# In states or counties that have cut public expenses to the bone - How's that working out? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 15, 2012, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-states-or-counties-that-have-cut-public-expenses-to-the-bone-hows-that-working-out/628283 "2012-07-15T06:16:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-states-or-counties-that-have-cut-public-expenses-to-the-bone-hows-that-working-out/628283/21 "2012-07-16T21:35:37Z")
That fiscal conservatism is just about cutting pensions, not cutting essential services. I’ve lived in a red state, and it’s the services that get cut first. You are wrong. ---
**Author:** ![ScarletNumber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@ScarletNumber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScarletNumber)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-states-or-counties-that-have-cut-public-expenses-to-the-bone-hows-that-working-out/628283/22 "2012-07-16T21:42:51Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Really? How about after the fifth pay cut? What do you think “unilateral” means? It means they don’t get a say in their pay. No labor negotiation. Just a pay cut whenever the government wants.Not if there aren’t enough such persons in the present market. Have you been asleep since 2008? 1. Let’s see how the first paycut goes. Maybe it will be enough. 2. Then they will have to take the best offer. C’est la vie. 3. No I haven’t been asleep. Unlike public employees. ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-states-or-counties-that-have-cut-public-expenses-to-the-bone-hows-that-working-out/628283/23 "2012-07-16T21:44:45Z")
> [@ScarletNumber](#): > > Then they can find a different job. Someone new will be happy to work at your new salary. I don’t know too many people who’d be willing to carry a gun and pull over drunk drivers for minimum wage. I’m pretty sure they’d rather be wrestling groceries into paper or plastic at that rate. ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-states-or-counties-that-have-cut-public-expenses-to-the-bone-hows-that-working-out/628283/24 "2012-07-16T21:46:43Z")
> [@ScarletNumber](#): > > 1. They could always sell to someone who CAN afford the mortgage. Yup, that house will sell for how much in the new ‘no blood, no badge’ zone? Seriously, you’d be better off turning to burglary/ebay as a profession. ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-states-or-counties-that-have-cut-public-expenses-to-the-bone-hows-that-working-out/628283/25 "2012-07-16T21:55:41Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > After some googling, [it appears](http://slatest.slate.com/posts/2012/07/10/scanton_wages_cut_unions_planning_legal_action_after_mayor_cut_city_worker_s_salary_to_minimum_wage_.html) the mayor did cut his own pay to the same level. An interesting quote from the article: \*City workers were slammed with the pay cut when they received their paychecks last week. Roger Leonard, a city employee \*\*who typically earns $900 for two weeks work, told NPR that he received a check for just $340 on Friday. \*\* The pay cut drags city employees into the middle of a feud between the mayor and the city council on how best to address the city’s dire finances. \*\*“If they’d gone with my budget, we wouldn’t be having this discussion,” Doherty said to NPR in reference to his proposal to raise taxes, which was rejected by the council. * * * The reality is that the city is probably out of money by now. Since the $5000 they had in the bank wouldn’t actually cover the next payroll (400 people at $340/2wks = $136,000 ) Also, we’re talking about a pay rate of about $170/wk for a police officer? Who here is going to go break up bar fights at that rate of pay? ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-states-or-counties-that-have-cut-public-expenses-to-the-bone-hows-that-working-out/628283/26 "2012-07-16T22:05:57Z")
> [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](#): > > Why would anyone want to work for a local government that could do that? Nothing unique about governments cutting employee pay. Private sector employers do it too. A business can outright cut pay, can reduce employees through attrition and pile the work on those who remain, declare bankruptcy and stop contributing to pensions. And on, and on. Unless you have some sort of contract that you could then try to enforce. So why would anyone want to work for any government or company? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![ScarletNumber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@ScarletNumber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScarletNumber)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-states-or-counties-that-have-cut-public-expenses-to-the-bone-hows-that-working-out/628283/27 "2012-07-16T22:08:27Z")
> [@Enkel](#): > > I don’t know too many people who’d be willing to carry a gun and pull over drunk drivers for minimum wage. I’m pretty sure they’d rather be wrestling groceries into paper or plastic at that rate. I never said minimum wage. > [@Enkel](#): > > Yup, that house will sell for how much in the new ‘no blood, no badge’ zone? Seriously, you’d be better off turning to burglary/ebay as a profession. By cutting wages, you can keep staffing levels. Nice try though. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-states-or-counties-that-have-cut-public-expenses-to-the-bone-hows-that-working-out/628283/28 "2012-07-17T00:50:15Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > That fiscal conservatism is just about cutting pensions, not cutting essential services. I’ve lived in a red state, and it’s the services that get cut first. You are wrong. I didn’t make that claim. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-states-or-counties-that-have-cut-public-expenses-to-the-bone-hows-that-working-out/628283/29 "2012-07-17T01:03:42Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > That fiscal conservatism is just about cutting pensions, not cutting essential services. I’ve lived in a red state, and it’s the services that get cut first. You are wrong. Actually, I regret saying this, as it is not consistently true. That said, pensions are part of compensation. As a lawyer, how would you like your stock in the company to be suddenly unilaterally devalued by the board because you’re just an associate and _the peons don’t need pensions?_ ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-states-or-counties-that-have-cut-public-expenses-to-the-bone-hows-that-working-out/628283/30 "2012-07-17T01:08:05Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > I didn’t make that claim. You’re right, I misremembered. > [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Fiscal conservatism is about reducing the size of government so that it only performs essential services, it’s not about having a bloated government until it can no longer be afforded and then willy-nilly shutting down certain services because the government’s revenue is needed to pay for pension benefits. Somehow in practice it seems like “fiscal conservatives” have trouble dealing with the large numbers of dollars required to pay government employees. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-states-or-counties-that-have-cut-public-expenses-to-the-bone-hows-that-working-out/628283.md?page=1)