Guarino

New Year C4GC

City Council members, County Commissioners Need to Scale Down Employee Benefits

I have been clicking around on the city and county websites to learn more about fringe benefits offered to local governmental employees.

In the past, civil service employees were granted very generous benefit packages because the assumption was that their earning potential would be less than that for employees in the private sector.  However, that is no longer true.  Now governmental employees tend to do better than private sector employees.  Under the system of Eurosocialism introduced by Obama, public sector workers are the new aristocracy.

There is now enormous fiscal pressure on both the city and the county.  Both the city and the county need to reevaluate the lavish benefit packages afforded local governmental employees.

The city's benefit package is described here.  The county's is described here.

Here are several things that jump out at me:

1. Both the city and the county allow 12 paid sick days per year.  This is incredibly wasteful, and likely has few parallels in the private sector.  Both the city and the county need to rid themselves of this benefit, and adopt a Paid Annual Leave (PAL) system that is inclusive of both vacation and sick leave.  If the employee lays out sick, it should come from the same pot as his vacation time.  No additional time should be allotted under the assumption that employees are going to take sick days. 

2. Vacation benefits are extravagant. Both the city and county start at two weeks per year (or more), and increase with tenure to nearly five weeks per year.  Again, I am not sure the private sector is typically offering this level of benefit, but even if it did, it is too much.  Paid Annual Leave (PAL) should start at one week per year, and increase over time to three weeks annually, max.

3. Medical benefits typically are excessive and extremely expensive.  United Healthcare (UHC) is the insurer for both the city and the county.  Employees often have gold-plated health care plans with little or no copayment or deductible.  Both the city and county should shop and get quotes from other insurers; and should not give UHC preferential treatment because it has operations in Greensboro.  Moreover, both the county and city should increase deductibles dramatically and adopt consumer-driven plans.  It is not clear to what extent dependent coverage is subsidized by taxpayers; but employees should be responsible for the entire cost of dependent coverage, as they often are in the private sector.

4. Vision and dental insurance should be scrapped.  People can pay out of pocket for these services.

5. Life insurance should not be subsidized except perhaps for a minimal amount that would cover funeral expenses.  The city offers life insurance covering two times the amount of annual salary.

6. Retirement benefits are an absolute racket.  Both the city and the county offer their employees a total of three retirement plans (in addition to Social Security).  Each fund two types of plans.  This is excessive.  Funding one plan should be more than enough for our local governments to offer.  In addition, we should cut back dramatically on the number of employees who are able to retire prior to age 65.  It has been a tradition in many civil service settings to allow folks to retire after a given number of years of service.  Instead, folks should be required to work until they are eligible for Social Security before drawing their retirement.  (Exceptions could perhaps be made for public safety workers, who cannot necessarily be expected to be able to do their jobs to that age.)  The gravy train of governmental retirement benefits needs to be stopped in its tracks. 

7. There are too many paid holidays.  The city and county offer in the range of 10-11 paid holidays per year.  That should be reduced to 7-8, max.

When City Council members and County Commissioners wrestle with their respective budgets, they need to consider the prodigious costs associated with employee benefits.  Human resources-related expenses are typically a huge component of the costs any organization faces.  We have not even begun to discuss the matter of wages and salaries.  But benefits, and paid leave of various types, are very expensive to taxpayers. 

Our elected officials should be expected to manage these benefits with good stewardship.  They should not defer these decisions to HR people or to other staff who might feel inclined to make employee benefits quite generous. 

There will be attempts to represent that we are offering a "competitive" benefit package; but those of us who have been in the private sector know that is not true.   There will be attempts to suggest that the city and/or county will lose workers if we cut benefits.  But I truly doubt that is an issue, particularly in the new economy. 

Budget Discussions Commencing Among Republican City Council Members

I am hearing that there is an effort afoot among at least four Republican City Council members to begin discussing among themselves the upcoming municipal budget process.  The objective is apparently to lay the groundwork for a more conservative budget than that which was passed back in June.

