Detroit politicians asking for pay raise using false numbers to justify it

[Exterous]

Detroit city council members are struggling, it seems, and need a pay raise. After all, they did take a 10% pay cut due to the bankruptcy so now they only make 3x more than the median household income of Detroit and get a free car, free gas, free phone etc.

Perhaps they could have had better timing...

The original request for pay raises — coming the same week as cuts to Detroit retirees' pension checks went into effect as a result of the city's bankruptcy — was a "slap in the face," said retired water department worker Annie Kuykendall

But thats ok you can just make it better by making false claims to justify your request:

Among the issues we found the Detroit HR Director listed the salaries for Boston's Mayor and City Council as $217,000 and $108,500 respectively. But those were with a pay raise that was vetoed by Boston's Mayor last fall.

The Detroit HR Director listed the pay for Denver's Mayor and City Council as $171,197 and $91,915 respectively. But those are not current salaries, they are set to go into effect in the 2016 fiscal year.

Lets also ignore the fact that the median household of Boston and Denver are quite a bit higher than Detroit. Detroit politicians actually make more as ratio of Salary:Median income than both Denver or Boston. And there is that little issue that neither of those two cities have been through a bankruptcy.

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2015/03/16/detroit-city-council-pay/24845581/
http://www.wxyz.com/news/region/detroit/detroit-city-council-puts-off-vote-on-pay-raises-requested-by-council-president-and-city-clerk

Still we should feel bad for how tough they have it:

Winfrey said she is severely underpaid and Jones said she works long hours and on weekends.

Won't someone think of the poor politicians?

 

[PokerGuy]

Hey, we obviously need to pay them more. Wouldn't it be terrible to risk losing the kind talent that helped push the city to such wonderful achievements and solid performance??

 

[NoCreativity]

Detroit city council members are struggling, it seems, and need a pay raise. After all, they did take a 10% pay cut due to the bankruptcy so now they only make 3x more than the median household income of Detroit and get a free car, free gas, free phone etc.

Perhaps they could have had better timing...



But thats ok you can just make it better by making false claims to justify your request:



Lets also ignore the fact that the median household of Boston and Denver are quite a bit higher than Detroit. Detroit politicians actually make more as ratio of Salary:Median income than both Denver or Boston. And there is that little issue that neither of those two cities have been through a bankruptcy.

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2015/03/16/detroit-city-council-pay/24845581/
http://www.wxyz.com/news/region/detroit/detroit-city-council-puts-off-vote-on-pay-raises-requested-by-council-president-and-city-clerk

Still we should feel bad for how tough they have it:


Won't someone think of the poor politicians?

Hopefully residents have a long memory come election time and boot the idiots who ask for /approve a raise. Sadly I doubt that will happen.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

The one thing D's and R's can come together on and sing kumbaya holding hands.... Not paying politicians more

2 Things.
1. You got into the public sector to serve the people. Not to be paid 6-figures and have mansions all over the US. Deal with it. You want fat raises and bling bling? Go work for a private sector.
2. Much like the private sector, you SHOULD be paid on performance. And in that case, everyone in Detroit would be laid off and bring in new talent that doesn't cry like babies that their salary doesn't go up when they had piss poor performance.

 

[Tweak155]

They earn under $90k? That does seem kinda low to me.

 

[PokerGuy]

Hopefully residents have a long memory come election time and boot the idiots who ask for /approve a raise. Sadly I doubt that will happen.

Are you kidding? Keep in mind, these are the same voters that put those morons that ran the city into the ground in office over and over. What in the world makes you think they would do anything different?

 

[PokerGuy]

They earn under $90k? That does seem kinda low to me.

Compared to what?

 

[boomerang]

They earn under $90k? That does seem kinda low to me.

I guess that depends on the price tag you put on compensation for incompetence.

 

[Tweak155]

Compared to what?

Compared to other jobs that pay more that impact less people.

