Pension Cuts Rumbling Gets Louder

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.workinglife.org/blogs/view_post.php?content_id=15061

This is an example of what we will see in louder tones in the coming year (this in today's Wall St. Journal):

Cities across the nation are raising property taxes, largely citing rising pension and health-care costs for their employees and retirees.

In Pennsylvania, the township of Upper Moreland is bumping up property taxes for residents by 13.6% in 2011. Next door the city of Philadelphia this year increased the tax 9.9%. In New York, Saratoga Springs will collect 4.4% more in property taxes in 2011; Troy will increase taxes by 1.9%.

The traditional media and politicians are setting the stage for a wide assault on retirees and pensions, using the divide-and-conquer strategy: pit people against each other.

[sarcasmo]

1. Corporate America's full out assault on the middle class.

[Angry Dragon]

2. Then it is time for congress to share in the hurt

Eliminate all congressional pensions
PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE
that is only fair to the American people
if they have no desire to protect us why should we pay for their retirements
they get enough under the table right now

[spin]

3. If only your idea would work....

Unfortunately Congress will never vote for it.

[xchrom]

4. How many years have pension troubles been reported on

From auto workers to lo and behold enron.

And yet the people who are supposed to protect us
Have done remarkably little about it.

[SoCalDem]

5. The other day, some "expert" on MSNBC flippantly told us

that once we "got rid of all the pension-people", things would be okay:grr:

[WinkyDink]

6. Guess what? The pensioners ALSO PAY PROPERTY TAXES. It's not as if WE are unscathed.

Are WE to blame for the entire way CAPITALIST AMERICA IS SET UP?

There is private enterprise (goods and the means of their production, property, food), and there is the public sphere (governance, protection/security, rescue, education, water supply and sewerage for many, certain aspects of transportation, etc).
THE PUBLIC SPHERE IS NON-PROFIT. HENCE AND THEREFORE, IT MUST BE PUBLICLY-SUPPORTED = TAX MONIES.
SORRY ABOUT THAT, SOCIALISM-HATERS.

As for legally-negotiated contracts and pensions, I found out the hard way, for my widowed mother regarding Bethlehem Steel, that private enterprise, because it is supported by PRIVATE monies, can now simply walk away from these contract provisions. (Hello, http://www.pbgc.gov/)