Two Sides to Every Coin

For about two or so years there has been an active debate, kept active mostly by me, amongst the people I routinely converse. Much of it, and this is unfortunate, has centered around public employees and their role in our lives. As you can imagine, many if not a majority of my friends and acquaintances have worked their entire adult life as a public employee. A near equal amount have never been employed in any government department or agency. This has caused a definite rift. I've been thinking long and hard about the subject for a while now in an attempt to see things from the other side and hopefully temper my own thinking.

At one point I had stated I did not think a married couple, both employed by the public school system, should be better off than their private sector peers. I have changed my thinking on that subject completely.

I now believe that a married couple in these United States should most definitely have the ability and the belief that they can achieve the American dream. An educated and successful couple, whether from the private or public workforce, with proper care and planning of their investments, should be able to have the retirement homes, boat on the river, and the freedom to enjoy all of it whenever they choose.

No one would be willing to argue that the folks who teach our children, fix our roads, save our homes from fire, and protect us from evil are not worth every penny they earn, and probably more. I think that is where the misunderstanding is taking place. Please believe me when I say that I appreciate your hard work and the sacrifices you have made in dedicating your life to your chosen career. I swear to God I do.

I could not imagine walking up the stairs of the World Trade Center knowing you may never come back down. I could not imagine having to deal with parents who are assholes when all you want their kid to do is learn math. I could not imagine seeing and dealing with crime, and the conditions that surround it, on a daily basis. I could not imagine what it must be like to be thousand of miles from home, sitting on a rocky hill while others are trying to kill you, specifically you.

The jobs you have are extremely important to this country. When the economy is steaming along, and everyone is getting richer, no one mentions that any of you are getting too much. Your unions bargained well and earned you guaranteed pensions and top notch benefits. Of course, nothing last forever.

What would happen if public sector jobs were privatized?

It is a bold, and most likely foolhardy thought. Would you do well or be passed by if your profession was run by a private corporation? I'm thinking that the best of you would earn more money than you currently do, and the worst of you would be let go to make way for new employees who want to make more money. So, what would be the result if that were the case?

Keep in mind that when I say "the best of you" I'm referring to the one's who put in the extra hours, take minimal time off, and produce above average results in quantifiable ways. Why are those the best? Because they save the company, or the boss, a lot of money. You get a company, or a school, or a firehouse, or a police precinct, or a road crew to have a lot of "The best of you's" than you end up with one helluva team. Guess who the boss is when you are a public employee. Guess. Yup, it's me, and you. We all pay taxes.

Any boss in the private sector compensates the best and tries to get rid of the worst. There is no other way to guarantee a quality product or service and do it in the most efficient way possible.

This is the basic theory for the founding of America. It is the principle that has made us a great and powerful country. There must be incentives in any business. The greatest incentive is the knowledge that everyone is replaceable, and at any time.

This country, based on the results of the last election, is stating loud and clear that changes are necessary. We must improve efficiency in all areas. If we simply take more money from the wealthy to fund our current operations we will ultimately cause a drag on the economy that may actually cause the failure of some governments and/or their agencies.

The public sector jobs are vital to the country. That is why we all agree to pay for them. I don't think we wish to lose any of them. Raise taxes and continue down the current path, or lower taxes and reform all of it. It's tough choice, how hard do any of us want to work?

Codsey out