<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;">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.<br><br>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.<br><br>Paul<br><br>--- On <b>Tue, 4/28/09, Saundra Lund <i><sslund_2007@verizon.net></i></b> wrote:<br><blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;"><br>From: Saundra Lund <sslund_2007@verizon.net><br>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to Financial Crisis<br>To: "'Joe
Campbell'" <philosopher.joe@gmail.com>, "'Dickow'" <dickow@turbonet.com><br>Cc: vision2020@moscow.com<br>Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2009, 9:54 AM<br><br><div class="plainMail">I thought it was an excellent post as well . . . I had the privilege of<br>meeting Mr. Dickow last night for the first time & told him so in person.<br><br>I also have a question: will the new UI president also be taking a pay cut?<br>If not, then I see why anyone should have to take one.<br><br>I have another question as well: a couple of friends I have who are staff<br>members at UI are far more in favor of furloughs than pay cuts to keep<br>anyone from being fired. One friend explained it as a pay cut is going to<br>be a major hardship on many whether it comes from an actual pay cut or<br>furlough, but at least with mandatory furloughs, you get something in<br>return: some free time and the opportunity to look for a little part-time<br>gig
to make up for the reduced pay from working fewer hours. She said<br>that's what she did the last time to keep her head above water. I'm<br>wondering what others think about furloughs instead of pay cuts?<br><br>And, I have a comment as well. I think it truly admirable that so many are<br>willing to take pay cuts to save the jobs of others in the university<br>community! However, I'd be happier if I saw that same caring spirit from<br>those at the top by them being willing to sacrifice for those at the bottom<br>who can ill-afford *any* pay cut. There's a *huge* difference, IMHO,<br>between taking a pay cut that may cause you to have to skip one of several<br>vacations this year or not be able to buy a new car and not being able to go<br>to the doctor what with that $2300 deductible on the only coverage plan you<br>could afford in the first place or not being able to buy your kids new shoes<br>or being able to afford to pay
your child support.<br><br>The people I know at the lower end of the pay scales have a different<br>attitude about these pay cuts: they'd love to be in a position to be able<br>to comfortably advocate for pay cuts to save jobs. That doesn't mean that<br>they don't prefer taking pay cuts to losing their own jobs, but it's a lot<br>harder for them to swallow taking cuts that will threaten their families to<br>save the jobs of others. Some are very scared about how they'll manage to<br>live with a pay cut. And, I can't say as I blame them.<br><br><br>JMHO,<br>Saundra Lund<br>Moscow, ID<br><br>The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do<br>nothing.<br>~ Edmund Burke<br><br>***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2009 through life plus<br>70 years, Saundra Lund. Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce outside<br>the Vision 2020 forum without the express written permission of
the<br>author.*****<br><br>-----Original Message-----<br>From: <a ymailto="mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com" href="/mc/compose?to=vision2020-bounces@moscow.com">vision2020-bounces@moscow.com</a> [mailto:<a ymailto="mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com" href="/mc/compose?to=vision2020-bounces@moscow.com">vision2020-bounces@moscow.com</a>]<br>On Behalf Of Joe Campbell<br>Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 5:50 AM<br>To: Dickow<br>Cc: <a ymailto="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com" href="/mc/compose?to=vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to Financial Crisis<br><br>This is a great post. I wonder why no one has responded.<br><br>Joe Campbell<br><br>On Apr 27, 2009, at 12:23 PM, Dickow <<a ymailto="mailto:dickow@turbonet.com" href="/mc/compose?to=dickow@turbonet.com">dickow@turbonet.com</a>> wrote:<br><br>> The problem in my book concerning a 3% cut to state employees is <br>>
that it is, in effect, a direct tax on a special segment of the <br>> state's population. The state would be making up its shortfalls at <br>> the expense of state employees. I think that the state shouldn't be <br>> thought of as an entity like a company, which might indeed have to <br>> trim their employees in some form or other. But in in the case of <br>> the state, the employees would be making a sacrifice that directly <br>> benefits other people in the state, not the owners of a somel <br>> corporation. A more equitable solution to the state's budgetary woes <br>> would be to impose a tax of some kind on everyone in the state. <br>> Then, everyone might have to kick back 1/2 percent or something, and <br>> all would be well. But alas, raising taxes is political NO NO! <br>> And... by the way, whatever happened to the state's Emergency Fund.
<br>> did they spend that already?<br>><br>> Bob Dickow, troublemaker<br>><br>> -----Original message-----<br>> From: Joe Campbell <a ymailto="mailto:philosopher.joe@gmail.com" href="/mc/compose?to=philosopher.joe@gmail.com">philosopher.joe@gmail.com</a><br>> Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2009 09:37:18 -0700<br>> To: lfalen <a ymailto="mailto:lfalen@turbonet.com" href="/mc/compose?to=lfalen@turbonet.com">lfalen@turbonet.com</a><br>> Subject: [Spam] Re: [Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to <br>> Financial Crisis<br>><br>>> I'm sorry to hear about your wife's situation, Roger. Staff is <br>>> getting<br>>> the worst of it at WSU, too.<br>>><br>>> But I still think Nick has a point. Here is one way to put it. Would<br>>> you or anyone else on this list be willing to "cut" your pay by <br>>> giving<br>>> 3% more to the state of ID to help prevent folks at UI from
being<br>>> fired? If you and others say "yes," then I'm on board, as well!<br>>><br>>> Joe Campbell<br>>><br>>> On Apr 27, 2009, at 10:03 AM, lfalen <<a ymailto="mailto:lfalen@turbonet.com" href="/mc/compose?to=lfalen@turbonet.com">lfalen@turbonet.com</a>> wrote:<br>>><br>>>> Joe<br>>>> I do no want you or any one else to lose their job. I think that pay<br>>>> cuts are preferable to layoffs.It is inevitably that some programs<br>>>> will be cut. there are no students or very few for a class it will<br>>>> be cut. My wife is staff in the PSES department at UI. She runs the<br>>>> Soils Pedology Lab. She will receive an award for 40 years of<br>>>> service today. She puts in 10 to 12 hours a day and does not get<br>>>> comp. time. She had cancer in 2003. She had surgery, chemo,<br>>>> radiation and the whole ball of wax.
She is still suffering from<br>>>> the after affects. She takes a lot of Ibuprofen and diuretics to<br>>>> keep on going. She is not yet eligible for full Social Security.<br>>>> <snip>....<br>><br>> =======================================================<br>> List services made available by First Step Internet,<br>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.<br>> <a href="http://www.fsr.net" target="_blank">http://www.fsr.net</a><br>> mailto:<a ymailto="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com" href="/mc/compose?to=Vision2020@moscow.com">Vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>> =======================================================<br><br>=======================================================<br> List services made available by First Step Internet, <br> serving the communities of the Palouse since
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