[Vision2020] A 5% percent pay cut

Thu Feb 3 12:32:54 PST 2011

Darrell, Donovan, and Kai:

THANK YOU, Darrell! But I'm aware that I'm not alone, and nor do I think
that I have it bad or even worse than others (Kai is a good -- or maybe bad
-- example of someone who has suffered more than I'm likely to suffer). I
have more than a few relatives who have been forced into early retirement,
as well.

I was speaking about private industry when I made the claim that no one
makes across the board cuts. Government is like education: not a good model
for examples of how to run a business. Donovan says "This sort of thing
happens all the time in the business world" but I don't recall the last time
McDonald's or IBM cut EVERYONE's wages 5%. I don't see this as a viable
business strategy and if we're going to adopt a business model for higher ed
(not something I agree with, but that's another issue), then let's go all
the way. Let's act like a REAL business and make hard choices. Perhaps I'm
missing something but I really can't think of many examples where PRIVATE
industries cut salaries 5% across the board. Maybe Donovan or whomever can
offer an example or two or three.

Donovan also says: "The problem is not that people don't want to spend money
on education, or that enough is not being spent, it is that it is being
misappropriated and not effectively used as it could be."

This is propaganda bullshit, honestly. Give 5 examples of misappropriated
use of funding at UI or WSU. The misconception is that there is a lot of
waste, a lot of fat to be cut in higher ed. In the philosophy department at
WSU, salary is over 90% of the overall budget. The rest is our copy machine,
phones, etc. We've been doing budget exercises for years now and, trust me,
the fat has been cut. The only way to cut funding further in higher ed is to
cut salaries (either across the board or by firing specific people). That is
it. When you talk about cutting education, you are talking about cutting the
salaries of the majority of people in this region.

Try to be part of the solution, Donovan, instead of just complaining about
the problems. Please tell us, explicitly, which people you would fire in
order to get the budget to your liking. Which departments would you cut?
Which services? Which staff? These are difficult decisions and I'm glad I
don't have to make them. You seem to be under the delusion that our problems
are due to mismanagement. They are not. They are due to either (a) a
bureaucratic system that has more folks than they need (in which case you
should tell us whom to get rid of) or (b) a public that is unaware of the
costs of adequate education and/or unwilling to pay for it.

Kai writes: "I get really tired of public.sector employees whining about pay
cuts and furloughs while private sector employees get hammered. Where the
hell do public employees think the money for their paychecks comes from? The
magic funding fairy?"

I'm not whining about anything. I'm just saying across the board cuts and
furloughs are a bad idea. You want to fire 5% of the work force? Do it.
Don't hide the fact that you want to pay less for education (yet expect to
get the same) by spreading the pain. Getting rid of 5% of the work force is
a BETTER idea than cutting 5% across the board. Again, show me a viable
private business that adopts this model and I'll change my tune.

And for the record, EVERYONE's salary comes from others. I agree that others
are ultimately paying my salary but this is true of EVERYONE. We're all
paying each other's salary.

