Stop Government Waste

CalTrain Salaries Rise as Service Plummets

2010-10-06T09:52:00.000-07:00

Great story by San Jose Mercury News exposing how over paid our public workers are.

Caltrain employee pay rises even during rocky time

Excerpts:

Even as Caltrain executives warned that the commuter railroad was heading off a proverbial cliff because of financial woes, their spending has risen considerably in one area: their own pay.
Caltrain's administrative payroll has grown 14 percent over the past three years, a period when officials have said they were seeking to cut spending, according to documents obtained by the Bay Area News Group. The extra money spent on salaries would be enough to pay the cost of running the railroad on the weekends -- a service Caltrain has said it may have to discontinue to balance its budget.
When benefits are added in, total compensation jumped 34 percent -- enough to also save service to Gilroy plus a few weekday trains. Salary information for nonadministrators, such as conductors and engineers, was not available, as these employees work for Amtrak.
By comparison, SamTrans, which runs San Mateo County's bus service, saw its total pay for all employees increase 7 percent during that span. BART says its administrators' salaries rose 5 percent, and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority says pay for administrators grew 2 percent. National inflation was 5 to 6 percent.
Figuring out who exactly works for Caltrain -- and how much they get paid -- turns out to be an excruciating task. Virtually all the rail line's 190 listed administrators split time working for SamTrans and the transportation authority in a downtown San Carlos headquarters. The time sheets for employees can be convoluted.
The employees listed on the Caltrain payroll in the fiscal year that ended in June earned a total average salary of $77,300, roughly half of it coming for work related to the railroad. Three years ago, Caltrain employees earned an average total of $59,900.
The highest-paid staffer on the Caltrain payroll is Bob Doty, who heads the agency's collaboration with the California High-Speed Rail Authority. He saw the Caltrain portion of his paycheck increase from $136,781 to $154,585.
More than twice as many Caltrain officials now earn six-figure salaries: 58 this year, up from 26 in 2007. In addition, 27 people now earn more than $80,000 just from the Caltrain portion of their paycheck, up from 18.

"That's crazy -- I haven't been getting raises the past few years," said Caltrain rider Jennifer Durham, a Sunnyvale resident who works in San Mateo. "People should be paid appropriately. But making sure the money actually goes to providing service is what I'd be focusing on."

Inconvenient Lies

2010-01-29T15:38:00.000-08:00

I just must comment on the totally dishonest representation of the new GDP figures.
Whatever the administration spins this to mean, the fact is that the 'G' in GDP stands for 'Gross'. If you have ever been involved in business, retail, wholesale or any other form, you know what your 'Gross' figures as opposed to your 'Net' were completely different.

To arrive at any 'Gross' Figure, the 'Negative' components are converted to their opposite 'Positive' figures. These new figures are then added together with the 'Positive' figures, revenues etc, to produce a
'Gross' figure.
So, you ask, so what?
Negative becomes positive; under these progressives, the more 'negative', the more expense, the more government spending, the more indebtedness, the LARGER THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT.
So the more negative dumping of our money down the current rat hole the higher the GDP is.

In General 'They' can always use that stat that says the 'Economy' is growing even though they are spending nonexistent money on unproductive government jobs.

Do the math. New Government jobs are paid for by new taxes and the more 'nonexistent' money they spend, the higher the GDP. Then they blow smoke up our ass calling it growth when it's only mortgaging more of our Grand Childrens futures.

Kalifornia becomes St. Thomas

2010-01-29T15:36:00.000-08:00

You know they're going to put this bailout on the US Taxpayer, 'To Big To Fail' and all that. As a precondition for any bailout, 'WE" should demand resignations from The Governor and ALL State Legislators and Department heads. For their last act they will call for a new election of all offices in a nationwide election. From then on Kalifornia will be a US Possession with the same rights and representation as The US Virgin Islands and Guam.

What it really is

2009-12-08T13:14:00.000-08:00

It used to be a joke, but if you think about it Copenhagen, Kyoto, cap & tax amount to 'they are actually trying to tax the air we breath'.

Sane Health Care Alternatives

2009-11-03T10:25:00.000-08:00

Harry Reid wants you to believe the Conservatives haven't got a 'Health Care Reform Plan'.

Well Harry here's 3 of them

I. Coverage, Prevention, and Reform (CPR)
http://gregg.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=a164ebdd-802a-23ad-4d91-1234324957b2
CPR Summary
http://www.gregg.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Files.View&FileStore_id=64b08c06-19fe-4715-b347-dcb09442df83

II. Health Care Freedom Plan
http://demint.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?Fuseaction=SponsoredBills.HealthCareFreedomAct
Summary
http://demint.senate.gov/public/_files/2009-06-23_HCFPsummary.pdf

III. The Patients’ Choice Act of 2009
http://coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=HealthCareReform.Home&ContentRecord_id=5e3b30a4-802a-23ad-4b44-14f0219114c6
Summary
http://coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Files.View&FileStore_id=b8876db7-2be0-4c84-b833-3d77dc4afa83

It's time for the adults to run things again while everyone else goes looking for their lost sense of humor.