Let's hope this is a productive, collaborative process; and that all of the council members participating will act in good faith to achieve a good outcome for city taxpayers. 

We have previously discussed the need for Republican council members to act as a team; and to somehow bring the Democrat-like Zack Matheny miraculously over to the conservative side.  For this process to succeed, however, Mayor Knight will also need to "buy in".  The process will need to be council-driven, not staff-driven.

Unfortunately, Nancy Vaughan has already signaled that her primary objective will be to protect spending.  That leaves any chance of a good outcome in the hands of Knight, Matheny, Rakestraw, Thompson and Wade.  Each of them has a critical role in deciding whether we will have a conservative budget.  Each of them will determine whether the group will collectively prevail, especially in view of the "perfect storm" that might be organizing with respect to the city's revenues. 

Let's hope none of these Republican members sticks his or her neck out to demand that any particular area of nonessential spending be protected.  That could poison the whole process, and its chances for success.

The NYC Blizzard, Yvonne Johnson and Collective Bargaining for Public Employee Unions

With the rumors swirling that Yvonne Johnson might be running for city council once again, let's remember how she advocated collective bargaining for unions representing public sector employees.

The New York Post is now reporting that there was a deliberate work slowdown among New York sanitation employees in connection with the blizzard earlier this week.

That is the type of thing we would get in Greensboro and North Carolina if we had collective bargaining for public sector unions here.  Perhaps citizens ought to consider that fact when they contemplate Ms. Johnson's possible candidacy.

 

Less Options for North Carolina to Contain Medicaid Costs Under Obamacare/ Stimulus?

The Medicaid leviathan already is placing an enormous strain on the state of North Carolina's budget, and it will get considerably worse as Obamacare takes full effect.

But there is another major issue of which I was previously unaware.  Both Obamacare and the stimulus bill limit the options for states like North Carolina to limit their liabilities.  It appears the Democrats in Washington inserted language to assure that the states would not become more stringent with respect to eligibility:

Unfortunately, states have lost considerable flexibility to reduce Medicaid’s burden on their budgets. As a condition for receiving the additional federal dollars, both the stimulus bill and PPACA contain maintenance-of-effort (MOE) provisions that prohibit states from changing eligibility levels.”

If the states still can lawfully limit benefits and eliminate specific Medicaid programs, those might be a couple of options to contain costs.  But another option is to reduce reimbursement levels, which will decrease the number of physicians and other providers willing to participate in the program.

It appears that the national Democrats rigged the system so that beneficiaries are dependent on the program permanently; and so that taxpayers at the state level are much more vulnerable to tax increases.

 

 

Condolences to Councilman Jim Kee and Family

I learned this afternoon that Councilman Jim Kee's mom has passed away.  She died unexpectedly after having suffered a massive heart attack.  She had resided in eastern North Carolina, in Roanoke Rapids; and Mr. Kee is now there, presumably with family.

Mr. Kee has brought a strong measure of decency and civility and statesmanship to the Greensboro City Council.  Certainly that is part of his mom's legacy. 

I want to express my deepest sympathies to Jim Kee and his family for their loss. 

Committees for the Greensboro City Council?

The Rhino reports that Mayor Bill Knight is contemplating the creation of a committee structure for the Greensboro City Council.  This is probably a good idea.

However, there is one risk.  It is possible that some council members might issue threats in order to get on the committees they want.

Milton Friedman, the anti-Obama

Even though he is deceased, Milton Friedman still provides a compelling counterpoint against the socialist Obama.  He does so in a conversation with Phil Donahue.  Donahue deserves more than a bit of credit for engaging with a challenging interviewee:  (HT: Tony Racina)

NY Blizzard

My mom says it's two feet of snow, and the place has been a mess.  Mayor Bloomberg is taking some major heat because of the city's lackluster response.

How would you like to wake up to this?

