Sirota and Taibbi: Exposing the Agenda to Fleece Billions from Workers' Retirement Savings

[kelliekat44]

5. Yes, somebody please explain to these new group of haters that public service workers for the

longest time were underpaid, and over worked with constant fears of losing jobs through contracting out to the private sector. Highly educated and skilled minorities and women were refused employment in the private sector because of nepotism, sexism, and racism. Public sector jobs were lower-paying but at least offered the security of a fair and safe retirement with health benefits. And the Federal government became the biggest equal opportunity employer to attract this talent to the workforce. And this move alone was one of the contributing factors to raising the standard of living among huge segments of our population. Graduating seniors from major ivy league colleges would laugh at going to work for the government when they could make three times as much out side the public sector. Remember, the "public sector" included Federal, state employees including teachers. Often the lowest paid among graduate-degree holders. Instead of high paying jobs, public sector employees at least had the benefit of a safe retirement after 25-35 years of service. It wasn't until the retirement funds of private sector workers became subject to the fraud and greed of Wall Street and the banksters that their attention turned to scorn for the public sector worker. And now many of those who would have taken jobs in the private sector are gobbling up the public sector jobs from those who previously would have gone to work in the public sector for lower pay but better security. Either through direct hire or contracts, the former privileged class is most willing to take on those public sector jobs that they shunned before. For some, unions are even becoming attractive but most feel that their privileged class will protect them and unions and paying union dues is not necessary. Public sector think: teachers, firemen, police, trash, post office, state and Federal workers. Most never earned six figure salaries and never will. But now they are being trashed because they have or had better job security. The power brokers sure know how to keep the people divided.