to the low, low low salaries. Many of these folks have not received any kind of a raise since 2006, which was 5 years ago, and now you want to cut their benefits so the state can have a balanced budget? From all I can find online, the Florida State Retirement System is one of the most productive retirement systems in the country. They are not losing money but are staying on an even keel during this recession. Methinks the legislature would love to be able to get a hold of that money and appropriate it in other spots.
So what happens if they do this. All these government people could chose to retire early, which would mean we would have an even lower number of qualified people to fight our fires, enforce our laws and teach our children. Maybe Tallahassee believes they could just issues books to parents, fire extinguishers to each household and a gun to each person over 21 for protection from the criminals. How do you think that is going to work?
If Tallahassee wants to revamp the whole retirement system for state employees, I say, go for it. But start it on the incoming employees so they will know what they are signing up for and quit trying to make the others out as freeloaders on the state. They have all done a credible job over the last 40 years in teaching our children, fighting our fires and protecting the citizens. Don't you think they deserve what they were promised when they signed on for the job?
Being the daughter of a career military person, I am also a 7th generation Floridian. I grew up having the best of both worlds, seeing the world and this country from a child's view but knowing Florida was my home and where all my family lived.
When my father retired from the Army, we moved back to central Florida and my father began his job hunt to supplement his military retirement. He took a job working for the U.S. Post Office and at the time, (this would have been 1972) many of the people he knew in non-government jobs were irritated and called him a double-dipper, because he was already drawing one retirement from the military and earning a second by working for the postal service. My father, who was a very wise man, said any young man could do the same as he did. His service was 20 years and he was guaranteed a retirement per his rank. He chose to join and his retirement was one of his benefits. He paid nothing into the system because he was a soldier.
About the same time he retired, the state of Florida was in a hiring crisis. They were desperate for teachers, firefighters and police officers due to the swarms of new residents coming to the state. To entice more college graduates to work for Florida state government, who didn't pay diddly compared to the private sector, they began offering very good benefits to their employees. It was the only way they could attract qualified people to hold these jobs. Many of these people are my age now and are at the point of retirement, or getting close.
Due to the financial inability of our legislature to keep our budgets under control, many of the representatives, including our new governor, are calling for these same employees to begin to pay their own retirement or a portion of it along with several other cuts in benefits. These employees are quite upset. I don't blame them.
They were hired under the auspices of the benefit package due to the low, low low salaries. Many of these folks have not received any kind of a raise since 2006, which was 5 years ago, and now you want to cut their benefits so the state can have a balanced budget? From all I can find online, the Florida State Retirement System is one of the most productive retirement systems in the country. They are not losing money but are staying on an even keel during this recession. Methinks the legislature would love to be able to get a hold of that money and appropriate it in other spots.
So what happens if they do this. All these government people could chose to retire early, which would mean we would have an even lower number of qualified people to fight our fires, enforce our laws and teach our children. Maybe Tallahassee believes they could just issues books to parents, fire extinguishers to each household and a gun to each person over 21 for protection from the criminals. How do you think that is going to work?
If Tallahassee wants to revamp the whole retirement system for state employees, I say, go for it. But start it on the incoming employees so they will know what they are signing up for and quit trying to make the others out as freeloaders on the state. They have all done a credible job over the last 40 years in teaching our children, fighting our fires and protecting the citizens. Don't you think they deserve what they were promised when they signed on for the job?
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