Kinda like the feds?

 

QFT.

The other problem is that the dumbest people have the most children.

-Brian

 

We're screwed. I honestly dont see how we avoid the same fate. It seems no matter how much we increase taxes yearly, we're still always cutting jobs and falling short in money.

Nothings going to change either because unions wont give an inch and city salaries are grossly inflated for majority of positions.

 

That's because of the state. Not the city. The state gives cities funds that need to be used in certain ways. Some of those are to accomodate handicap people, clean up areas, build things that seem useless to us. For the city, if they don't use the money, then they won't get money from the state. The state will see their surplus, even though it's marked for capital improvements and not give them money to pay the PD and FD and other workers.

 

This!

 

The wages are grossly inflated because the cost of living is grossly inflated. For San Jose, you can blame the computer industry. Coming here and raising the cost of everything by paying people tons of money. Raising the cost of housing and everything else. Then they fell and some left, leaving the high priced homes. There is no way in hell a 1300 sq ft home in San Jose should cost $400,000 or more. Most of the city and county workers are the clerical workers like me. There is a reason I live in Tracy and commute to San Jose. I can't afford a house that isn't in the ghetto. $100,000 combined salary in this area is considered lower middle class.

 

We're screwed because of a complacent populace. That is the problem with most of this country. We figure the government knows what's best so just let them do what they're gonna do.


And yes Justin... you're right there. We are still adjusting to reality is my opinion. We were so over inflated because of the tech/web booms that things seem extra worse around here. Take me for example... if I had stayed on in 2005 with the company I was with I would have made well over $80k as a 25 year old with no degree or no real training. Now... 9 years later I'm 10 x's as good as I was and I'm making substantially less. I may not ever get back to those levels without a degree.

That was the case all over the place. I knew a kid that was making over $100k in HIGH SCHOOL doing programming on the side. Bastard was driving around a sick supra.

But on the flip side houses were $825k.

So now we're equalizing a bit. The government and big businesses need to adjust to this as well. You can't expect someone to pay what they were paying a few years ago because they're not earning it. It's all a balancing act and right now the big businesses are still reaming people.

Raising the debt situation of the populace in general.

Earn less... spend less.

Don't see me throwing down for $350 bar tabs anymore... LOL!

 

I get your point, but overall, the industry helps the Bay Area. "A rising tide lifts all boats." so to speak.

Without the higher-paying jobs you wouldn't have an economic base to support everyone else working here.

Housing? Yea it's a dangerous bubble. I know plenty of people underwater.

 

The problem is that some went under and others left the area due to getting taxed so much to support the general economy. The ones left are helping the area. The taxes they pay doing business transactions are really what are paying the salaries of the PD and FD. The tax the general populace are paying is a small part of what they get paid. If there aren't any business in the area, the places fall apart. From reading that article, that sounds like what happened down there. Business left, so that tax they were paying is gone.

And Ray, yea I knew a kid fresh out of school with a basic programming education making $90k. Bought an IS300, got bored with it in 3 months, managed to sell it at a profit and bought a brand new 350z. Had a 60 inch plasma when they were like $6k+ and so much other stuff.

 

Realized I didn't want to get into a political flame war. Meh.

 

Meh 2.

 

Meh 3.

 

Pension costs are rising like crazy because when times were good, a normal family would sock away some money for the rainy days... but many governments instead assumed good times would keep on rollin' and used up all that money and built it into future spending as well.

That's kinda the point the article is making. Until governments learn to sock away money when times are good to get through the rough times, the rough times will always be really bad.

 

But inflation will push us back up there?

 

But its the best kind!!!! and flame war and politics go hand and hand