What is wrong with California?

[Uncle Ted]

An educational video produced by the California Federation of Teachers...

[YOUTUBE]cwg4DB-EeEA[/YOUTUBE]

These are the same folks that teach your children in California?

[YOhio]

Good grief.

The result isn’t only a heavier burden on California taxpayers. As higher expenses competed for fewer dollars, per- pupil funding of the state’s public schools dropped to 35th nationally in 2009-2010 from 22nd in 2001-2002. Californians have endured recurring budget deficits throughout the past decade and now face the country’s highest debt and Standard & Poor’s lowest credit rating for a U.S. state.

The story of one prison psychiatrist shows how pay largesse has spread.
Mohammad Safi, graduate of a medical school in Afghanistan, collected $822,302 last year, up from $90,682 when he started in 2006, the data show. Safi was placed on administrative leave in July and is under investigation by the Department of State Hospitals, formerly the Department of Mental Health.

Long Hours

The doctor was paid for an average of almost 17 hours each day, including on-call time and Saturdays and Sundays, although he did take time off, said David O’Brien, a spokesman for the department. In a brief interview outside his home in Newark, California, Safi said he’d been placed on leave for working too many hours and declined further comment. An increase in the number of beds at the facility where Safi worked forced him to cover more shifts, and he was allowed to do some of the work from home, said his lawyer, Ed Caden.

Safi and other psychiatrists employed by the state benefited from what amounted to a 2007 bidding war between California’s prisons and mental health departments, after a series of federal court orders forced the state to improve its inmate care. Higher pay in the prison system was matched by mental health, and as psychiatrists followed larger salaries, the state’s cost to provide the care soared.
Last year, 16 psychiatrists on California’s payroll, including Safi, made more than $400,000. Only one did in any other state in the data compiled by Bloomberg, a doctor in Texas. Safi earned more than twice as much as any state psychiatrist elsewhere, the data show.

[The_Tick]

Good grief.

You should listen to the Unions in this state.

Corrections, Police, Fire...all of them complain of being underpaid.

Hogwash.

TW is a teacher...and they haven't had a pay raise in 4 years. I am perfectly fine with that. If they took a pay cut we would work with it, because everyone needs to feel the pinch.

But California continues to increase spending.

[byu71]

You should listen to the Unions in this state.

Corrections, Police, Fire...all of them complain of being underpaid.

Hogwash.

TW is a teacher...and they haven't had a pay raise in 4 years. I am perfectly fine with that. If they took a pay cut we would work with it, because everyone needs to feel the pinch.

But California continues to increase spending.

I wonder if the flight of business from California is going to be a reality or the "coolness" of the State will keep businesses from fleeing.

One of my friends whose business is basically tied to the Utah economy is very excited about his future growth. Mainly because he thinks there will be a flight of Californians here, along with other business friendly states.

[Goatnapper'96]

I wonder if the flight of business from California is going to be a reality or the "coolness" of the State will keep businesses from fleeing.

One of my friends whose business is basically tied to the Utah economy is very excited about his future growth. Mainly because he thinks there will be a flight of Californians here, along with other business friendly states.

Have you seen Adobe's new office building by Cabellas across the street from Thanksgiving Point? I think the WF is going to experience a great deal of tech boom over the next few decades as growing California businesses will tap the much more friendly business environment of Utah. Great employees, well educated and some of the best telecom infrastructure in the nation. The best idea guys will always come from out of state as that isn't our culture's forte, but as far as the developers and programmers who can take instructions and churn out a great product - Utah has that in spades.

I agree with your friend.

[Pheidippides]

Have you seen Adobe's new office building by Cabellas across the street from Thanksgiving Point? I think the WF is going to experience a great deal of tech boom over the next few decades as growing California businesses will tap the much more friendly business environment of Utah. Great employees, well educated and some of the best telecom infrastructure in the nation. The best idea guys will always come from out of state as that isn't our culture's forte, but as far as the developers and programmers who can take instructions and churn out a great product - Utah has that in spades.

I agree with your friend.

I have anecdotal descriptions from an employee, and they say it "kicks ass"

[Katy Lied]

Another delicious move by CALPERS (California Public Employees Retirement System): As California cities declare bankruptcy (in large part due to pension costs), CALPERS is claiming that they should get paid first, before other claimants. Their justification is that as an "arm of the government," all of their debt should be treated as an administrative claim and paid first.

