Quote Originally Posted by rsnnh12 View Post
No, it doesn't. They were contributing next to nothing from their paycheck. They wouldn't have just received bigger paychecks if they were contributing to their pensions (unless the union demanded it) because pensions are 1 of the biggest reasons states are in debt. We aren't talking about private unions... we are talking about public sector monopolies, which is exactly what they are. Private sector unions have consequences if they strike... they can be replaced. Not so easy with public unions
http://tax.com/taxcom/taxblog.nsf/Pe...S?OpenDocument
Out of every dollar that funds Wisconsin' s pension and health insurance plans for state workers, 100 cents comes from the state workers.

How can that be? Because the "contributions" consist of money that employees chose to take as deferred wages – as pensions when they retire – rather than take immediately in cash. The same is true with the health care plan. If this were not so a serious crime would be taking place, the gift of public funds rather than payment for services.

Thus, state workers are not being asked to simply "contribute more" to Wisconsin' s retirement system (or as the argument goes, "pay their fair share" of retirement costs as do employees in Wisconsin' s private sector who still have pensions and health insurance). They are being asked to accept a cut in their salaries so that the state of Wisconsin can use the money to fill the hole left by tax cuts and reduced audits of corporations in Wisconsin.
The way this issue is being framed is ridiculous. It's being framed that teachers/etc are enriching their pension fund at taxpayer expense. In reality, they took less money in their paychecks in exchange for better benefits. The state took the deal (this is a contract), and now everyone is talking about teachers like they're some kind of parasite on society.

Plain and simple, this is a propaganda trick and you are falling for it. Even discussing pension and salary as two separate entities is wrong, they are all part of the same package negotiated and agreed to upon by the state.