April 26, 2007

Upon reading the Frederick News Post of today (April 21, 2007), I see that Masonite, a company that manufactures doors for the building industry, is laying off 70 employees. Isn't it funny how the private sector expands and contracts to market forces?

Unlike government employees, private sector employees face this fact every day, not so for government employees. When was the last time you read that Frederick County, Frederick City, or the State of Maryland laid anyone off? How about....never.

Oh, wait a minute, let me correct the record, a few years back Frederick City had a ploy to layoff 12 workers, but they nixed that idea. What about their families? What would they do? Oh, my, what a dilemma. So, when the smoke cleared, all 12 still remained employed. They were probably moved to another department, and given a raise..problem solved.

The officials like to compare government employee salaries to the private sector. Why? Government employees get far more in benefits, such as first class health insurance (fully funded), an average of 3-4 added holidays, comp days, sick days (that rollover from year-to-year), pensions, retirement at mid-life, so they can go out and work a second career while getting a pension from the first (taxpayer funded), continuing education reimbursements.

The list goes on and on. Oh, and don't forget that added little perk, tenure...i.e., a job for life, no matter how you perform. So, why is it that officials compare public sector jobs to private sector jobs? They don't even begin to compare. Government employees should make half of what the private sector makes in the form of salary. That would be more equitable.

I guess when all of us in the private sector figure out that we can get a government job, with no personal responsibility, no deadlines, and have all of the authority, there won't be a private sector.

Wait, that can't happen, in my Economics 101 class, the professor said that the private sector actually funds the public sector, without a private sector economy, there is no public sector.

Maybe he was wrong. Maybe we all can work for the government. Sound too good to be true.....it is.