Vegas Free-for-All - How did it get to this point?

How did it get to this point?

luckylarry

Feb 21, 2011
12:25am

Quote

Originally posted by: alanleroy
Why don't we pay soldiers $180,000 a year? I've got a clue for you all...we can't afford it. Pay should be based on Supply and Demand for a person's skills....not some emotional "would you walk into a burning building argument?" Why should the taxpayers pay some guy $180,000 when there are 100 others that could qualify and would love the job for $50,000?

Why stop there...lets get rid of all the labour laws (and the Unions for that matter) and get people to work for below minimum wage. I'm sure there are hundreds of people out there that would take your job for 1/2 of what they pay you!!! Then you would be unemployed or take the job of another person for 1/2 the wage they paid him!!!!
Would you walk into a burning building argument is not an emotional one...It's their job.
As for why don't we pay soldiers $180,000 a year...don't get me started on how soldiers are treated during and post combat...little hint though...it's freaking embarassing considering what they do to protect this country.

Please stand and join in the singing of America the Beautiful while you can...things are changing and within 20 years the rest of the world will be watching on T.V. the uprising and chaos of civilians in the USA just like we watched last month at Egypt.

INdianapaddler

Feb 21, 2011
12:36am

Block User

Quote

Originally posted by: esteskefauver
How is it possible for glorified water squirters to earn on average $180,000 in wages and benefits and battalion chiefs of the water squirters to earn on average $280,000 in wages and benefits? There's a reason that public unions' membership has reached 35% and the private sector is down to 7% union membership. In the private sector a strong union forces a company to go out of business. In the public sector clueless idiots like Las Vegas local politicians allow this to happen and honest hardworking taxpayers get the shaft. Nothing will ever change in Las Vegas. The idiots here will continue to elect the same corrupt people over and over and Las Vegas will never prosper again.

https://www.lvrj.com/news/county-officials-crack-down-on-firefighters-use-of-sick-leave-116517013.html

Why don't we give the glorified water squirter's job to the illegal immigrants? Hell, they will work for a lot less than minimum wage, and if they complain about it, we can deport them!

Now that I think on it, though, a lot of us wil have to start doing our own landscaping, picking our own lettuce, strawberries and tomatoes, make our own beds at the Las Vegas hotels, and taking our own dishes back to the hotel restaurants.

alanleroy

Feb 21, 2011
12:45am

Block User

Quote

Originally posted by: mrmarcus12LVA

Quote
Originally posted by: alanleroy
Why don't we pay soldiers $180,000 a year? I've got a clue for you all...we can't afford it. Pay should be based on Supply and Demand for a person's skills....not some emotional "would you walk into a burning building argument?" Why should the taxpayers pay some guy $180,000 when there are 100 others that could qualify and would love the job for $50,000?

Um, number one, many firefighters WERE soldiers, navy seals, etc.

And number two, REALLY?!? REALLY? Do you actually believe that for every firefighter, there are 100 applicants equally qualified who would serve for 28% of the pay? What you been smokin', Willis?

Does everyone here know that fires tend to burn stuff, until someone puts them out?

Right. You do realize that the average wage of a firefigher is 31K to 56K...Again the question...why should the taxpayers pay some guy $180,000 when there are 100 others that could qualify and would love the job for $50K?

alanleroy

Feb 21, 2011
12:50am

Block User

Quote

Originally posted by: luckylarry
Why stop there...lets get rid of all the labour laws (and the Unions for that matter) and get people to work for below minimum wage. I'm sure there are hundreds of people out there that would take your job for 1/2 of what they pay you!!! Then you would be unemployed or take the job of another person for 1/2 the wage they paid him!!!!
Would you walk into a burning building argument is not an emotional one...It's their job.
As for why don't we pay soldiers $180,000 a year...don't get me started on how soldiers are treated during and post combat...little hint though...it's freaking embarassing considering what they do to protect this country.

You do realize that the average firefighter makes 34 - 56K depending on seniority. Why do these guys bilk the taxpayer for $180K? As to your other crap....I set my own wage and actually go out there and employ people for 10 times the minimum wage...and I don't charge my customers 3 times the going rate...because I have competition that keeps my rates in check.

pjstroh

Feb 21, 2011
12:55am

Block User

Quote

Originally posted by: alanleroy

Quote
Originally posted by: mrmarcus12LVA
Quote
Originally posted by: alanleroy
Why don't we pay soldiers $180,000 a year? I've got a clue for you all...we can't afford it. Pay should be based on Supply and Demand for a person's skills....not some emotional "would you walk into a burning building argument?" Why should the taxpayers pay some guy $180,000 when there are 100 others that could qualify and would love the job for $50,000?

Um, number one, many firefighters WERE soldiers, navy seals, etc.

And number two, REALLY?!? REALLY? Do you actually believe that for every firefighter, there are 100 applicants equally qualified who would serve for 28% of the pay? What you been smokin', Willis?

Does everyone here know that fires tend to burn stuff, until someone puts them out?

Actually, there are "some guys" in the military that make well over 180,000/year...and that is also true in the private contracting firms our military has hired for much of the work in our current endeavors overseas.

