--- Andy Driscoll <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> I would suggest you have little choice. You won't stop buying anything because of the exorbitant executive pay of the manufacturers'/service providers' executives.> We will, and do, if executive pay increases the price of goods and services above what we're willing to pay. >And you won't stop using the services of the state, > the city, the county and the school district, > either.> Geeze...If you mean to say, that we CAN'T stop using State, City and County services, you're right. So what's your point? > We all want all of the services we receive to be of > high quality and > effective. I would wager that it's all too easy to > be critical of public > employees and elected officials because we have more > control over the public > sector. And we should. That doesn't mean we expect > any less of them than we > do when buying groceries or a walkman or Scotch > tape. Exactly right! So how come I can buy a top quality VCR for less than $400.00, that has twice the features of the one I had to pay $1000.00 for three years age? Those DAMN CEO's? How come I'm paying 50 times more for public schools than I did in 1975 and getting kids that can't read at all? > This has been a very interesting exercise. We should > think more about this. > My sense is that we find reasons to be critical of > public pay without > thinking about how totally dependent we are for the > services they render. We > take all of it for granted. That's OK; but a good > deal more appreciation for > the quiet, behind-the-scenes work that goes into > maintaining them - keeping > the semaphore flashing, keeping the streets plowed > (most of the time), > maintaining some order in our lives. Sure, but we also owe it to ourselves to demand our governmental services be brought to us at a competitive price and with competitive features and services. Why should we be completely dependant on Government? > In contrast, we've come to accept some of the most > incompetently produced > products and services in history - in retailing, > manufacturing and service > sectors> Like WHAT? Your car, you know, the one that doesn't rust through after three winters anymore? The one that you do not have to touch for 100K miles? Your computer, yea, the one your using right now, the one that's 100 times faster and 1/4 of the cost of the one you threw away last year? Your house furnace that is 95% efficient? > September 11 seems to have created a keener > awareness of the value of public > employees, thanks to those in New York City. Good point Andy. There has been some finger pointing toward conservitive voters, they being accused of trumpeting the government they usually bash. But here's a clue. Emergency services, (Police, Fire, Public Health) are exactly the sorts of services we conservitives argue the government SHOULD be involved with. It's the other 30% of the digging that government does that we oppose. The public schools are bad folks, they are costing more and delivering less, at least as far as academics. That's the fact. For those us us lucky enough to have bright children and those of us involved enough to give a damn the public schools will suffice, just. But the kid's that everyone will be subsidizing for the next 60 years are being cheated, and we are being cheated. Jack Welch was paid millions for his work as CEO of GE. When he left, GE was and is the #1 corporation, by any neasure you care to make, in the World. The managers he trained are now sought after worlwide (one now leads 3M). What has Dr. Johnson and Dr. Harvey done in the same period of time? What is MPS known for other than one of the highest birth rates in the country? I do support Dr. Harvey over here in Saint Paul, and she has made some small improvements, but I cannot say that I would have awarded her any bonus. Whew! TJSWIFT Saint PAul [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online! http://greetings.yahoo.com _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