 
(New York Daily News photo, click to enlarge) 

City of Greensboro: $$$ to those who don't need it

Triad Watch reveals literally hundreds of thousands of dollars being given by the city of Greensboro to a couple of the major downtown organizations-- the Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Greensboro, Inc.  I believe other components of the Greensboro Partnership receive city monies also.

 

Hagan Disarms America

Greensboro's own Senator Kay Hagan voted in favor of the START treaty.

Does the passage of this treaty strengthen or undermine our national defense capabilities?

David Satter:

Russia will give up missiles it cannot maintain in return for cuts by the American side that are real. The treaty is also not certain to be observed. Sen. John McCain was correct to point out that a regime capable of fabricating a case against Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former head of the Yukos Oil Company, is morally unreliable and cannot be relied on voluntarily to fulfill its commitments.

Senator Hagan once again disappoints.

North Carolina Council of Churches

We have discussed this type of topic here previously.

But with the news about the North Carolina Council of Churches, perhaps it is appropriate to revisit the matter.

Which denominations maintain membership in the council?  They are found here.  Most of them are mainline liberal Protestant denominations; but there are others.

For readers who do not wish to be part of a denomination that supports this council, a discussion of alternatives in the Greensboro area is found here.

Photos from Abroad

My cousins in Terranova di Pollino-- located in the region of Basilicata in southern Italy-- sent me a couple of photos from that village with an e-mail Christmas message.  My paternal grandparents were both born and raised in that town.

Below is a picture recently taken with this season's first snowfall:

(click to enlarge)

The next picture is taken at the town's "mother church".  It is a nativity or manger scene:

(click to enlarge)

The Italian term for nativity scenes is presepe, or presepio.  The tradition we have in the United States for this type of thing actually originated with St. Francis of Assisi around 1223.  He was then in a town called Greccio (which is now located in the central part of Italy).

The crafting of figures for presepe has been a high art form in the city of Naples for a couple of centuries. 

It sometimes astonishes me to observe how much smaller the world has become with the advent of the internet, and how much easier it is to communicate with folks half a world away.  And it is also sobering, yet heartwarming, to see how living standards in previously desperate places have improved so they are almost (but not quite) on par with those enjoyed in the United States. 

When my Italian cousins can send me an e-mail with photos within a matter of minutes, it speaks volumes about how things have changed there over the last century.

When Republican Commissioners Weaken Conservative Motions Made By Democratic Commissioners

Scott Yost, Rhino:

At the end of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners' Thursday, Dec. 16 meeting, it was difficult to tell the supposed conservatives from the supposed liberals.

Democratic Commissioner Kirk Perkins made a highly conservative motion when he suggested the county save money by immediately stopping any and all construction projects that hadn't begun yet. However, Commissioner Linda Shaw, a Republican, argued that it was hasty to make the move that night – and the board didn't approve Perkins' motion but, instead, approved one made by another Republican, Commissioner Mike Winstead – a motion to put off that discussion until the commissioners retreat next month.

In Winstead's motion, the board also instructed county department directors, Guilford Technical Community College officials and Guilford County school system officials to bring the board information about upcoming planned projects.

Sometimes I think we need to send some of our local Republican elected officials off to boot camp for some basic training.

More Debt for NC

Via Sam Hieb, what's another $2.4 billion among friends?

As North Carolina continues to overcommit and overspend, well beyond its means, it makes one wonder what happened to our state.  It was a state that used to be financially strong.

St. Nick

I think most Americans have, at the very least, a superficial level of awareness that certain memories of St. Nicholas were the original basis for Santa Claus.  But I would bet that many of us don't know much about his life or the depth to which he has been a major figure in certain religious traditions.

First, St. Nicholas was Greek, although his home turf was in an area that currently is part of Turkey.  He lived around the turn of the 4th century, when significant parts of this region were heavily Greek.

Second, he was a bishop in the early Catholic Church.  The area he served was Myra, which again is located in what is now Turkey.  It should be noted that after the Great Schism occurred hundreds of years later, this part of the world fell under the auspices of the Eastern Orthodox Church instead of the Catholic Church.

