[Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to Financial Crisis

Tue Apr 28 15:36:54 PDT 2009

Good post, Paul. I agree.

Joe Campbell

On Apr 28, 2009, at 12:42 PM, Paul Rumelhart <godshatter at yahoo.com>  
wrote:

> As a staff member at UI, I would rather do furloughs than get a 3%  
> cut, and I would rather do either than have more people be laid off.
>
> I think furloughs are better than the cuts, because all of the talk  
> I've heard about them are assuming a level below which the employee  
> will not have to go on furlough.  The cuts seem to be straight  
> across the board, at least for staff.  I'm lucky enough that I can  
> take the cuts without losing too much in my finances, but I know a  
> lot of people that can't.
>
> Paul
>
> --- On Tue, 4/28/09, Saundra Lund <sslund_2007 at verizon.net> wrote:
>
> From: Saundra Lund <sslund_2007 at verizon.net>
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to Financial  
> Crisis
> To: "'Joe Campbell'" <philosopher.joe at gmail.com>, "'Dickow'" <dickow at turbonet.com 
> >
> Cc: vision2020 at moscow.com
> Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2009, 9:54 AM
>
> 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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