On Thu, Feb 3, 2011 at 11:35 AM, Darrell Keim <keim153 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Kai:  I hated to see that happen to you.  Hated it.  I really enjoyed The
> Latah Eagle, and feel a void in local news since it closed.
>
> Joe:  Boy do I agree with your comments on education.  Across the board is
> not the way to go.  I can't speak to other schools, but WSU really seems top
> heavy.  The administrators and athletics take up huge budget chunks, and I
> question the value.
>
> There are examples outside of education where the types of cuts you
> describe happen.  I can't think of examples in private industry, but I can
> think of examples in gov't.  For instance, last year the Idaho Department of
> Health and Welfare took huge cuts.  It started with an across the board
> furlough.  It ended with the department being decimated by budget cuts.
>  While I feel your pain in education, realize you are not totally alone in
> being singled out for these types of cuts.
>
>
> On Thu, Feb 3, 2011 at 6:24 AM, Joe Campbell <philosopher.joe at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> Sorry to hear about your troubles, Kai!
>>
>> But there is no way that an across the board cut is the way to go. It is a
>> bad idea. If someone can show me examples of businesses where this kind of
>> approach happens with the regularity it is used to "solve" problems in
>> education I might change my mind. But it is my impression that in most cases
>> in the cold, hard, real world when they need to save 5%, people get fired.
>> The fact is folks no longer value education. The public seems unwilling to
>> pay for higher education to the extent that they once did. The 5% cut
>> suggests that the answer to this is that we (those of us in higher
>> education) do what we've been doing and take a pay cut. The assumption is
>> that even though the folks at UI have not received a raise in over 5 years
>> and have accepted a furlough, that they should now accept a 5% pay cut and
>> everything will continue as it once did, doing more with less. Again, I have
>> a hard time thinking of examples outside of education where this kind of
>> thing happens. It strikes me as a kind of dream world.
>>
>> Fire people, make class sizes larger than they already are, and make
>> professors less available and accessible to the students than they were when
>> you and I were in school. Make it hurt. See what you get. Show the public
>> the kind of education system that they are willing to pay for. If they want
>> something more -- more teachers, more employees, more jobs -- they should
>> pay for it.
>>
>> On Wed, Feb 2, 2011 at 10:20 PM, Kai Eiselein <fotopro63 at hotmail.com>wrote:
>>
>>>  Chris, let me get this straight.
>>> You took a demotion to stay employed.
>>> You are facing a 5% pay cut.
>>> You still have a job.
>>> Try this:
>>> Work for years to purchase a business in an industry you love.
>>> You finally purchase the business of your dreams.
>>> The economy tanks two months after you purchase said business.
>>> Eleven months later you close the doors after watching your dreams turn
>>> to dust in front of your eyes.
>>> You walk away unemployed, $100K in debt with nothing to show for it and
>>> begin trying to figure out how to get yourself out of this hole.
>>>
>>> And you are worried about 5 effin percent.
>>> Three words: Kiss my a$$
>>>
>>> > From: vision2020-request at moscow.com
>>> > Subject: Vision2020 Digest, Vol 56, Issue 15
>>> > To: vision2020 at moscow.com
>>> > Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2011 15:54:33 -0800
>>> >
>>> > Send Vision2020 mailing list submissions to
>>> > vision2020 at moscow.com
>>> >
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>>> > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
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>>> >
>>> > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
>>> > than "Re: Contents of Vision2020 digest..."
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > Today's Topics:
>>> >
>>> > 1. Re: A proposal to balance the budget (lfalen)
>>> > 2. picture non-political (lfalen)
>>> > 3. Bellevue, WA: 52.3 F; Moscow, ID: 28.8 F (Kenneth Marcy)
>>> > 4. Re: Bellevue, WA: 52.3 F; Moscow, ID: 28.8 F (Ron Force)
>>> > 5. Re: Bellevue, WA: 52.3 F; Moscow, ID: 28.8 F (Carl Westberg)
>>> > 6. Senate Democrats Block GOP Bid to Repeal Health Care Law
>>> > (Tom Hansen)
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> >
>>> > Message: 1
>>> > Date: Wed, 02 Feb 2011 12:01:53 -0800
>>> > From: lfalen <lfalen at turbonet.com>
>>> > Subject: Re: [Vision2020] A proposal to balance the budget
>>> > To: bear at moscow.com
>>> > Cc: vision2020 at moscow.com
>>> > Message-ID: <f4750eea6e468415dd48b8b1161cc901 at turbonet.com>
>>> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > My wife also took a furlough last year and offered to take one again
>>> this year. She does not have any option. If her boss does not have a grant,
>>> she is cut.
>>> > Roger
>>> >
>>> > ----Original message-----
>>> > From: bear at moscow.com
>>> > Date: Tue, 01 Feb 2011 18:50:22 -0800
>>> > To: "lfalen" lfalen at turbonet.com
>>> > Subject: Re: [Vision2020] A proposal to balance the budget
>>> >
>>> > >
>>> > > Roger,
>>> > >