Third, his life demonstrated both faith and works.  He apparently had a penchant for "secret gift-giving".  This is the basis for his later transmogrification into the commercial Santa Claus figure.  But he also modeled piety in his own life with ample service and generosity toward those in need.  And at one point, he was imprisoned by the Romans, and persecuted because of his great faith.

Fourth, he is credited with numerous miracles.  A saint must be "certified" to have performed miraculous works to be canonized in the Catholic Church.  Many Catholic saints are identified as assisting certain groups or needs; and Nicholas has thus been regarded as the patron saint for children and for sailors.

In any case, St. Nicholas is venerated heavily to this day, although we do not hear much about that in the United States.

An interesting thing took place appoximately 1,000 years ago.  The part of Turkey where Nicholas was entombed-- in Myra where he had served as Bishop-- had become subject to Islamic raids.  A group of sailors from Bari, Italy seized the opportunity to steal the relics and the remains of St. Nicholas, and transport them to Bari so they would be under the control of the Catholic Church.  These are housed at the Basilica of San Nicola, which was especially built for this purpose. 

We visited the city of Bari in Italy three years ago, and took a few photos of the Basilica.  Nicholas' relics are housed in the basement of the basilica where a fairly sizable chapel is used for those who visit.  When we were in this area, there were significant numbers of visitors present, including some in clerical garb; and most were there to pray in the pews and venerate the saint.  There were no trappings of the commercial Santa Claus. 

The interesting thing is that the Eastern Orthodox regard Nicholas as a major figure.  After all, he had operated out of what had been their home turf.  The Basilica in Bari is now jointly controlled by the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church-- in part out of deference to the latter faith tradition's acute interest in St. Nicholas. 

What does this have to do with Christmas?  Somehow, over a period of centuries, St. Nicholas was linked with the Christian holy day.  Many Protestants regard excessive interest in the saints with some degree of suspicion.  But it should be noted that, during their lives and leading up to the time of their canonization, these historic figures were regarded as powerful witnesses for Christ. 

Nicholas' focus during his entire life of service doubtless had much to do with Christ, above all other things.

Merry Christmas.  See you in a few days.

What Motivated Richard Burr's Vote in Favor of Gays in the Military?

Some previous threads, here and over at Ed's, discuss what might have motivated Richard Burr's vote in support of gays serving openly in the military.

It turns out that National Review Online devoted an article entirely to this question.  The article discusses, among other things, the "purplish" nature of North Carolina's political environment.

I think we have to view Burr's vote in the context of one other high-profile vote he made several years ago.  Most of us recall when federal funding of embryonic stem cell research was a big issue.  Former President Bush had sharply limited the potential for this because it requires taking human life.  The media and the Democratic/Washington establishment, however, was determined that this type of research be funded by the federal government.  There was intense media pressure on the issue.  And of course, Richard Burr voted in favor of federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.  Funding of this type of research by the federal government is probably unconstitutional, but that is another matter.

When one views Burr's votes on gays in the military and embryonic stem cell research, it is justified to ask precisely what is going on.  What are the possibilities?

1. We must keep in mind that Burr's overall political profile is that of a moderate conservative.  He is not a "solid" conservative.  It is important to note that he supported both of Bush's Supreme Court nominees-- Roberts and Alito-- and his vote was never even in question.

2. The two votes on embryonic stem cell research and gays in the military, however, raise the question as to whether Burr is a covert social liberal.  We cannot entirely dismiss that possibility.

3. If he is not a social liberal, then he is perhaps an accommodationist.  Perhaps his knees tend to buckle with elite/media/Washington pressure on the social issues.  The NRO article raised the possibility of whether Burr felt his vote was "the right thing to do".  But his convoluted statement of explanation suggested to me that he is conflicted on the issue.  It suggested to me that he understands, at his core, the way he should have voted; but did not act on it because of other factors.

