This is the Total Cost of Employment for some public workers in Bay Area

[still_one]

TCOE is Total Cost of Employment.
The website is dedicated to making tax expenditures for the salaries of public workers known.
http://www.mercurynews.com/salaries/bay-area/2010

[musiclawyer]

1. And so .....

These are bay area public employees where the cost of a 1200 ft bungalo is 700k in many mediocre neighborhoods I live and work two hours away in a non ritzy rural area and I make almost 100k less than my counterpart with the same experience in Marin county But my house costs a fourth of what his does. And If you want an ineffective local goverment run by amateurs, then by all means start paying them the peanuts that republicans would want. I have zero problem with these salaries. They are market driven and relative to the locale

[still_one]

2. Very few people in any sector public or private are worth a quarter of a million dollars, and to

your argument do you want a bunch of "amateurs" to run our government, that is what those who caused the financial crisis said also, and very few of them were fired.

I can almost bet that the police or fireman on the line, or teacher in the classroom doesn't make anything near what these folks make

In fact, I know it is true because I looked some of my friends up in this table, and their total compensation is modest at best. The inequity is glaring

[cliffordu]

14. I read an article some years back about police officers down in silicon valley

living in their cars because they could not afford housing due to the internet bubble.......

[MadHound]

3. This is faulty data,

If you check the comments out, you will find that Mercury News did a horrible job of compiling this, including many mistakes.

But hey, keep on bashing public employees. Just remember one little fact, when you take match up private sector jobs to public sector jobs, using the same education, experience and position, the private sector makes more than the public sector.

[still_one]

4. This data was supplied by the agencies to the Mercury News, they just reported what they

found, and if you also read, they corrected the data when it was resubmitted to them.

Also you incorrectly assume I am bashing the public employees, not at all. What I am pointing out is the disparity between those at the top positions verses those who put their neck on the line

In addition, I believe if a person was hired under an agreement, that agreement MUST be honored.

It can be changed for new employees, but NOT for current ones

[musiclawyer]

5. I will agree that there is great disparity

The fire chief makes a lot more than the beginning firefighter In some cases the disparity is awful. But I disagree in that some people are worth a quarter million. Like the doctors who run these public hospitals. I want them to know what they are doing. Getting those people requires such wages because they can ask for two times more in the private sector And worth is all relative when your average mediocre house costs half million

[still_one]

6. You make some good points, and you are right, what someone is worth is a gray area. However, I have

no idea how one would convince someone from the midwest that the cost of living in the bay area is significantly higher than where they are, since most people can only relate to their own experience, and that creates a problem because they might find it difficult to empathize.

[doc03]

7. My god no wonder California is broke. sheriff deputies,

librarians, firemen and police officers making over $250,000. I went through over 2000 names and their salaries still exceed $250,000. The people on the first few pages are making three times what the President makes.

Utility Worker: $124,000
Water Meter Reader: $111,000
Gardener 2: $102,900.

[musiclawyer]

8. 111 k a year buys this meter reader a house in a neighborhood

You won't want to live in. Unless he wants to commute two hours each way In which case dude will die of stress in a few years But at least he can buy a house You want all public employees to rent only ? Really
Unless you live in the bay area you have no idea

[doc03]

10. Then again maybe your property values are high because

everyone's salaries are bloated. I can't imagine what the taxes are on a $700,000 house in SF.

[joshcryer]

11. Property tax rate is around 1%~.

So a little under $600 a month for taxes on said property.

The property isn't worth that much though.

[cliffordu]

15. Can you BUY a house for 700K anywhere NEAR SF???

This whole problem is a hangover from the internet bubble of the '90's........

[doc03]

12. Talked to a meter reader that works for our

city this morning, he made $28000 last year.

[Hannah Bell]

9. unrec for the winger memes encoded in your post.

[still_one]

13. Don't infer that I am a right winger, "encoding in my posts". If you don't want to discuss or bring

up points why the post is incorrect that is fine, but implying a hidden meaning is beneath you

[Hannah Bell]

16. it's not hidden.

[still_one]

17. Then spell it out. The link is a link to the San Jose Mercury, not MY personal link

If anything this link demonstrates the disparity between the regular public worker, who are out there day in, day out, and the huge compensation that the heads of the departments get

and I can tell you when the layoffs occur it usually doesn't occur at the top.

The Mercury News is not a right wing rag journal either.