I’m a hard ass and I’m going to take a hard ass approach. PERS is going to bankrupt our state if we don’t do something drastic and immediate. I’m the only candidate willing to step up and do it. It’s not a complicated solution but it takes huge courage.
For current employees under a PERS plan - Each employee will be presented a choice. 1) Leave the union, give up your PERS and accept your new employee package which will be along the lines of what your employer (Oregonians) has. 2) Get fired and go be an employer (get a real job), be replaced by someone who respects the citizens of Oregon and doesn’t want to take advantage of their generosity.
For retired PERS recipients - Sorry, we’re cutting you off. Yep, you heard me right. You’re getting cut off. We Oregonians are going to evaluate your financial situation on a case-by-case basis and determine how much Oregonians owe you for your prior service to the community then you will be paid accordingly. I guarantee, it will be fair and you will not be put into the poor house. But you will not be living fat while Oregon tax payers suffer and the state goes bankrupt.
This may sound harsh, but please, someone tell me why state employees are ENTITLED to something more than what Oregon tax payers have? The tax payers are the boss. State employees are not better than anyone and are not entitled to a damn thing. We shouldn’t respect a state employee any more than we respect the nice man who pumps our gas or the waitress who brings our lunch. In fact, a state employee should treat every single tax payer as if they are the CEO of the company when they walk through the door. How often does that happen? And I’m not just talking about the guy at the DMV, I’m also talking about the judge who thinks he’s some kind of English Lord who demands respect just because he’s a state employee and wears a black robe. News flash your judgeship…we’re the boss.
“Darren…you’re CRAZY!! There’s no way you can do that!! The unions will never go for that and all these people have contracts!!!”
Yep. I’m CRAZY. If you take one thing away from my running for Governor, please remember this…
WE, THE CITIZENS OF OREGON ARE IN CHARGE. No person, elected, appointed, or anyone else can tell us what we can or can’t do. If a law says “no”, remember who is in charge…WE ARE. We simply change the law.
NO UNION CONTROLS THIS STATE!!!!! We need a Governor who understands this and who will stand up for YOU instead of cowering at the feet of the mighty union!!! The union isn’t might…We The People are mighty and WE run the show. You sure wouldn’t know it by the way the state is ran.
“Well yeah Mr. Big Shot…but the Unions will just sue the state and we’ll have to pay anyway!!”
Well first of all, the state can’t be sued unless it agrees to be sued. I know it sounds completely stupid, and it is, but that’s how it is. It’s called “sovereign immunity”. But lets say the unions do find someone or a part of the government to sue. Who cares? They sue, they win, we don’t pay. What happens next? NOTHING!!
Please remember rule #1. WE, THE CITIZENS OF OREGON ARE IN CHARGE
If we the citizens of Oregon decide not to bankrupt the state by not paying on PERS, who is going to enforce a judgement? Once you figure out who, how are they going to enforce it? Seriously, try to answer that one for me? IT CAN’T BE DONE!!!
To all PERS recipients: You were scammed along the lines of the Madoff scam. The people on both sides of the negotiation table scammed you and you should sue them. I personally feel very bad for you. But like the people scammed by Madoff, you are a victim and sometimes victim’s suffer. Oregonians break their backs to provide for their families and pay taxes. Tax payers did not bail out the Madoff victims and they should not be required to bail you out (and bankrupt the state) just because you worked for the state. That being said, Oregonians do feel somewhat responsible for you since you did work for us and we will give you fair compensation equal to what we as hard working Oregonians would expect to receive for a similar job.
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Love this! Still waiting to hear your thoughts on public schools and the welfare system... although those topics may be a bit touchy to tackle right before the primaries ;)
ReplyDeleteuh, you claim to be a 100% constitutionalist... but then you say this:
ReplyDeleteFor current employees under a PERS plan - Each employee will be presented a choice. 1) Leave the union, give up your PERS and accept your new employee package which will be along the lines of what your employer (Oregonians) has. 2) Get fired and go be an employer (get a real job), be replaced by someone who respects the citizens of Oregon and doesn’t want to take advantage of their generosity.
One of the constitutional rights we have is 'Freedom of Association'. "Although it is not explicitly protected in the First Amendment, the Supreme Court ruled, in NAACP v. Alabama, 357 U.S. 449 (1958), freedom of association to be a fundamental right protected by it."
Constitutionally you can't tell someone (or threaten them to take away their job) they can't be a member of a union.
Not only is it unconstitutional, I personally think it borders on unethical.
And btw, I also question the need for unions today... but constitutionally, they are protected. I have the right to form one and the right to be a part of one.
"uh" good one. The Supreme Court doesn't make law so my being 100% Constitutionalist doesn't really give a crap about a their case law. There's nothing in the Constitution that forces a state to negotiate with a union. Oregon will negotiate with each employee individually. Is that worded better for your sensitive little ears? sheesh. Stop wasting my time.
ReplyDeleteAnd stop bothering me with your mainstream, institutionalized version of constitutional matters. Get that crap out of your head, read the Constitution for yourself, through your own eyes, then come back and lets talk.
Darren, 2 Questions
ReplyDelete1. My mom worked (her but off) for 35 years and has PERS....what kind of financial Case by case are we talking? because retirement is hard enough and I can guarantee shes not living fat.
2. Are we talking all Unions, I am part of the public employees union and with out them we would have virtually no benefits, so what would it mean to not have them "on our side" so to speak?
Hey there,
ReplyDelete1. Most likely your mom would get the same thing she's getting now. It's not my mission to hurt public employees, just save the state from bankruptcy. I'm looking for people who are "double dipping" or somehow otherwise taking advantage of the system. Your mom doesn't sound like she fits the bill.
2. Yes, we're talking about all public employee unions. But keep in mind this would happen only after we get the state working properly. Once this happens, the state will be working for WE THE PEOPLE and the state will work for you like the union use to. If you're a public employee, you'll have benefits. I personally guarantee that under my administration.