Wage Gap Federal and Private Sector Employees Now Nearly Double!

2009-08-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

This chart shows the wage gap between federal "civilian" and private sector employees is growing according to the Cato Institute.

Back in 2000, about nine years ago, the average federal civilian employee earned 66% more than the typical worker in private industry. Today, that gap in compensation has grown to be MORE than double the average!

Chart courtesy of Agorafinancial.com

It is positive feedback. Put more and more people on the government payroll, pay them well and of course they will vote for bigger government which will put even more on the government payroll.

Miles per gallon - give me a break

2009-08-11T16:18:00.000-07:00

Any sensible consumer has been figuring 'Pennies per Mile' for 2 years now.

Let's see,
'Volt' good for 100,000 miles (Maybe) = $40,000 in 2010 dollars.

Electricity for charging your $17,000 batteries, (which will have to be replaced at approximately 50,000 miles)

Estimates at 2009 prices say $0.01 per mile for electric alone. (Will multiply under 'Cap & Tax').

Depreciation on any hi-tech wonderment like the Volt can only be calculated in replacement cost.

Inflate $40,000 for the period that you take to drive 100,000 miles.

Add the environmental protests to mining the compounds necessary to manufacture the batteries; (See Michigan and other states protests against sulfide mining).

Add the costs of disposing and/or recycling the batteries.

Add the cost of cowtowing to OPEC instead of telling them to 'Sit On It'.

I can't calculate the cost of this LIE.

But I don't really care. Your Grandchildren and Great grandchildren will bear the ultimate cost of these LIES and I'll be long gone.

Mob Rule

2009-08-05T04:05:00.000-07:00

It's not Mob Rule when angry constituents tell their representatives that, 'We don't like what you are doing in our name in Washington'.

I Hope Chris Dodd Lives Forever

2009-08-01T05:17:00.000-07:00

Just speculating on possible medical scenarios under a Government controlled Health Care system.

http://tinyurl.com/lmzjbq

What happened to Health Care Reform?

2009-07-31T09:28:00.000-07:00

What happened to Health Care Reform?
Now we're into Insurance reform.

The Statists need Crisis, Panic and Villains to sell their Soft Tyranny as Reform and Progress.

Civil Society ain't buyin' it this time.
Flu, Health care, Dirty Air, Dirty Water, Global Warming (Or is it 'Climate Change, which = Weather), Comets, Asteroids, CO2...

The sky is falling, the sky is falling, no that's just the credibility of the Statist Panic Mongers.

OMG a study just found out that Oxygen is more deadly than than Carbon Dioxide, we're all doomed, we're all gonna die. OMG, OMG, OMG.

Sorry, they don't want to bring God into the discussion, my apologies.

Sarah Palin Farewell Speech Read By William Shatner on Konan O'Brien's Show

2009-07-28T06:19:00.000-07:00

Sarah Palin's final speech as Governor of Alaska baffled many. Conan O'Brien realized it was a poem and asked William Shatner to recite it verbatim. Hilarity ensues.

William Shatner Reads Sarah Palin Farewell Speech
========================================
========================================
Source: www.youtube.com

Why did she quit?

What's the Rush

2009-07-15T15:04:00.000-07:00

'What's the Rush' on this Health Care thing?

It's starting to sound like buying a used car.

You remember, 'My manager Authorized me to give this price Today. Tomorrow will be too late. He's in a good mood, we have to do it before close of business today, or I can't guarantee I can do this again.'

Double Dip Pensions

2009-07-13T16:09:00.000-07:00

How would you like to swap jobs with someone so you can start drawing Social Security for your original job while making full salary and qualifying for a second Social Security pension at your "new" job?

According to the San Jose Mercury News story "Former top San Jose officials work elsewhere while drawing six-figure pensions," Dale Foster retired in 2005 from his $160,962-a-year position as acting San Jose fire chief after the city hired neighboring Gilroy's then-chief, Jeff Clet, for the position.

Today Foster draws a $160,803 annual pension from San Jose after four years of "retirement" such that this pension nearly equals his former pay. Sweet. I think the maximum for Social Security is about $2,000 a month or $24,000 a year.

The story doesn't end here.

After retiring from San Jose's fire department with 32-years of service, Dale Foster was hired by the city of Gilroy to take Jeff Clet's place as Gilroy's fire chief for an annual salary of $158,212.

This map shows Gilroy is just down the road (HWY 101) from San Jose. Both chiefs could easily commute to their new jobs without moving.

Foster was to earn $174,300 but Gilroy, savaged by lower property taxes from the housing meltdown plus a huge decline in sales tax collections, imposed furloughs that reduced Foster's pay by 9.2 percent.

I would not be surprised to learn Clet is drawing a pension from his Gilroy job while working for San Jose.

If swapping jobs to draw a pension from the first while being paid to do a similar task at a second is not a waste of taxpayers' dollars, then I do not know what is.

