Working People Make Too Much!

Atrios posted:

I mentioned recently that I had been rather annoyed at all of the assholes who hated on my local transit authority bus drivers because they had the temerity to earn FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS PER YEAR. Well now you too can drive a bus.

That set off an alarm bell in my head; I had been writing about pensions earlier today, and I remembered something similar I came across:

 Fred Beaver, who retired in January as head of the state's Division of Pension and Benefits, says the situation is not quite as dire as Norcross portrays, but major changes are needed. 

In the future, government workers should no longer count on top salaries, comprehensive health benefits and full pensions, Beaver said. 

"I had secretaries working for me making $75,000 a year, plus we're talking, what, $60,000 in benefits?" Beaver said. "This system needs a major overhaul. Everything needs to be looked at." [Emphasis mine]

Oh, dear lord, not $75,000 A YEAR!!! In NJ!!! For working in an office!!!

I don't even know what "$60K in benefits" means. Is it health care? Oh, we can't have middle class workers get that, can we?

Did I miss the meeting when we all decided that people who go to work every day, make five-figures, and get decent health care and pensions were the #1 threat to America?

(NAUGHTY THOUGHT ALERT! Keeping in mind I'm the Jersey Jazzman: 


Gosh, all these secretaries and teachers making too much money! In fact, all these public workers making too much money. Hmm, what part of the population is disproportionately represented in teaching and secretarial work? What part of the population is 60% of the public work force as opposed to 46% of the private sector?


Could it be that same part of the population that makes 77 cents on the dollar compared to the rest of the workforce?


Could it be the part of the public workforce far more represented in teaching than in law enforcement? Maybe that's why Christie asked the teachers to take a wage freeze but not the police.


Gee, do you think that maybe there's some sort of bias against this group of people that makes it easier for Christie and his minions to bash public workers hard, and teachers especially hard?


Do you think?)