San Bernardino is in Chapter 9 Bankruptcy.

While a city is in Chapter 9, creditors are barred from seizing assets or suing. One exception is for government agencies that are enforcing a law using their police or regulatory powers.

Calpers is claiming to be just such a government agency.


I'm interested in seeing if Calpers is successful in redefining the priorities set in bankruptcy law statutes.


http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-1...ll-others.html

[xena]

The gal with Massage Envy I go to is really sharp. I am saddened because she is moving onto another job.

As sharp as she is it surprises me how little she knows about economics. She knows enough to know that redistribution of wealth doesn't sound cool.

Over the last year she has told me about her lazy brother in law. Her sister works full time and he collects unemployment, but doesn't want to ever go back to work.

He wants to stay home, tend the kid and read philosophy. She said he came over Sunday night to a family get together and was thrilled Obama won.

You're getting the wrong type of massage. It's supposed to be all about you. . . (and, MAYBE, your potential capital gains taxes)

[xena]

Another delicious move by CALPERS (California Public Employees Retirement System): As California cities declare bankruptcy (in large part due to pension costs), CALPERS is claiming that they should get paid first, before other claimants. Their justification is that as an "arm of the government," all of their debt should be treated as an administrative claim and paid first.

San Bernardino is in Chapter 9 Bankruptcy.


Calpers is claiming to be just such a government agency.


I'm interested in seeing if Calpers is successful in redefining the priorities set in bankruptcy law statutes.


http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-1...ll-others.html

Yeah! Fuck pensions! (Admittedly, I don't know about California pensions in the least).

[byu71]

Illinois just got downgraded again. Something about unfunded pensions.

If I have all my retirement money tied up in the company stock and they have a hard time or heaven forbid go belly up. I guess my retirement assets take a huge hit.

I think at some point all these underfunded pensions are going to have to bite the bullet and tell those on the pensions they are going to take a hit.

Hopefully they can start correcting things now and maybe only have to cut thier income 20-30%.

[Uncle Ted]

Illinois just got downgraded again. Something about unfunded pensions.

If I have all my retirement money tied up in the company stock and they have a hard time or heaven forbid go belly up. I guess my retirement assets take a huge hit.

I think at some point all these underfunded pensions are going to have to bite the bullet and tell those on the pensions they are going to take a hit.

Hopefully they can start correcting things now and maybe only have to cut thier income 20-30%.

Illinois is fine. Obama will bail out his home state.

[byu71]

Illinois is fine. Obama will bail out his home state.

He first needs to send money, maybe lots of it, to districts where republicans may be vulnerable. If he can get those marginal districts on the goodie bandwagon, he might be able to get the House of Representitives to go dem. and get Nanci back in charge.

If he does that, then yes he can bail out everyone until the old, white, rich SOB's run out of money.

[LA Ute]

Another delicious move by CALPERS (California Public Employees Retirement System): As California cities declare bankruptcy (in large part due to pension costs), CALPERS is claiming that they should get paid first, before other claimants. Their justification is that as an "arm of the government," all of their debt should be treated as an administrative claim and paid first.

San Bernardino is in Chapter 9 Bankruptcy.


Calpers is claiming to be just such a government agency.


I'm interested in seeing if Calpers is successful in redefining the priorities set in bankruptcy law statutes.


http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-1...ll-others.html

They're desperate. If CALPers fails it will be the biggest such collapse in the history of the known universe and everyone will feel it. Sadly, that may be inevitable. Time to start forming a CUF compound somewhere in Montana.

[Uncle Ted]

He first needs to send money, maybe lots of it, to districts where republicans may be vulnerable. If he can get those marginal districts on the goodie bandwagon, he might be able to get the House of Representitives to go dem. and get Nanci back in charge.

If he does that, then yes he can bail out everyone until the old, white, rich SOB's run out of money.

No. The president makes the rules and hopes that congress will agree after the fact.

[Indy Coug]

They're desperate. If CALPers fails it will be the biggest such collapse in the history of the known universe and everyone will feel it. Sadly, that may be inevitable. Time to start forming a CUF compound somewhere in Montana.

The story I want told is the one about the regulations (or lack thereof) in place to ensure these retirement benefits were adequately funded and about those who signed off on these valuations and why they were so very, very wrong.