I just do not understand how all those millionaires in the NBA, NFL and MLB do not do away with their union??After listening to the Canadian Fascist they should have destroyed the leagues a long time ago and bankrupted every city and team along the way!!:LMAO
x[SIZE=+1]:finger007-1Merry Christmas from all government employee unions! [/SIZE]:finger007-1
Freerepublic!!:LMAO:LMAO:LMAO
Cities Tap Homeowners for Revenue as Workers' Retirement, Health Costs Rise
]
Cities across the nation are raising property taxes, largely citing rising pension and health-care costs for their employees and retirees.
Those cops and firemen should just die damnit!!
In Pennsylvania, the township of Upper Moreland is bumping up property taxes for residents by 13.6% in 2011. Next door the city of Philadelphia this year increased the tax 9.9%. In New York, Saratoga Springs will collect 4.4% more in property taxes in 2011; Troy will increase taxes by 1.9%.
Not to mention falling home prices too damnit!!:LMAO:LMAO
<cite>Scott Lewis for The Wall Street Journal</cite> John Crawford is director of finance in Upper Moreland, Pa., which is raising taxes 13.6%.
Property-tax increases aren't unusual, in part because the taxes are among the main sources of local revenue. But officials say more and larger increases are taking hold. "This year we have seen a dramatic increase in our cities and towns having to increase property taxes" for pensions and other expenses, said Jack Garner, executive director of the Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities.
If only those damn cops would die right??
Local officials and government workers say a confluence of factors is driving the increases, including the need to make up for staggering investment losses from the financial crisis and rising costs as more workers retire. In addition, benefit increases promised in flush times are coming due as revenue flounders, and some cities have skipped payments to their pension funds over the years.
LALALALALA And the truth finally comes out!!!Joe did you read this??Wall Street better get it's act together right??:LMAOAnd they skipped payments to the funds????????????????No way!!!!!They are innocent damnit!!
In Illinois, towns have been raising property taxes to keep up with pension and health-care costs for several years, but the scale and scope of the increases this year are unprecedented 2938u4ji23, said Joe McCoy, a lobbyist with the Illinois Municipal League.
Joe McCoy, a lobbyist with the Illinois Municipal League.
A lobbyist with the Municipal League!!!!!!!:LMAO:LMAOHey I wonder where he want;s the money to go???????????????:LMAO
Representatives of government workers, including for unions, don't deny that pension costs are rising. But they blame local officials for failing to fund pensions adequately in better times.
For starters they need to stay on script here!!It is all the unions fault and do not ever stray from the script again!!Also do not mention that they skipped putting money in the funds again or off to Canada you go!!I know a Fascist up there that will set you straight!!
[
"The main driver is the irresponsibility of local public officials who for years and years have not been funding their pensions," said Henry Bayer, executive director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 union, which represents 72,000 employees in Illinois.
I cannot believe Joe even posted this!!Are you feeling ''fair and balanced today''?:houra
Many local officials say they have been trying to right their pension funds without raising taxes. They have borrowed money from reserves, trimmed services and cut back on staff.
Some cities have also pushed unions to reopen contracts in an attempt to pare benefits or raise workers' contributions for pensions and health care. They have faced stiff resistance from some unions that argue it's unfair to penalize workers for a financial crisis that isn't their fault. Others have agreed to some cutbacks.
We all have to sacrifice for Wall Streets greed and irresponsibility!!Get use to it.
State aid to many local governments and other revenue remain below precrisis levels. Nearly half of states reduced aid to local governments in 2010, and 20 states have proposed additional cuts in 2011, according to a December report by the Congressional Budget Office.
"Unless governments really want to squeeze essential services…there are likely to be a lot more property tax increases" across the country, said Don Boyd, a senior fellow at the nonpartisan Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government at the State University of New York.
Tax increases and budget cuts are raising pressure on state politicians to tame growing pension costs, and the topic has become a significant issue in elections.
Mostly from bi polar Fascist Canadian that starts 3 threads a week about it though but yeah.....
Many states have already increased the retirement age and required years of service for new hires, bumped up the amount new workers pay toward their benefits and reduced annual cost-of-living increases. This month, for example, Illinois lawmakers approved legislation requiring newly hired police and firefighters to retire at age 55 instead of 50 to receive full benefits, among other changes. The governor is reviewing the bill.
No No!!That is too simple.We have a major crisis here according to the Canadian Fascist!!We will be broke by 2018 according to Joe!!:houra
The tax increases are coming to light now because many local governments plan their budgets at the end of the previous year.