4. The question of whether he is positioning himself to run for higher office is omnipresent.  He was discussed as a potential running mate for John McCain two years ago; and he is being discussed once again as a potential nominee for vice-president.  He could potentially become a candidate for governor.  Jon Hardister raised the question of whether he might even be interested in making a presidential run.  Burr certainly carries a "presidential" bearing; and he might be desirous of establishing himself as the Right Kind of Republican in the eyes of the media.

5. I raised the question of his religious background.  Although this elicited some shots from the left, I think it is a legitimate question in exploring Burr's true mindset.  As I noted previously, he attends a United Methodist church, and his father was a Presbyterian minister.  It should be noted that the vast majority of Presbyterian churches are affiliated with the liberal Presbyterian USA denomination.  (There is a relative sprinkling of churches affiliated with more conservative Presbyterian denominations, but they are lesser in number.  I do not know what his father's affiliation was.)   In any event, the influence and social pressure exerted by liberal churches in the minds of congregants can be fairly significant; and these churches especially tend to be liberal on the social issues.  The liberal condescension within these congregations can be fairly intense.  Of course, there are variations within and among denominations.  I discussed earlier this year how liberal denominations overall contrast with orthodox denominations.

I do not pretend to know what is going on in the mind of Richard Burr.  I found the NRO article on the question unsatisfying; and considered Burr's statement to have been insufficient.  We are left to speculate.

North Carolinians Favor Tax Cuts to Create Jobs

Civitas is reporting that 77% of North Carolinians polled support the idea of cutting taxes at the state level to boost job creation-- even if it means that governmental spending must be reduced.

That is quite a statistic.

Robbie Perkins Watch: Brazen Landfill Politics

We learned in the News and Record of the "indecision" that led the Greensboro City Council to shift gears with its assessment of waste disposal alternatives.  But the article does not identify which council members have been most responsible for sabotaging the process.

Robbie Perkins had much to say, and sought to place blame on others:

“This was a council-driven waste of money. It was set up that way from the beginning,” Councilman Robbie Perkins said.

“The council decided they were going to take charge and they didn’t set goals. So here we are.”

Here is the problem with Robbie's formulation.  City Council members working together in a good faith manner, in a collaborative fashion, could have arrived at an economical solution.  Of course, that is much less likely when certain council members are positioning themselves politically to obtain support from east Greensboro.  They must play the game of identity politics to gain that support, and that nearly rules out any enhanced use of the White Street Landfill.  Instead of acting on behalf of the taxpayer, they are acting on behalf of an interest group to which they wish to appeal politically. 

Of course, the expenses associated with shutting down the landfill to residential trash have been enormous; and the only objective reason to have done so was to bow politically to east Greensboro and the Simkins crowd.

In any case, how do we determine which council members have been most responsible for stymying the process, and adopting essentially a rope-a-dope, delay-style strategy?  Which have not necessarily acted in good faith in terms of working toward enhanced use of White Street? 

I don't know for sure, but perhaps the answers might be found here.

Downsizing North Carolina State Government

John Hood:

According to U.S. Census Bureau, North Carolina has about 600 full-time equivalent state and local employees for every 10,000 residents. That’s about 10 percent higher than the national average. It’s also higher than the public-employee ratio in each of our neighboring states.

Hood argues that education should not be exempted from any cuts made, but Governor Perdue apparently feels otherwise.  Polifrog points out that Perdue essentially would place 60% of the state budget off limits for reductions.  Other program areas and departments would therefore have to take a disproportionate hit.

And then, there is little discussion anywhere of the criminal justice system, which is already grossly inadequate in the state of North Carolina.  Are we going to damage it further by virtue of taking extra efforts to preserve educational spending?

Hood argues cuts ought not be across the board; but instead should preferentially preserve those state-funded jobs that make a difference in terms of service quality or outcomes.

Republicans in Raleigh have much to think about.  Hood is right-- we need to downsize.  Let's do it the right way.  And let's be sure that the criminal justice system is enhanced, not undermined, in the process.