I guess it just matters if you want to paint in broad brush. If the median salary for a firefighter is 180,000K then I am in the wrong line of work. If that salary is anecdotal in the effort to demonzie the public service then I am in the right line of work. I suspect it is the latter and thats good. I'm not a big fan of smoke.

PS - I dont deny or endorse any public corruption at the hands of unions and to the extent it is behind the outrageous salries in question I fully support confronting it.

alanleroy

Feb 21, 2011
1:02am

Block User

Quote

Originally posted by: pjstroh

Quote
Originally posted by: alanleroy
Quote
Originally posted by: mrmarcus12LVA
Quote
Originally posted by: alanleroy
Why don't we pay soldiers $180,000 a year? I've got a clue for you all...we can't afford it. Pay should be based on Supply and Demand for a person's skills....not some emotional "would you walk into a burning building argument?" Why should the taxpayers pay some guy $180,000 when there are 100 others that could qualify and would love the job for $50,000?

Um, number one, many firefighters WERE soldiers, navy seals, etc.

And number two, REALLY?!? REALLY? Do you actually believe that for every firefighter, there are 100 applicants equally qualified who would serve for 28% of the pay? What you been smokin', Willis?

Does everyone here know that fires tend to burn stuff, until someone puts them out?

Right. You do realize that the average wage of a firefigher is 31K to 56K...Again the question...why should the taxpayers pay some guy $180,000 when there are 100 others that could qualify and would love the job for $50K?

I agree with you here PJ. It seemed to me some were actually defending the $180K these guys were making. Of course the article did say that "County firefighters average $180,000 yearly in wages and benefits". If true, I think they've lost all semblance of reasonable pay and it's indefensible.

I do not want to demean Firefighers or Police or Public Servants of any kind. I do think a person's pay should be based on Supply and Demand for their Skills...nothing more, nothing less.

garthman83

Feb 21, 2011
1:06am

Block User

In all honestly anyone can argue back and forth about who is more evil of CEO vs Unions. A lot of it is going to depend on how you have grown up and what type of work you do. Of course there are corrupt CEO's out there. There always has been and there always will be. There are also many good CEO's out there. Those who do pay employees good, and do provide good benefits. Unions were created for good, however there are plenty of unions out there now that are just as corrupt as a lot of CEO's out there. Some unions will fight for more wages and better benefits even when it's too much. Sometimes they think they can hold all the cards because of the power they have. They can be just as greedy as anyone else because of what is in it for them. The truth simply is that there is corruption and greed in both sides. Some people simply should never be able to have as much power as he/she does.

O2bnVegas

Feb 21, 2011
1:45am

Block User

Quote

Originally posted by: esteskefauver
glorified water squirters

Regardless of one's stand on unions and firefighters' pay, that is a disgusting characterization of them and their work.

What is your profession?

luckylarry

Feb 21, 2011
2:13am

Block User

From the one article there appears to be an accountalbilty issue over the use of sick time and the subsequent payment of overtime to staff the fire hall. If there is a "scam" going on then I agree it is indefensible and action must be taken to rectify the situation. Accountablity must be the corner stone of public sector employment.

To demean firefighters as glorified water squirters as the original poster has done, denegrates this profession.

Alan, I am happy you pay your employees $80.00/hr. You must have a very lucrative business to do so, but to base employment on purely on supply and demand is not the only factor; nor should it be; in compensation analysis.

By the way this is not "crap". it is my personal opinion, just as what you write is not crap...just saying.

alanleroy

Feb 21, 2011
2:22am

Block User

Quote

Originally posted by: luckylarry
From the one article there appears to be an accountalbilty issue over the use of sick time and the subsequent payment of overtime to staff the fire hall. If there is a "scam" going on then I agree it is indefensible and action must be taken to rectify the situation. Accountablity must be the corner stone of public sector employment.

To demean firefighters as glorified water squirters as the original poster has done, denegrates this profession.

Alan, I am happy you pay your employees $80.00/hr. You must have a very lucrative business to do so, but to base employment on purely on supply and demand is not the only factor; nor should it be; in compensation analysis.

By the way this is not "crap". it is my personal opinion, just as what you write is not crap...just saying.

Your right. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I took exception to your comment "I'm sure there are hundreds of people out there that would take your job for 1/2 of what they pay you!!! " since you knew nothing of my situation and I've worked hard to develop skills that I can take to the free market and make a good wage. The people who work for me are all professionals and have certain skills that they've earned where I can guarantee there aren't a hundred people in the world that can do what they do.

And what factors besides supply and demand should come into play when setting wages? If you pay higher than market you're overpaying. If you pay lower than market, you won't get good people. Things like Education, Experience, and Risk can all be accounted for as part defining the employee position...the free market considers all these things.

‹2 ›»

Already a LVA subscriber?
To continue reading, choose an option below:

Diamond Membership

$3 per month

Unlimited access to LVA website

Exclusive subscriber-only content

Limited Member Rewards Online

Join Now

Platinum Membership

$50 per year

Unlimited access to LVA website

Exclusive subscriber-only content

Exclusive Member Rewards Book

Join Now