>>> > > As someone who has had to face the cuts imposed by CALS, I find your
>>> > > suggestions a but short sighted. I did not have science or research
>>> in my
>>> > > title and have over 8 years of seniority but I still was laid off by
>>> the
>>> > > College and to retain employment and benefits was forced to take a
>>> > > demotion. I was also one of the few people in CALS that had to take
>>> > > furlough days last year. Yet you suggest I should be willing and even
>>> > > happy to accept a 5% cut! While I feel for the people who now have to
>>> be
>>> > > paid via grant funding via the PI, the fact remains that is an option
>>> for
>>> > > them. Why shouldn't the extension offices as state and federal
>>> employees
>>> > > take the same cuts that have been imposed by the Gov. as the on
>>> campus
>>> > > departments and offices have had to absorb?
>>> > >
>>> > > All I am saying is that the problem is more complex than everyone
>>> take a
>>> > > 5% cut across the board.
>>> > >
>>> > > Chris Price
>>> > >
>>> > >
>>> > >
>>> > > > Here are some proposals to balance Federal, State and University
>>> Budgets
>>> > > > .
>>> > > > First I would take care of the mentally ill, the disabled and our
>>> > > > veterans.
>>> > > > All government employees (state and Federal) should take a 5% pay
>>> cut. The
>>> > > > private sector has taken cuts(except for Wall Street and a few
>>> others).
>>> > > > This should start with all Federal legislators. State legislators
>>> are not
>>> > > > paid that much in Idaho.
>>> > > > The University could easily balance their budget by doing so.
>>> Instead they
>>> > > > are making cuts at the low end. Cals is making the cuts on those
>>> staff
>>> > > > that have science or research in their title. This is a highly
>>> arbitrary
>>> > > > way to do it and is not based on merit or seniority. The PI that
>>> they
>>> > > > work for will have to come up with half their salary from other
>>> sources
>>> > > > such as grants. My wife has been cut to 87.5%. She is now paid for
>>> 7 hours
>>> > > > but still puts in about 12 hours a day. In june she will probably
>>> be cut
>>> > > > to half time. This means that her benefits will no longer be picked
>>> up by
>>> > > > the University. One can not afford to work for that, She has worked
>>> for
>>> > > > the UI for over 40 years. She has 3 more years to go before
>>> reaching SS
>>> > > > retirement age.
>>> > > > An across the board 5% cut would not hurt anyone that much and it
>>> would
>>> > > > easier to save the desired dollars than cutting some staff by 80 or
>>> 50%
>>> > > > The UI has opened up 4 offices in China to recruit students. Why?
>>> The UI
>>> > > > is a land grant college. They should take care of their base first.
>>> > > > Recruit in China when times are better.
>>> > > > Other ways to save money. Review all government agencies for ways
>>> they
>>> > > > can be reduced. All agencies should come with a sunset. If after a
>>> set
>>> > > > period of time they would need to be re-evaluated and authorised.
>>> If the
>>> > > > wern't they would go out of existence. All lawmakers should be on
>>> the same
>>> > > > benefits that they legislate for the rest of us.
>>> > > > All cuts in pay or personnel should start at the top. The UI like
>>> most
>>> > > > other government agencies have greatly expanded at the
>>> administrative
>>> > > > level. That is where the cuts should start. Diversity is important,
>>> but
>>> > > > the UI does nt need in excess of 20 people to handle it. There
>>> should be
>>> > > > on director and an assistant. They can then work with someone in
>>> the
>>> > > > individual departments or colleges.
>>> > > > If Administrators were trimmed back at the Federal, State and
>>> University
>>> > > > level more programs and jobs could be save on balance.
>>> > > > Help the handicapped fine jobs. When I was with Carnation and Manna
>>> Pro
>>> > > > our Small World line of Wild bird seeds were packaged by
>>> handicapped
>>> > > > people.
>>> > > > These are only a few things that can be done to balance the budget
>>> and at
>>> > > > the same time save valuable programs such as aid for the mentally
>>> ill.
>>> > > > Roger
>>> > > >
>>> > > > =======================================================
>>> > > > List services made available by First Step Internet,
>>> > > > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>>> > > > http://www.fsr.net
>>> > > > mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>>> > > > =======================================================
>>> > > >
>>> > >
>>> > >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > ------------------------------
>>> >
>>> > Message: 2
>>> > Date: Wed, 02 Feb 2011 12:37:09 -0800
>>> > From: lfalen <lfalen at turbonet.com>
>>> > Subject: [Vision2020] picture non-political
>>> > To: vision2020 at moscow.com
>>> > Message-ID: <f8e72a889022aa6284529e8b24b40737 at turbonet.com>
>>> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>>> >
>>> > Maynard Fosberg's horse,( Tucker) made the front page of today's Daily
>>> News.
>>> >
>>> > Roger
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > ------------------------------
>>> >
>>> > Message: 3
>>> > Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2011 14:18:13 -0800
>>> > From: Kenneth Marcy <kmmos1 at frontier.com>