In Upper Moreland, a township of about 26,000 near Philadelphia, the Board of Commissioners voted this month to raise its 2011 property tax for residents by 13.6%, the first such rise in five years. That means a $67 annual tax bump on a $135,000 home, the average value there.
$67 dollars????No way man that will bankrupt people to pay for managements short fall and not putting money in there for years!!:LMAO
Pension and health-care costs are likely to make up more than a fifth of the town's $17.8 million operating budget for next year, said finance director John Crawford, a Republican.
In 2005, Upper Moreland contributed around $100,000 to its pensions. This year, it contributed $681,000. In 2011, it will pay an estimated $1.1 million. Healthy investment returns used to cover a large portion of the town's contribution to its pension funds. Now, lower returns—coupled with higher costs as more workers retire—mean Upper Moreland is paying more.
That damn common sense again!!What on earth are we going to do here?
In addition to those figures, the state of Pennsylvania annually contributes $250,000 to Upper Moreland's pensions, Mr. Crawford said. Local Pennsylvania governments only receive pension aid from the state if they make the payments to their pensions recommended by actuaries.
Upper Moreland's payments on current workers' health care were $2 million in 2010 and are estimated to reach $2.63 million in 2011, Mr. Crawford said.
"If it hadn't been for the escalating costs," in pension and health-care benefits, he said, "the board may have succeeded in going through another year without a tax increase."
Many of the same issues are hitting Philadelphia, which earlier this year increased its property tax by 9.9%, the first bump since the early 1990s. That's a $270 annual payment increase for residents living in homes valued at $100,000, said Rob Dubow, city finance director.
This is fair.No mention of what the corporations are going to kick in to help but that does not matter!!They should not contribute at all right Joe??
Philadelphia's pension fund is 45% funded—meaning its assets represent 45% of its long-term liabilities—and the city's payments are projected to increase to $600 million in 2015, up from $230 million in 2004. Actuaries recommend pension systems be 80% funded.
Rolling Meadows, a Chicago suburb, is raising its property taxes next year by 9.8%, on top of a 16% jump in 2010, due to increased police and fire pension costs, said Mayor Ken Nelson. Those increases are the largest in nearly 20 years, he said. The local police and fire pension funds are around 45% funded.
Anyone who puts their live on the line everyday should be willing to do it until they are 80 years old and then just die right Fascist Joe?
Chris Lee, a firefighter paramedic and president of the city's pension fund, says the pensions must be paid because they are "promises the city made to us."
See above for the Fascist reply that Joe would approve of!!Joe might add that they should do it for minimum wage too right Joe?The bi polar mind is easy to read.
Rolling Meadows has paid less than it should into its pension fund by relying on higher assumed rates of returns than those recommended by the Illinois Department of Insurance, Mr. Lee said. Lower annual contributions mean the fund has trouble staying abreast of ballooning costs, leading in part to the underfunding, Mr. Lee said. The city recently changed to the Department of Insurance's recommended annual contributions, Mr. Nelson said.
Wait!!They paid in less and waited for Wall Street to lead them to the promise land??What are these ballooning cost's and why are those people not working for minimum wage?Joe you need to use your best Fascist talk here and convince these people that working for minimum wage is good for the cause right?:LMAO
The 70,000-person village of Palatine, near Chicago, recently voted to raise property taxes 3.99%, the most in at least five years. That's an average increase of $40 per home. "But for the pensions, [the property tax] would not have gone up at all," said Village Manager Reid Ottesen.
$40 dollars??Does this go for the cause or not??
The increase comes after cost-cutting steps in the past two years, including a hiring freeze and not replacing three firefighters and several police officers who retired, said Mr. Ottesen. "There is nothing left to cut if you still want to deliver the services that make you the community you are."
Write to Jeannette Neumann at Jeannette.Neumann@wsj.com
x[SIZE=+1]:finger007-1Merry Christmas from all government employee unions! [/SIZE]:finger007-1
Freerepublic!!:LMAO:LMAO:LMAO
Cities Tap Homeowners for Revenue as Workers' Retirement, Health Costs Rise
]
Cities across the nation are raising property taxes, largely citing rising pension and health-care costs for their employees and retirees.
Those cops and firemen should just die damnit!!
In Pennsylvania, the township of Upper Moreland is bumping up property taxes for residents by 13.6% in 2011. Next door the city of Philadelphia this year increased the tax 9.9%. In New York, Saratoga Springs will collect 4.4% more in property taxes in 2011; Troy will increase taxes by 1.9%.