All these public employees should be paying into our Social Security system like the rest of us. If the Ponzi scheme commonly known as "Social Security" is broken or insolvent, then lets put everyone on it so the powerful people in government have incentive to get it fixed.

Waterloo or Rubicon?

2009-07-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

There has been an editorial predicting 'Obama's 'Waterloo'.
Read this before continuing.
http://tinyurl.com/kw9x9b

For those of you educated in Government Controlled Indoctrination Centers you should just Google it; Google hasn't tried to pervert facts in this case.

While you are 'Googling' history, let's take a look at
'J. Caesars crossing of The Rubicon'.

Julie Baby Broke the laws of Rome to take control, without regard for the existing government rules and in spite of protests by The Senate and ruling entities.

By Roman Law, Caesar's crossing with Military Force constituted treason and a beginning of armed Civil War.

A 21st Century Rubicon has been crossed.
Under the Rubric of 'Change' and lately 'We are gonna get this Done' (God knows if that means it doesn't matter what we think) an assault has begun.

There seems to be a serious disregard for the Verbiage and Evolutionary Process indulged patiently by The Framers.

Referencing the Constitutional Convention and The Federalist Papers it has become obvious that certain 'Constitutional Scholars' only studied 'The Constitution' in order to understand how to go about its Disassembly'.

It's a sorry point in our History when our elected officials feel it necessary to 'undo' our Founding Documents.

The founding documents of a nation which has done more good than bad for over 200 years and helped or caused the advancement of mankind and civilization in general, more so than any culture in recorded history.

Say what you may; imagine a planet in which the United States never existed...

Would North America still be in a Stone Age, Would the world still be using Coal as the major energy source, would we be worrying about Whale Oil Shortages?

Would we be intelligent enough to understand that we can't control the temperature of Earth?

Would Politicians still be liars?

Reading

2009-07-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

Have we elected a crew of illiterate dysfunctional people to our Legislature, or are they just arrogant elitists.

How can they possibly pass thousand plus page bills without having read what is in the bills.

Rhetorical question, how stupid do they think we are? Well, we elected them didn't we?

Maybe we should go to a part time legislature. They seem to have too much time on their hands. They get distracted from their Constitutional duties to spend resources and time and effort on irrelevant issues and silly subjects.

Both houses of Congress should be required to read aloud the Ninth and Tenth Amendments to the Constitution every morning right after The Pledge of Allegiance.

Maybe they should hang their Oath of Office in 12 inch font on the walls of both houses where they and C-Span can see it all day.

Are 'Czars' unfunded mandates?

2009-07-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

Are 'Czars' unfunded mandates?
These unelected administrators are not answerable to oversight by Congress, only to the White House. They have staff, regulatory and enforcement power which is funded by, guess what? They are funded with our money.

Rumor has it that the administration will soon appoint a Bathroom Czar.
The responsibilities of the Bathroom Czar will be to monitor the length and temperature of showers and baths, the length of time that water runs per resident per day and the amount of water used to flush.
The Bathroom Czar will also be charged with evaluating the specific gravity of crap; floating crap is an indicator of proper fiber in the diet. If your crap sinks you may be referred to the Diet Czar for further processing.

Think about it, are we getting our moneys worth?
C. R. Ellsworth

CALPERS Top Pension is Nearly Half a Million a year.

2009-05-04T07:12:00.000-07:00

As of May, 2008, there were 4,820 CalPERS retirees receiving annual pensions in excess of $100,000.

Marcia Fritz, California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility reports the California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility reported 4,820 CalPERS RETIREES RECEIVE ANNUAL PENSIONS IN EXCESS OF $100,000.

We have a lot to worry about these days. We’re worried that we may lose our jobs, that we may lose our healthcare insurance and that we won’t have sufficient retirement savings. We realize that without jobs we can’t make our mortgage payments; we know that our homes have dropped in value resulting in little or no equity, so we can’t afford to stay in or sell our homes.

In California there is one lucky group that doesn’t have those worries: state and local government retirees.

As of May, 2008, there were 4,820 CalPERS retirees receiving annual pensions in excess of $100,000. That didn’t include government retirees in 80 other plans in California—judges, UC, STRS, charter cities, and 1937 Act counties. About half of these retirees were public safety workers: cops, firefighters, prison guards. The remaining half includes former city managers, assistant managers, county executives, district attorneys, engineers, finance officers, personnel directors, computer scientists, and physicists.

Since May 2008, more than 120 new retirees have joined the “$100,000 Club” – each month - every month. That’s been going on for the last 12 months – more than 1,500 have joined that well-paid retirement group ; this rate of increase will accelerate as droves of retired public safety workers who are now in the $90,000 to $100,000 range receive annual cost of living increases.

...

We must stop this nonsense at the ballot box.

