[Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to Financial Crisis
Tom Hansen
thansen at moscow.com
Tue Apr 28 11:53:04 PDT 2009
I would be more than willing to take a pay cut (including my military retirement pension) if it
meant saving the job and keeping food on the dinner table of another.
But, then, I guess that I just ain's as self-serving as some.
Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
> Saundra
> I would be on the fence about furloughs, but agree with your last two paragraphs.
> Roger
> -----Original message-----
> From: "Saundra Lund" sslund_2007 at verizon.net
> Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:54:56 -0700
> To: "'Joe Campbell'" philosopher.joe at gmail.com, "'Dickow'" dickow at turbonet.com
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to Financial Crisis
>
>> I thought it was an excellent post as well . . . I had the privilege of
>> meeting Mr. Dickow last night for the first time & told him so in person.
>>
>> I also have a question: will the new UI president also be taking a pay cut?
>> If not, then I see why anyone should have to take one.
>>
>> I have another question as well: a couple of friends I have who are staff
>> members at UI are far more in favor of furloughs than pay cuts to keep
>> anyone from being fired. One friend explained it as a pay cut is going to
>> be a major hardship on many whether it comes from an actual pay cut or
>> furlough, but at least with mandatory furloughs, you get something in
>> return: some free time and the opportunity to look for a little part-time
>> gig to make up for the reduced pay from working fewer hours. She said
>> that's what she did the last time to keep her head above water. I'm
>> wondering what others think about furloughs instead of pay cuts?
>>
>> And, I have a comment as well. I think it truly admirable that so many are
>> willing to take pay cuts to save the jobs of others in the university
>> community! However, I'd be happier if I saw that same caring spirit from
>> those at the top by them being willing to sacrifice for those at the bottom
>> who can ill-afford *any* pay cut. There's a *huge* difference, IMHO,
>> between taking a pay cut that may cause you to have to skip one of several
>> vacations this year or not be able to buy a new car and not being able to go
>> to the doctor what with that $2300 deductible on the only coverage plan you
>> could afford in the first place or not being able to buy your kids new shoes
>> or being able to afford to pay your child support.
>>
>> The people I know at the lower end of the pay scales have a different
>> attitude about these pay cuts: they'd love to be in a position to be able
>> to comfortably advocate for pay cuts to save jobs. That doesn't mean that
>> they don't prefer taking pay cuts to losing their own jobs, but it's a lot
>> harder for them to swallow taking cuts that will threaten their families to
>> save the jobs of others. Some are very scared about how they'll manage to
>> live with a pay cut. And, I can't say as I blame them.
>>
>>
>> JMHO,
>> Saundra Lund
>> Moscow, ID
>>
>> The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do
>> nothing.
>> ~ Edmund Burke
>>
>> ***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2009 through life plus
>> 70 years, Saundra Lund. Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce outside
>> the Vision 2020 forum without the express written permission of the
>> author.*****
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
>> On Behalf Of Joe Campbell
>> Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 5:50 AM
>> To: Dickow
>> Cc: vision2020 at moscow.com
>> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to Financial Crisis
>>
>> This is a great post. I wonder why no one has responded.
>>
>> Joe Campbell
>>
>> On Apr 27, 2009, at 12:23 PM, Dickow <dickow at turbonet.com> wrote:
>>
>> > The problem in my book concerning a 3% cut to state employees is
>> > that it is, in effect, a direct tax on a special segment of the
>> > state's population. The state would be making up its shortfalls at
>> > the expense of state employees. I think that the state shouldn't be
>> > thought of as an entity like a company, which might indeed have to
>> > trim their employees in some form or other. But in in the case of
>> > the state, the employees would be making a sacrifice that directly
>> > benefits other people in the state, not the owners of a somel
>> > corporation. A more equitable solution to the state's budgetary woes
>> > would be to impose a tax of some kind on everyone in the state.
>> > Then, everyone might have to kick back 1/2 percent or something, and
>> > all would be well. But alas, raising taxes is political NO NO!
>> > And... by the way, whatever happened to the state's Emergency Fund.
>> > did they spend that already?
>> >
>> > Bob Dickow, troublemaker
>> >
>> > -----Original message-----
>> > From: Joe Campbell philosopher.joe at gmail.com
>> > Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2009 09:37:18 -0700
>> > To: lfalen lfalen at turbonet.com
>> > Subject: [Spam] Re: [Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to
>> > Financial Crisis
>> >
>> >> I'm sorry to hear about your wife's situation, Roger. Staff is
>> >> getting
>> >> the worst of it at WSU, too.
>> >>
>> >> But I still think Nick has a point. Here is one way to put it. Would
>> >> you or anyone else on this list be willing to "cut" your pay by
>> >> giving
>> >> 3% more to the state of ID to help prevent folks at UI from being
>> >> fired? If you and others say "yes," then I'm on board, as well!
>> >>
>> >> Joe Campbell
>> >>
>> >> On Apr 27, 2009, at 10:03 AM, lfalen <lfalen at turbonet.com> wrote:
>> >>
>> >>> Joe
>> >>> I do no want you or any one else to lose their job. I think that pay
>> >>> cuts are preferable to layoffs.It is inevitably that some programs
>> >>> will be cut. there are no students or very few for a class it will
>> >>> be cut. My wife is staff in the PSES department at UI. She runs the
>> >>> Soils Pedology Lab. She will receive an award for 40 years of
>> >>> service today. She puts in 10 to 12 hours a day and does not get
>> >>> comp. time. She had cancer in 2003. She had surgery, chemo,
>> >>> radiation and the whole ball of wax. She is still suffering from
>> >>> the after affects. She takes a lot of Ibuprofen and diuretics to
>> >>> keep on going. She is not yet eligible for full Social Security.
>> >>> <snip>....
>> >
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