NT Elected Position

[Edsel]

Back in the days when the Tennessee Vols were a national power, we had an announcer who would start the broadcast:  "It's FOOTBALL TIME in TENNESSEE!!!"

Tennessee is not anywhere close to a national power, and the announcer has retired.  But fear not, for "It's ELECTION TIME in TENNESSEE!!"

Indeed it is.  In front of our courthouse in Manchester there are no less than 300 signs.  Government jobs are obviously immensely popular.

In days of yore, virtually no one wanted to work for the govt.  Low pay, boring jobs, sketchy benefits.  If you wanted to run for a state or county office position you could easily be unopposed.

30 years later, everyone wants a govt job.  People who own businesses are even shutting down so they can run for office.  The industrial base now offers leased employees, no benefits, layoffs, plant shutdowns, etc.  And a husband and wife must both work at WalMart in order to deliver a 40-hour week at wages only a dollar or so above minimum wage.

Govt jobs?  Very typical is one of my customers who has a clerical job with a $29,000 W-2 and $19,000 coded as "DD" in box 12.  If she works only a few years she will get a retirement which increases every year.  (Commercial retirements normally don't increase, ever)  No overtime, cushy work, ultimate job security and medical insurance practically 100% paid for.

And state governments claim they are broke??  I wonder how many states have the state government as its largest employer?

For example, in 1980 Fortune 500 company "Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (3M)" was the largest employer in Minnesota.  Today the largest employer in Minnesota is....you guessed it...the State govt of Minnesota itself.

Mercifully, in August this charade/beautycontest will be over.  I think Alabama has this going on and Kentucky as well.

I don't know that this post goes anywhere or has a theme, or conclusion.   Just a sign of the times.

 

[Catherine]

Britain's NHS is the largest non-military organization in the world, in terms of employees.  And if you want real health care, you have to leave the country...

[JohnH]

I'll risk stepping over the line, but this truly is an equal-opportunity political rant.  It applies to all political parties and politicians, regardless of the jersey they wear.  Whenever a budget problem arises, the politicians wring their hands and tell us the ONLY way out is to reduce services that directly affect the public.  The solution is always "we're going to be forced to sell the firehouse !, lay off police officers !, etc".  There's never any thought of looking at city hall to see if there might be a little fat to be cut, or maybe a slew of non-essential bureaucratic positions to eliminate.

[Catherine]

1 hour ago, JohnH said:

There's never any thought of looking at city hall

Of course not!  That fat is THEM and their cushy benefits.  So what else would they do but threaten the items that get people riled up to stop the cuts?  It's all self-serving.  D, I, R - doesn't matter.

[JohnH]

Back in 2013, Charles Krauthamer wrote  the best article on this issue that I've ever read. It's entitled "Hail Armageddon". (I'm going to miss him tremendously)

 

[Catherine]

4 hours ago, JohnH said:

I'm going to miss him tremendously

He is really going to be missed.  I hope they can control the pain for him.  They can't for everyone.