From the $100,000 Pension Club database
at www.californiapensionreform.com, the CalPERS Top 10 is

CalPERS Top 10

Name	Monthly	Annual	Employer Name
BRUCE MALKENHORST	$41,639.57	$499,674.84	VERNON
JOAQUIN FUSTER	$24,712.99	$296,555.88	UC LOS ANGELES
DONALD GERTH	$23,171.22	$278,054.64	CSU SACRAMENTO
JAMES STAHL	$22,145.08	$265,740.96	L A CO SANIT #2
JOHN SCHLAG	$21,300.04	$255,600.48	UC LOS ANGELES
WILLIAM GARRETT	$21,228.81	$254,745.72	EL CAJON
RAYMOND PATCHETT	$19,969.65	$239,635.80	CARLSBAD
ROBERT TOONE JR	$19,412.28	$232,947.36	PALMDALE
DIANNE OKI	$19,263.68	$231,164.16	STATE COMP INS
CARL BORONKAY	$18,734.40	$224,812.80	METROPOLITAN WT

Who are these people and why do they deserve so high a pension?

Definition: California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS).

List of CalPERS "Johns" With Pensions Over $100,000

2009-05-04T06:28:00.000-07:00

4,818 retired California government workers receive pensions in excess of $100,000 from CalPERS. The information in the database was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act from the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) and is made available by the California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility

The CalPERS $100,000 Pension Club

"Unless changes are made, pension debt will overwhelm the state's ability to fund higher education, build roads and develop technology."

-- Former Assemblyman Keith Richman speaking to Ventura County taxpayers on January 31, 2007

4,818 retired California government workers receive pensions in excess of $100,000 from CalPERS.

This is the list of names when "John" is typed into the search box:

CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO TOP 10 LIST

Name	Monthly	Annual	Employer Name
JOHN SCHLAG	$21,300.04	$255,600.48	UC LOS ANGELES
JOHN BROWN	$16,992.87	$203,914.44	CHICO
GARY JOHNSON	$16,372.37	$196,468.44	ANAHEIM
JOHN CALHOUN	$16,193.30	$194,319.60	LONG BEACH
JOHN JOHNSON	$15,449.48	$185,393.76	SACRAMENTO METR
JOHN ROBERTSON	$14,455.94	$173,471.28	NEWARK
JOHN BEERLING	$14,035.31	$168,423.72	HAWTHORNE
JOHN RYAN	$13,837.26	$166,047.12	RIVERSIDE COUNT
JOHN HABANT	$13,723.70	$164,684.40	REDLANDS
JOHN BOYD	$13,486.23	$161,834.76	RIVERSIDE COUNT
JOHN CAVALLI	$13,386.63	$160,639.56	SANTA CLARA COU
JOHN PRICE	$13,283.66	$159,403.92	SANTA FE SPRING
JOHN LIPPITT	$13,259.09	$159,109.08	CHULA VISTA
JOHN FINCH	$13,242.05	$158,904.60	DOWNEY
JOHN GLOVER	$12,921.77	$155,061.24	OAKLAND
JOHN FLORES	$12,762.76	$153,153.12	MGMT OF EMERYVI
JOHN VELTHOEN	$12,677.10	$152,125.20	PORT HUENEME
JOHN NUCKOLLS	$12,581.21	$150,974.52	UC - LAWRENCE L
JOHN AMODEO	$12,546.16	$150,553.92	VISTA IRRIGATIO
JOHN SKIPPER	$12,516.32	$150,195.84	REDONDO BEACH
JOHN GILBERT	$12,403.05	$148,836.60	EL SEGUNDO
JOHN MIEHLE	$12,359.00	$148,308.00	SANTA MONICA
JOHN BRETZA	$12,313.52	$147,762.24	LONG BEACH
JOHN FOGERTY	$12,289.07	$147,468.84	CA HWY PATROL
JOHN PERKINS	$12,220.19	$146,642.28	INGLEWOOD
JOHN LICATA	$12,200.43	$146,405.16	CORONA
JOHN MONTANIO	$12,182.43	$146,189.16	CULVER CITY
JOHN AIDOO	$12,112.31	$145,347.72	OAKLAND
JOHN DESMOND	$11,918.41	$143,020.92	NEWPORT BEACH
JOHN KILLEEN	$11,894.26	$142,731.12	UC - LAWRENCE L
JOHN JOHNSON	$11,858.81	$142,305.72	CASITAS MUNICIP
JOHN LANTZ	$11,677.90	$140,134.80	BURBANK
JOHN HIGLEY	$11,663.00	$139,956.00	ORANGE
JOHN STUDEBAKER	$11,607.55	$139,290.60	LEG COUNSEL BUR
JOHN GOODWIN	$11,482.71	$137,792.52	PLEASANTON
JOHN ROBERTSON	$11,462.95	$137,555.40	LONG BEACH
JERALD JOHNSON	$11,404.28	$136,851.36	WEST COVINA
JOHN SAUNDERS	$11,336.27	$136,035.24	CERRITOS
JOHN DEBATTISTA	$11,309.83	$135,717.96	SUNNYVALE
JOHN MARTIN	$11,294.68	$135,536.16	DALY CITY
JOHN LUCIA	$11,281.01	$135,372.12	SOUTH SAN FRANC
JOHN BARROW	$11,232.02	$134,784.24	ROSEVILLE
JOHN WAYT	$11,188.49	$134,261.88	EL SEGUNDO
JOHN WARREN	$11,132.14	$133,585.68	SAN MATEO
JOHN VICKLAND	$11,104.79	$133,257.48	SAN FRANCISCO B
JOHN HOPKINS	$11,082.80	$132,993.60	UC SCIENTIFIC L
JOHN CARPENTER	$10,999.17	$131,990.04	CSU SAN DIEGO
JOHN LARSON	$10,980.33	$131,763.96	CA HWY PATROL
JOHN HOUCHIN	$10,965.56	$131,586.72	ESCONDIDO
JOHN LITWINOVICH	$10,959.37	$131,512.44	EL DORADO COUNT
JOHN RICHTER	$10,926.74	$131,120.88	UC SCIENTIFIC L
JOHN REDNER	$10,898.17	$130,778.04	L A CO SANIT #2
JOHN LASAGNA	$10,895.84	$130,750.08	PALMDALE
JOHN BERMUDES	$10,874.83	$130,497.96	SANTA CLARA
JOHN GRAY	$10,866.39	$130,396.68	SOLANO COUNTY
JOHN POWELL	$10,843.77	$130,125.24	DALY CITY
JOHN HOPKINS	$10,803.55	$129,642.60	SUNNYVALE
JOHN KELLEY	$10,796.92	$129,563.04	ANAHEIM
JOHN HENSLEY	$10,765.25	$129,183.00	COSTA MESA
JOHN COOK	$10,748.91	$128,986.92	INDIAN WELLS
JOHN HORTON	$10,587.02	$127,044.24	BANNING
JOHN MOILAN	$10,581.35	$126,976.20	PIEDMONT
JOHN PENIDO	$10,578.60	$126,943.20	SAN MARINO
JOHN LANDO	$10,570.39	$126,844.68	KENTFIELD FPD
JOHN WHITELEY	$10,525.45	$126,305.40	ORANGE
WILLIAM JOHNSON	$10,510.65	$126,127.80	CHULA VISTA
JOHN POWERS	$10,456.41	$125,476.92	VALLEJO
JOHN O'HALLORAN	$10,378.58	$124,542.96	SANTA CLARA VLY
JOHN ANDERSON	$10,371.83	$124,461.96	UC - LAWRENCE L
JOHN MCALLISTER	$10,369.73	$124,436.76	IRVINE
JOHN CARLBLOM	$10,326.24	$123,914.88	CSU LOS ANGELES
JOHN SCHIMANSKI	$10,310.11	$123,721.32	WEST COVINA
JOHN LAMBERT	$10,296.78	$123,561.36	OAKLAND
JOHN KADYK	$10,295.78	$123,549.36	UC LAWR BERKLEY