>>> > Subject: [Vision2020] Bellevue, WA: 52.3 F; Moscow, ID: 28.8 F
>>> > To: vision2020 at moscow.com
>>> > Message-ID: <201102021418.14015.kmmos1 at frontier.com>
>>> > Content-Type: Text/Plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>> >
>>> > Temperature (Fahrenheit):
>>> > Bellevue, WA: 52.3; Moscow, ID: 28.8
>>> > Updated: 1:21 PM PST on February 02, 2011
>>> >
>>> > Elevation above mean sea level (feet):
>>> > Bellevue, WA: 300; Moscow, ID: 2650
>>> >
>>> > Atmospheric blanket assists temperature stability.
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > Ken
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > ------------------------------
>>> >
>>> > Message: 4
>>> > Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2011 15:17:58 -0800 (PST)
>>> > From: Ron Force <rforce2003 at yahoo.com>
>>> > Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Bellevue, WA: 52.3 F; Moscow, ID: 28.8 F
>>> > To: Kenneth Marcy <kmmos1 at frontier.com>, vision2020 at moscow.com
>>> > Message-ID: <776999.87710.qm at web46114.mail.sp1.yahoo.com>
>>> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>> >
>>> > So does a large body of water...
>>> >
>>> > Ron Force
>>> > Moscow Idaho USA
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > ________________________________
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > Atmospheric blanket assists temperature stability.
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > Ken
>>> >
>>> > =
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > -------------- next part --------------
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>>> >
>>> > ------------------------------
>>> >
>>> > Message: 5
>>> > Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2011 15:54:24 -0800
>>> > From: Carl Westberg <idahovandal1 at live.com>
>>> > Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Bellevue, WA: 52.3 F; Moscow, ID: 28.8 F
>>> > To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>>> > Message-ID: <SNT105-W303447164AAFC4DE134796E9E40 at phx.gbl>
>>> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > So Paradise Creek doesn't count? I mean there are times you can almost
>>> see water in it.
>>> >
>>> > Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2011 15:17:58 -0800
>>> > From: rforce2003 at yahoo.com
>>> > To: kmmos1 at frontier.com; vision2020 at moscow.com
>>> > Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Bellevue, WA: 52.3 F; Moscow, ID: 28.8 F
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > So does a large body of water...
>>> > Ron Force
>>> > Moscow Idaho USA
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > Atmospheric blanket assists temperature stability.
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > Ken
>>> >
>>> > =
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > =======================================================
>>> > List services made available by First Step Internet,
>>> > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>>> > http://www.fsr.net
>>> > mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>>> > =======================================================
>>> > -------------- next part --------------
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>>> >
>>> > ------------------------------
>>> >
>>> > Message: 6
>>> > Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2011 15:54:33 -0800 (PST)
>>> > From: "Tom Hansen" <thansen at moscow.com>
>>> > Subject: [Vision2020] Senate Democrats Block GOP Bid to Repeal Health
>>> > Care Law
>>> > To: "Moscow Vision 2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>>> > Message-ID: <0295caa7e15c1a13f71f08c1785996e3.squirrel at secure.fsr.com>
>>> > Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1
>>> >
>>> > Courtesy of CNN at:
>>> >
>>> > http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/02/02/senate.health.care/index.html
>>> >
>>> > ---------------------------------------------------------
>>> >
>>> > Senate Democrats block GOP bid to repeal health care law
>>> > Washington (CNN) -- Senate Democrats on Wednesday blocked a Republican
>>> > effort to repeal the health care reform bill passed last year.
>>> >
>>> > The 51-47 vote, along party lines, meant the procedural motion failed
>>> to
>>> > get the necessary 60 votes to pass.
>>> >
>>> > The Republican-controlled House of Representatives has passed a bill to
>>> > repeal the health care overhaul. However, Democrats used their majority
>>> in
>>> > the Senate to block a similar measure proposed by the Republican
>>> minority
>>> > as an amendment to another bill.
>>> >
>>> > Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said Tuesday he wanted to
>>> get
>>> > the repeal effort "out of the system" so the Senate could move ahead
>>> with
>>> > other business, while his Republican counterpart said his party was
>>> > fulfilling an obligation to voters from last year's congressional
>>> > elections.
>>> >
>>> > "It would be a dereliction of duty if Republicans didn't fight for
>>> > repeal," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky. "We
>>> made
>>> > a promise to our constituents that we would vote to repeal this bill on
>>> > their behalf. And that's just what we intend to do."
>>> >
