...England, 55, (click title to entry - thank you) joined the suit because he was "ticked off," he said, arguing that state politicians unfairly balanced the budget on the backs of state workers. Those lawmakers ought to sacrifice more of their own state salary and benefits, England said, before they turn to the public employees who vote for them.
"My budget was already strapped," he said. "I have a 20-year-old son who lives with me and is going to school. Then you talk about a car, car insurance for two cars, then you've got the mortgage, utilities and groceries on top of it. The [3 percent cut] makes it an impossible situation."
England is a member of the Florida Service Employees International Union, which joined the lawsuit on Monday afternoon. The Police Benevolent Association filed a motion on Monday for a state correctional office and a sheriff's deputy in Orange County to join the suit as well.
In Hillsborough County, sheriff's employees are receiving a 3.25 percent salary increase to offset the mandatory pension contributions. Sheriff David Gee told the Tampa Tribune last week that his employees haven't received raises in years, and that the 3 percent cut would have affected both morale and quality of life...
I especially love that part. Give with one hand and take with the other. The .25 percent is even more interesting. See, three percent increase would also increase the amount of the contributions to the pension fund and still cut into their salaries, so Scott upped the pay increase by a quarter of a percent to prevent any reduction in pay.
Amazing. These guys are as crooked as the day is long.
The scardy-cat Governors give all kinds of incentives to law enforcement employees to continue to serve and protect rather than strike. The same scenario or a version of it was noted in Wisconsin as well. These Republican Governors are 'cookie-cutter' Governors regardless of the demographics. Karl Rove is the architect after all, so it is safe to say the RNC and their cronies are now running the states with Republican Governors that redraw political districts.