JOHN BABICH	$10,254.38	$123,052.56	GENERAL SERVICE
RICHARD JOHNS	$10,196.95	$122,363.40	SANTA BARBARA
JOHN IRONSIDE	$10,185.52	$122,226.24	OAKLAND
JOHN ROBINSON	$10,183.92	$122,207.04	GILROY
JOHN WARREN	$10,171.14	$122,053.68	DALY CITY
DAVID JOHNSON	$10,153.44	$121,841.28	SANTA BARBARA
JOHN WILLIAMS	$10,125.01	$121,500.12	LONG BEACH
JOHN KORACH	$10,093.70	$121,124.40	CONTROLLER
JOHN PEREZ	$10,090.95	$121,091.40	SANTA ANA
JOHN LINDSAY	$10,080.29	$120,963.48	SANTA ROSA
JOHN THOMPSON	$10,063.01	$120,756.12	VALLEJO
JOHN BUNCH	$10,048.52	$120,582.24	VALLEJO
JOHN CARFRAE	$10,046.42	$120,557.04	PASADENA
JOHN JACOBS	$9,968.93	$119,627.16	LONG BEACH
JOHN EDELMAN	$9,953.41	$119,440.92	CA HWY PATROL
JOHN CERRUTI	$9,936.05	$119,232.60	FREMONT
JOHN DAVIES	$9,928.41	$119,140.92	FRANCHISE TAX B
KEVIN JOHNSON	$9,915.58	$118,986.96	SACRAMENTO
JOHN LINGUA	$9,802.88	$117,634.56	GLENDALE
JOHN GAUSTAD	$9,787.86	$117,454.32	RIVERSIDE COUNT
JAMES JOHNSTON	$9,781.67	$117,380.04	ALAMEDA COUNTY
ROBERT JOHNSON	$9,778.61	$117,343.32	SOQUEL CREEK WA
JOHN DUNN	$9,739.88	$116,878.56	SMUD
JOHN HNATEK	$9,718.46	$116,621.52	VICTORVILLE
JOHN CLEMENTS	$9,692.49	$116,309.88	CA HWY PATROL
JOHN HUNTINGTON	$9,674.83	$116,097.96	DEPT JUSTICE
JAMES JOHN PURCHIO JR	$9,658.10	$115,897.20	ALAMEDA COUNTY
JOHN DEGRAAFF	$9,571.52	$114,858.24	SACRAMENTO METR
JOHN DERUSSY	$9,557.92	$114,695.04	SAN MATEO
JOHN HORGAN III	$9,553.29	$114,639.48	TRANS LEGAL DIV
JOHN DOAN	$9,547.78	$114,573.36	GLENDORA
JOHN SLOTA	$9,520.37	$114,244.44	GRIDLEY
JOHN BISCHOFF	$9,517.42	$114,209.04	SAN LEANDRO
JOHN FITZGERALD	$9,513.51	$114,162.12	PLACER COUNTY
JOHN WASHINGTON	$9,509.86	$114,118.32	BURBANK
JOHN PITZER	$9,506.73	$114,080.76	REDONDO BEACH
JOHN BURKHART	$9,493.64	$113,923.68	EL MONTE
KARL JOHNSON	$9,479.35	$113,752.20	PASADENA
JOHN VICKERMAN	$9,473.21	$113,678.52	JT LEG BUD COMM
JOHN DEAN	$9,471.29	$113,655.48	SOLANO COUNTY
JEREE JOHNSON	$9,462.97	$113,555.64	SANTA BARBARA
JOHN BOYKIN	$9,428.62	$113,143.44	HAYWARD
JOHN HARDISTY	$9,426.33	$113,115.96	BAKERSFIELD
JOHN HANSEN	$9,424.06	$113,088.72	RIVERSIDE COUNT
JOHN ANDERSON	$9,418.08	$113,016.96	BERKELEY
JOHN SIMMONS	$9,416.55	$112,998.60	REDONDO BEACH
JOHN MALONEY	$9,414.60	$112,975.20	CALTRANS
JOHN HOFFMAN	$9,397.92	$112,775.04	GLENDALE
JOHN COOK	$9,372.18	$112,466.16	STATE COMP INS
MICHAEL JOHNSTON	$9,364.69	$112,376.28	FREMONT
JOHN CHAMBERS	$9,357.69	$112,292.28	SANTA ANA
JOHNNIE RALPH	$9,355.36	$112,264.32	CSU SAN BERNARD
JOHN FITZPATRICK	$9,311.46	$111,737.52	COSTA MESA
JOHN GUARIN	$9,284.86	$111,418.32	VALLEJO
MICHAEL STJOHN	$9,275.80	$111,309.60	PLEASANTON
KAREN JOHNSON	$9,271.09	$111,253.08	CSU LOS ANGELES
JOHN COOK	$9,239.75	$110,877.00	SAN MATEO
JOHN BAILEY	$9,226.90	$110,722.80	CA HWY PATROL
JOHN TRAUNER	$9,210.77	$110,529.24	NEVADA COUNTY
JOHN HARBOTTLE	$9,207.45	$110,489.40	CA HWY PATROL
JOHN DEMAREE	$9,196.00	$110,352.00	SANTA CLARA
JOHN SUSMAN	$9,186.03	$110,232.36	COSTA MESA
JOHN BRODERICK	$9,183.93	$110,207.16	AZUSA
JOHN SIGNORINO	$9,180.74	$110,168.88	SANTA CLARA
JOHN NOLAN	$9,160.37	$109,924.44	OAKLAND
JOHN HOBBS	$9,160.06	$109,920.72	ESCONDIDO
DANIEL JOHNSON	$9,150.85	$109,810.20	HUNTINGTON BEAC
JOHN REES	$9,150.22	$109,802.64	HUNTINGTON BEAC
JOHN LIBERATOR	$9,107.93	$109,295.16	DEPT REAL ESTAT
JOHN ENEA	$9,091.71	$109,100.52	REDWOOD CITY
JOHN CAPORALE	$9,087.86	$109,054.32	SANTA CLARA COU
WILLIAM JOHNSON	$9,075.40	$108,904.80	PASADENA
JOHN KIRBY	$9,046.90	$108,562.80	LONG BEACH
JOHN HAUSER	$9,031.48	$108,377.76	SANTA CLARA COU
JOHN MONTENERO JR	$9,026.91	$108,322.92	SANTA MONICA
ELLEN JOHNSON	$9,021.05	$108,252.60	RIVERSIDE COUNT