>>> > Wednesday's vote amounted to a push by Republicans to get Democratic
>>> > opposition to a full repeal on the record in the form of votes against
>>> the
>>> > amendment. Led by President Barack Obama, Democrats concede the health
>>> > care overhaul can be improved, but they oppose rolling back benefits
>>> for
>>> > consumers against health insurance industry practices such as denying
>>> > coverage due to pre-existing conditions.
>>> >
>>> > "We're not going to go back and fight the battles of the last two
>>> years,"
>>> > White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Wednesday. "We're not
>>> going
>>> > to go backward. We're going to move forward."
>>> >
>>> > Overall, the Republicans oppose the increased government role in
>>> > regulating health care, claiming it will impinge on individuals' right
>>> to
>>> > choose care options in the future. Democrats say the law enacted last
>>> year
>>> > will better control skyrocketing health care costs and expand coverage
>>> to
>>> > millions of people currently lacking health insurance.
>>> >
>>> > The specific motion the Senate voted on Wednesday involved a Democratic
>>> > challenge to the Republican repeal amendment on the grounds that it
>>> would
>>> > increase the federal deficit. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget
>>> Office
>>> > has said the health care reform law will lower the deficit, so
>>> Democrats
>>> > argue that repealing it would increase the deficit.
>>> >
>>> > By filing a budget point of order against the repeal amendment,
>>> Democrats
>>> > forced Republicans to hold a vote on waiving the point of order to
>>> > consider the amendment. That required 60 votes in the 100-seat Senate
>>> to
>>> > pass, a threshold out of reach of the Republicans, who hold 47 seats.
>>> >
>>> > Using the budget challenge was a way for Democrats to say they voted
>>> for
>>> > fiscal responsibility, while Republicans contend the public will
>>> > understand that the vote was really against the repeal of health care
>>> > reform.
>>> >
>>> > While a repeal of the entire health care law won't move forward, Senate
>>> > Democrats joined Republicans in voting for the elimination of a rule,
>>> > scheduled to take effect in 2012, requiring businesses to issue Form
>>> 1099s
>>> > to any individual or corporation from which they buy more than $600 in
>>> > goods or services in a year. Most liberals and conservatives view the
>>> rule
>>> > as an unnecessary burden on private-sector employers.
>>> >
>>> > The push for an outright repeal is one of several strategies currently
>>> > being pursued by the GOP leadership in order to undermine support for
>>> the
>>> > law. Senate Republicans also introduced legislation Tuesday that would
>>> > allow states to opt out of key provisions of the new health care law.
>>> >
>>> > Specifically, the bill would allow state governments to opt out of the
>>> > so-called "individual mandate" requiring everyone to obtain health care
>>> > coverage by 2014 or face penalties. It would also allow states to
>>> ignore
>>> > new mandates regarding employer-based coverage, insurance benefits and
>>> an
>>> > expansion of Medicaid.
>>> >
>>> > The motion was introduced one day after a federal judge in Florida
>>> issued
>>> > a sweeping ruling against the law, siding with 26 states that had
>>> > challenged the measure and setting up a likely Supreme Court challenge
>>> in
>>> > the months ahead.
>>> >
>>> > A federal judge in eastern Virginia has also found the health care law
>>> > unconstitutional, while two other federal judges, one in western
>>> Virginia
>>> > and one in Michigan, have ruled the opposite. Twelve other federal
>>> judges
>>> > have dismissed challenges to the law, according to the White House
>>> >
>>> > ---------------------------------------------------------
>>> >
>>> > Seeya round town, Moscow.
>>> >
>>> > Tom Hansen
>>> > Moscow, Idaho
>>> >
>>> > "The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to
>>> change
>>> > and the Realist adjusts his sails."
>>> >
>>> > - Unknown
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > ------------------------------
>>> >
>>> > =======================================================
>>> > List services made available by First Step Internet,
>>> > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>>> > http://www.fsr.net
>>> > mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>>> > =======================================================
>>> >
>>> > End of Vision2020 Digest, Vol 56, Issue 15
>>> > ******************************************
>>>
>>> =======================================================
>>>  List services made available by First Step Internet,
>>>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>>>               http://www.fsr.net
>>>          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>>> =======================================================
>>>
>>
>>
>> =======================================================
>>  List services made available by First Step Internet,
>>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>>               http://www.fsr.net
>>          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>> =======================================================
>>
>
>
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