I guess that depends on the price tag you put on compensation for incompetence.

The person may be incompetent, but it's the position / duties that should have an assigned value. The solution to your stated problem is to replace the person, not lower the salary.

 

[PokerGuy]

Compared to other jobs that pay more that impact less people.

If I compare their salary to other completely incompetent people, I find them to be grossly overpaid. I can find other incompetent idiots for far less.

The solution to your stated problem is to replace the person, not lower the salary.

And what is the solution to not having money to pay higher salaries?

 

[boomerang]

The person may be incompetent, but it's the position / duties that should have an assigned value. The solution to your stated problem is to replace the person, not lower the salary.

Well, I don't get to decide such things, I just get to subsidize the losses the city has incurred under 50+ years of failed leadership. I don't get to vote in Detroit elections.

I've never bought into the higher pay attracts higher competency mantra especially in government. In government, higher pay just attracts people looking for more compensation. It's made worse with people elected to a position that the public is stuck with until their term runs out.

 

[Tweak155]

And what is the solution to not having money to pay higher salaries?

Find people worth more that are willing to work for less? :biggrin:

 

[Tweak155]

Well, I don't get to decide such things, I just get to subsidize the losses the city has incurred under 50+ years of failed leadership. I don't get to vote in Detroit elections.

I've never bought into the higher pay attracts higher competency mantra especially in government. In government, higher pay just attracts people looking for more compensation. It's made worse with people elected to a position that the public is stuck with until their term runs out.

That does complicate things.

 

[PokerGuy]

Find people worth more that are willing to work for less? :biggrin:

I like it, that's innovative thinking

The reality is that Detroit has been horribly mismanaged for 50+ years, to the point of being the first major city in the country to ever go bankrupt. Sure we can blame the "leaders", but ultimately you have to point the finger at those who keep voting in idiots time after time.

It takes a lot of nerve to demand getting a pay raise after decades of shocking incompetence.

 

[NoCreativity]

Well, they got their pay raise.

2.5%. Caveat is that the council can veto it with a 2/3rds vote.

 

[alcoholbob]

Hey, we obviously need to pay them more. Wouldn't it be terrible to risk losing the kind talent that helped push the city to such wonderful achievements and solid performance??

They are doing their job as crony politicians though, which is looking after the interests of their unproductive shareholders (citizens). Hey if Wall Street bankers get bonuses for bailout money these politicians have an argument for getting big bonuses for getting federal bailout money. They did their job by bringing on outside "investment" even if that money is the result of, in the words of Barack Obama, "the state monopoly on violence."

 

[LTC8K6]

Well, they got their pay raise.

2.5%. Caveat is that the council can veto it with a 2/3rds vote.

$38 a week isn't much of a raise.

But I think I see why:

Because the commission's recommendation is within the approved budget, the state financial review commission appointed to oversee the city's spending might not need to approve the 2.5% hike.

 

[Exterous]

Well, they got their pay raise.

2.5%. Caveat is that the council can veto it with a 2/3rds vote.

Sigh...

 

[NoCreativity]

$38 a week isn't much of a raise.

But I think I see why:

No, it's not. But when you've refused raises for the common worker for a decade (while cutting their pay, furloughing them, cutting benefits, etc.) and you are cutting retiree pensions you shouldn't be getting a raise no matter how insignificant.

 

[HomerJS]

Hey, we obviously need to pay them more. Wouldn't it be terrible to risk losing the kind talent that helped push the city to such wonderful achievements and solid performance??

Not that I agree with raise but that very logic is a norm for Wall Street

 

[DAPUNISHER]

No, it's not. But when you've refused raises for the common worker for a decade (while cutting their pay, furloughing them, cutting benefits, etc.) and you are cutting retiree pensions you shouldn't be getting a raise no matter how insignificant.

Exactly. You should in fact, be taking the pay cuts and loss of benefits forced on other city employees.