JOHN FONLEY	$9,016.57	$108,198.84	ORANGE
JOHN LAWDER	$9,010.16	$108,121.92	WATER RESOURCES
JOHN ABSMEIER	$8,995.25	$107,943.00	VENTURA CO SCHL
STEPHEN JOHNSON	$8,992.07	$107,904.84	FAIRFIELD
JOHN DUANE	$8,984.10	$107,809.20	VALLEJO
JOHN RUIJTERS	$8,981.42	$107,777.04	RICHMOND
JOHN DODSON	$8,968.85	$107,626.20	OFFICE OF INSPE
JOHN TIMMER	$8,966.93	$107,603.16	DEPT OF FORESTR
ALLEN JOHNSON	$8,936.53	$107,238.36	ROSEVILLE
JOHN LEMBI	$8,936.33	$107,235.96	LONG BEACH
JOHN MCKENZIE	$8,927.07	$107,124.84	FAIRFIELD
JOHN BETONTE	$8,915.21	$106,982.52	FREMONT
FRANKLIN JOHNSTON	$8,910.80	$106,929.60	STOCKTON
JOHN PETRUZZIELLO	$8,908.34	$106,900.08	STANTON
JOHN KRUSE	$8,904.18	$106,850.16	LONG BEACH
JOHN GUTIERREZ	$8,899.57	$106,794.84	EL SEGUNDO
JOHN WILSON	$8,884.73	$106,616.76	OAKLAND
JOHN GURNEY	$8,879.87	$106,558.44	SONOMA
WILLIAM JOHNSTON	$8,873.22	$106,478.64	SAN FRANCISCO
JOHN FOOTT	$8,869.28	$106,431.36	UC BERKELEY
JOHN STARBIRD	$8,853.47	$106,241.64	LONG BEACH
JOHN HIGBY	$8,844.14	$106,129.68	PASADENA
RAYMOND JOHNSON	$8,839.43	$106,073.16	INGLEWOOD
JOHN COUCH	$8,822.85	$105,874.20	ATASCADERO
HOWARD JOHNSON	$8,818.00	$105,816.00	OAKLAND
JOHN LARREA	$8,806.70	$105,680.40	CONTROLLER
JOHN KERWIN	$8,799.74	$105,596.88	SAN FRANCISCO B
JOHN FANTHAM	$8,799.71	$105,596.52	SANTA CRUZ COUN
JOHN BALAGNA	$8,785.91	$105,430.92	UC SCIENTIFIC L
JOHN LEMKE	$8,784.52	$105,414.24	PUBLIC UTIL COM
JOHN CALZADA	$8,783.65	$105,403.80	MONTEREY COUNTY
JOHN HAGERTY	$8,783.24	$105,398.88	SECTY ENVIRONMT
JOHN PEHRSON JR	$8,782.55	$105,390.60	UC RIVERSIDE
CARMEN JOHNSON	$8,775.94	$105,311.28	OAKLAND
JOHN REES	$8,773.05	$105,276.60	LA HABRA
JOHN WITT	$8,764.34	$105,172.08	ESCONDIDO
CAROLYN JOHNSON	$8,756.54	$105,078.48	FULLERTON
JOHN OBENAUER	$8,739.92	$104,879.04	EMPLOY DEV DEPT
JOHN SCHLEGEL	$8,730.57	$104,766.84	SAN DIEGO COUNT
JOHN COSTERE	$8,707.86	$104,494.32	SANTA CLARA
JOHN HOWSDEN	$8,701.90	$104,422.80	FREMONT
JOHN BARANGER	$8,653.42	$103,841.04	GARDEN GROVE
JOHN BLAUER	$8,651.47	$103,817.64	NEWPORT BEACH
JOHN KIESTER	$8,605.40	$103,264.80	HAYWARD
JOHN ADDOMS	$8,591.36	$103,096.32	PLACER COUNTY
JOHN KAEHMS	$8,585.24	$103,022.88	OAKLAND
JOHN DROHAN	$8,584.53	$103,014.36	CSU CHANCELLOR'
JOHN PEDERSEN	$8,584.39	$103,012.68	SANTA CLARA COU
JOHN INIGUEZ	$8,565.36	$102,784.32	DEPT OF CORR
JOHN YAGER	$8,521.92	$102,263.04	PUBLIC UTIL COM
JOHN SULLIVAN	$8,514.97	$102,179.64	SANTA CLARA COU
JOHN EATON	$8,503.49	$102,041.88	WATER RESOURCES
JOHN FERRERO	$8,487.80	$101,853.60	INDUSTRY
JOHN DOUGLAS	$8,483.43	$101,801.16	BEVERLY HILLS
NEAL JOHNSON	$8,483.29	$101,799.48	ARCADIA
NORMAN JOHNSON	$8,483.09	$101,797.08	PUBLIC UTIL COM
JOHN KELLAR JR	$8,478.39	$101,740.68	CA HWY PATROL
JOHN BAKER	$8,476.31	$101,715.72	GARDEN GROVE
JOHN WELBOURN	$8,476.31	$101,715.72	MOUNTAIN VIEW
WILLIAM JOHNSON	$8,448.83	$101,385.96	DEPT OF FORESTR
JOHN PETERSON	$8,439.95	$101,279.40	SANTA CLARA
JOHN DONOVAN	$8,422.15	$101,065.80	TRANS LEGAL DIV
DAVID JOHNSON	$8,421.48	$101,057.76	SANTA CLARA COU
JOHN VELASQUEZ	$8,414.77	$100,977.24	REDONDO BEACH
JOHN CARLSON	$8,408.46	$100,901.52	STOCKTON
JOHN CONNELLY	$8,400.74	$100,808.88	OAKLAND
JOHN LAY	$8,395.46	$100,745.52	HAWTHORNE
JOHN MUNDWEIL	$8,383.82	$100,605.84	PALMDALE
JOHN CSONGRADI	$8,382.43	$100,589.16	SANTA CLARA COU
JOHN WOODS	$8,381.25	$100,575.00	GARDEN GROVE
JOHN HUTCHISON	$8,375.23	$100,502.76	SANTA MONICA
JOHN BAKER	$8,372.02	$100,464.24	REDONDO BEACH
JOHN MCBRIDE	$8,363.33	$100,359.96	REDONDO BEACH
JOHN KELLEY	$8,357.54	$100,290.48	ANAHEIM
JOHN LEE	$8,346.37	$100,156.44	DEPT CORR INSTI
JOHN YOST	$8,341.28	$100,095.36	NAPA
JOHN JOHNSON	$8,338.68	$100,064.16	ONTARIO