Not to mention falling home prices too damnit!!:LMAO:LMAO
<cite>Scott Lewis for The Wall Street Journal</cite> John Crawford is director of finance in Upper Moreland, Pa., which is raising taxes 13.6%.
Property-tax increases aren't unusual, in part because the taxes are among the main sources of local revenue. But officials say more and larger increases are taking hold. "This year we have seen a dramatic increase in our cities and towns having to increase property taxes" for pensions and other expenses, said Jack Garner, executive director of the Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities.
If only those damn cops would die right??
Local officials and government workers say a confluence of factors is driving the increases, including the need to make up for staggering investment losses from the financial crisis and rising costs as more workers retire. In addition, benefit increases promised in flush times are coming due as revenue flounders, and some cities have skipped payments to their pension funds over the years.
LALALALALA And the truth finally comes out!!!Joe did you read this??Wall Street better get it's act together right??:LMAOAnd they skipped payments to the funds????????????????No way!!!!!They are innocent damnit!!
In Illinois, towns have been raising property taxes to keep up with pension and health-care costs for several years, but the scale and scope of the increases this year are unprecedented 2938u4ji23, said Joe McCoy, a lobbyist with the Illinois Municipal League.
Joe McCoy, a lobbyist with the Illinois Municipal League.
A lobbyist with the Municipal League!!!!!!!:LMAO:LMAOHey I wonder where he want;s the money to go???????????????:LMAO
Representatives of government workers, including for unions, don't deny that pension costs are rising. But they blame local officials for failing to fund pensions adequately in better times.
For starters they need to stay on script here!!It is all the unions fault and do not ever stray from the script again!!Also do not mention that they skipped putting money in the funds again or off to Canada you go!!I know a Fascist up there that will set you straight!!
[
"The main driver is the irresponsibility of local public officials who for years and years have not been funding their pensions," said Henry Bayer, executive director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 union, which represents 72,000 employees in Illinois.
I cannot believe Joe even posted this!!Are you feeling ''fair and balanced today''?:houra
Many local officials say they have been trying to right their pension funds without raising taxes. They have borrowed money from reserves, trimmed services and cut back on staff.
Some cities have also pushed unions to reopen contracts in an attempt to pare benefits or raise workers' contributions for pensions and health care. They have faced stiff resistance from some unions that argue it's unfair to penalize workers for a financial crisis that isn't their fault. Others have agreed to some cutbacks.
We all have to sacrifice for Wall Streets greed and irresponsibility!!Get use to it.
State aid to many local governments and other revenue remain below precrisis levels. Nearly half of states reduced aid to local governments in 2010, and 20 states have proposed additional cuts in 2011, according to a December report by the Congressional Budget Office.
"Unless governments really want to squeeze essential services?there are likely to be a lot more property tax increases" across the country, said Don Boyd, a senior fellow at the nonpartisan Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government at the State University of New York.
Tax increases and budget cuts are raising pressure on state politicians to tame growing pension costs, and the topic has become a significant issue in elections.
Mostly from bi polar Fascist Canadian that starts 3 threads a week about it though but yeah.....
Many states have already increased the retirement age and required years of service for new hires, bumped up the amount new workers pay toward their benefits and reduced annual cost-of-living increases. This month, for example, Illinois lawmakers approved legislation requiring newly hired police and firefighters to retire at age 55 instead of 50 to receive full benefits, among other changes. The governor is reviewing the bill.
No No!!That is too simple.We have a major crisis here according to the Canadian Fascist!!We will be broke by 2018 according to Joe!!:houra
The tax increases are coming to light now because many local governments plan their budgets at the end of the previous year.
In Upper Moreland, a township of about 26,000 near Philadelphia, the Board of Commissioners voted this month to raise its 2011 property tax for residents by 13.6%, the first such rise in five years. That means a $67 annual tax bump on a $135,000 home, the average value there.
$67 dollars????No way man that will bankrupt people to pay for managements short fall and not putting money in there for years!!:LMAO
Pension and health-care costs are likely to make up more than a fifth of the town's $17.8 million operating budget for next year, said finance director John Crawford, a Republican.
In 2005, Upper Moreland contributed around $100,000 to its pensions. This year, it contributed $681,000. In 2011, it will pay an estimated $1.1 million. Healthy investment returns used to cover a large portion of the town's contribution to its pension funds. Now, lower returns?coupled with higher costs as more workers retire?mean Upper Moreland is paying more.
That damn common sense again!!What on earth are we going to do here?
In addition to those figures, the state of Pennsylvania annually contributes $250,000 to Upper Moreland's pensions, Mr. Crawford said. Local Pennsylvania governments only receive pension aid from the state if they make the payments to their pensions recommended by actuaries.
