To the Editor:
We all recognize that PERS is the Sword of Damocles threatening Oregon's future. Unfortunately, neither the Governors proposal (sure to be legally challenged), nor public legislative proposals (minor changes that continue to kick the can down the road), provide the immediate and dramatic effort to seriously deal with the problem.
When a patient arrives at the ER with multiple injuries, doctors do not start by fixing bone fractures while the patient has uncontrolled bleeding. They follow a triage protocol that controls the bleeding first.
We need to approach the PERS problem the same way, 1. Stop the bleeding by terminating PERS for all new employees (and elected/appointed officials), immediately, let them rely on Social Security and personal IRA's like most working taxpayers. 2. Beginning with the next contract cycle, insist that the most egregious PERS abuses (the 8% guarantee, use of sick & vacation leave to inflate retirement pay, etc.), be ended or public jobs would be reduced thru privatization wherever feasible. 3. In the long term, privatization whenever possible, is the only responsible way to limit runaway government costs and increase government accountability, based on my 24 years of federal and municipal service. 4. As long as the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of state government remain beneficiaries of PERS, the people (taxpayers) will never have an effective advocate at contract negotiations with public unions.
John Shank.
We all recognize that PERS is the Sword of Damocles threatening Oregon's future. Unfortunately, neither the Governors proposal (sure to be legally challenged), nor public legislative proposals (minor changes that continue to kick the can down the road), provide the immediate and dramatic effort to seriously deal with the problem.
When a patient arrives at the ER with multiple injuries, doctors do not start by fixing bone fractures while the patient has uncontrolled bleeding. They follow a triage protocol that controls the bleeding first.
We need to approach the PERS problem the same way, 1. Stop the bleeding by terminating PERS for all new employees (and elected/appointed officials), immediately, let them rely on Social Security and personal IRA's like most working taxpayers. 2. Beginning with the next contract cycle, insist that the most egregious PERS abuses (the 8% guarantee, use of sick & vacation leave to inflate retirement pay, etc.), be ended or public jobs would be reduced thru privatization wherever feasible. 3. In the long term, privatization whenever possible, is the only responsible way to limit runaway government costs and increase government accountability, based on my 24 years of federal and municipal service. 4. As long as the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of state government remain beneficiaries of PERS, the people (taxpayers) will never have an effective advocate at contract negotiations with public unions.
John Shank.
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Letter to Editor---3 Issues 4-5-13
Letter to Editor---The Dark-Sky Conspiracy Continues
Letter to Editor---Relax Bandon and Let there be light...
Letter to Editor---WHY DID THE CHARTER BALLOT MEASURE 6-143 NOT PASS?
Letter to Editor------Feckless or Hypocritical
Letter to the editor,---Voting for the Home Rule Charter “Voice of the
Voters” measure 6-143
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