Definition: California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS).

President Obama is Angry over AIG Bonuses

2009-03-18T09:44:00.000-07:00

President Obama said he is exploring every possible avenue to get bonus money back from AIG.

The bonus money was promised to AIG employees a year ago. If the government let them go bankrupt, then the bonuses would not have to be paid. The government bailed out AIG and now it is upset over how AIG is spending money for contractual obligations. This is some of what President Obama just said:

There are systemic risks to idea of withholding AIG aid money (for bonuses).
We have a big mess we have to clean up.
The buck stops here, we are now responsible for the mess.
It's OK to be angry, but we need to channel it in a constructive way.

President Obama Gave Bailout Money to the State and Local Governments

Do you think President Obama is angry at government agencies letting employees have double and triple pensions rather than use Social Insecurity like the rest of us?

President Obama Gave Bailout Money to GM

Do you think President Obama is angry at GM for paying a huge price for health care and pensions for retired union workers such that GM has a cost structure that makes it uncompetitive?

President Obama Gave Bailout Money to California

Do you think President Obama is angry at the State of California for hiring workers they can't fire so the workers are not motivated to work hard? We all joke about the DMV and Post Office... where we know the workers won't get fired for poor customer service.

Why not run the government like GE and require all government agencies to fire 5% of their staff every year? One and twenty workers having to find a new job they are better suited for is not a bad thing as not everyone is a good fit to their job. This would lite a fire under the bottom 20% of performers... and go a long way to a more efficient government.

We all know the government is blowing smoke over this AIG thing to cover their own part in the debacle.

From The Real AIG Outrage

"Scott Polakoff, acting director of the Office of Thrift Supervision, told the Senate Banking Committee this month that, contrary to media myth, AIG's infamous Financial Products unit did not slip through the regulatory cracks. Mr. Polakoff said that the whole of AIG, including this unit, was regulated by his agency and by a "college" of global bureaucrats.

But what about that supposedly rogue AIG operation in London? Wasn't that outside the reach of federal regulators? Mr. Polakoff called it "a false statement" to say that his agency couldn't regulate the London office.

The Washington crowd wants to focus on bonuses because it aims public anger on private actors, not the political class. But our politicians and regulators should direct some of their anger back on themselves -- for kicking off AIG's demise by ousting Mr. Greenberg, for failing to supervise its bets, and then for blowing a mountain of taxpayer cash on their AIG nationalization."

Lets see the government get angry about something it can control rather than over legal contracts already in place.

We're Mad As Hell And We Want To Change Things

2009-03-08T06:40:00.000-07:00

An old joke in California is "what is orange and sleeps six?" The answer is "A CAL Trans Work Van." It got so embarrassing they had to change the color scheme of the vans!

Why does it seem every job paid for by tax payer dollars has four people standing around, one working and one supervising? It would be far more efficient to fire the four standing around and their supervisor, give the guy (or gal) working a raise and make him (or her) the supervisor in charge of his (or her) own work.

CAL Trans is the California Department of Transportation. My dental hygienist told me she had to stop her plumber husband from stopping their car to get out and yell "get to work" at the "workers" working on El Camino Real in Santa Clara last week. Her husband owns his own business. She said the hardest part of his job is finding workers who will work while unsupervised. I suggested he do what the cable companies do, pay by the job rather than the hour. If he needs a ditch dug, then he should put it out to bid and take the lowest bidder who has referrals from others who have paid him to dig ditches. Why can't we do the same with public works projects?

Why can't we do the same, or something similar, with all public jobs? Why is it once you are hired for a desk job in Government it is nearly impossible to get fired? Who will work hard if you know your job does not depend on being better than the person in the next desk like it does in the private sector when times are tough and layoffs are made?

This blog has the goal to explore government waste at the city, county, state and national level. Contact us if you want to participate by writing articles. Lets get heard!