Upper Moreland's payments on current workers' health care were $2 million in 2010 and are estimated to reach $2.63 million in 2011, Mr. Crawford said.
"If it hadn't been for the escalating costs," in pension and health-care benefits, he said, "the board may have succeeded in going through another year without a tax increase."
Many of the same issues are hitting Philadelphia, which earlier this year increased its property tax by 9.9%, the first bump since the early 1990s. That's a $270 annual payment increase for residents living in homes valued at $100,000, said Rob Dubow, city finance director.
This is fair.No mention of what the corporations are going to kick in to help but that does not matter!!They should not contribute at all right Joe??
Philadelphia's pension fund is 45% funded?meaning its assets represent 45% of its long-term liabilities?and the city's payments are projected to increase to $600 million in 2015, up from $230 million in 2004. Actuaries recommend pension systems be 80% funded.
Rolling Meadows, a Chicago suburb, is raising its property taxes next year by 9.8%, on top of a 16% jump in 2010, due to increased police and fire pension costs, said Mayor Ken Nelson. Those increases are the largest in nearly 20 years, he said. The local police and fire pension funds are around 45% funded.
Anyone who puts their live on the line everyday should be willing to do it until they are 80 years old and then just die right Fascist Joe?
Chris Lee, a firefighter paramedic and president of the city's pension fund, says the pensions must be paid because they are "promises the city made to us."
See above for the Fascist reply that Joe would approve of!!Joe might add that they should do it for minimum wage too right Joe?The bi polar mind is easy to read.
Rolling Meadows has paid less than it should into its pension fund by relying on higher assumed rates of returns than those recommended by the Illinois Department of Insurance, Mr. Lee said. Lower annual contributions mean the fund has trouble staying abreast of ballooning costs, leading in part to the underfunding, Mr. Lee said. The city recently changed to the Department of Insurance's recommended annual contributions, Mr. Nelson said.
Wait!!They paid in less and waited for Wall Street to lead them to the promise land??What are these ballooning cost's and why are those people not working for minimum wage?Joe you need to use your best Fascist talk here and convince these people that working for minimum wage is good for the cause right?:LMAO
The 70,000-person village of Palatine, near Chicago, recently voted to raise property taxes 3.99%, the most in at least five years. That's an average increase of $40 per home. "But for the pensions, [the property tax] would not have gone up at all," said Village Manager Reid Ottesen.
$40 dollars??Does this go for the cause or not??
The increase comes after cost-cutting steps in the past two years, including a hiring freeze and not replacing three firefighters and several police officers who retired, said Mr. Ottesen. "There is nothing left to cut if you still want to deliver the services that make you the community you are."
Write to Jeannette Neumann at Jeannette.Neumann@wsj.com
After Years of Lobbying for Job Killing Policies Unions Favorability Ratings Remain Low
By Christopher Prandoni
The latest installation of Gallup’s long running polling data regarding Americans preferences towards labor unions reveals that Americans approval of unions remains near an all-time low—52 percent of Americans approve of labor unions, 48 percent disapprove. Peaking in the 1950s, union popularity amongst Americans has steadily declined over the past half century with labor’s approval ratings dropping off a cliff in recent years.
Gallup’s graph helps illustrate this point:
[g]
An overly simplistic example:
A unionized coal mine is forced to pay the union wage of $25 per hour. The non-union coal company pays its workers $20 per hour. For every four workers the unionized coal mine hires the non-unionized mine can hire five workers, reducing overall unemployment. 2938u4ji23
This puts additional pressure on the rest of the non-union labor market as now more people are competing for jobs, thus, driving up the unemployment rate and depressing wages for every non-union member, a vast majority of the workforce. 2938u4ji23
Americans are feeling this pressure more than ever and have begun to rebel against these policies and the Democratic majority which enables them.
An overly simplistic example:
A unionized coal mine is forced to pay the union wage of $25 per hour. The non-union coal company pays its workers $20 per hour. For every four workers the unionized coal mine hires the non-unionized mine can hire five workers, reducing overall unemployment. 2938u4ji23
This puts additional pressure on the rest of the non-union labor market as now more people are competing for jobs, thus, driving up the unemployment rate and depressing wages for every non-union member, a vast majority of the workforce. 2938u4ji23
Americans are feeling this pressure more than ever and have begun to rebel against these policies and the Democratic majority which enables them.
I feel cheated!!!Come on man this could have been thread number 11 this month.Come on Joe monkey do some more tricks for us.Fetch boy fetch and get back to spamming.This is comedy Gold here.
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