Pennsylvania town imposes minimum wage on all city employess.

**brizee** · July-10-12, 07:52 AM

Including police and firefighters.

This seems like the kind of bright idea our city and state leadership will be coming up with any day now.

**iheartthed** · July-10-12, 08:26 AM

Scranton is in Pennsylvania.

**jpbollma** · July-10-12, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Scranton is in Pennsylvania.

Everyone will quit and they will have anarchy. How the state legislature or governor don't step in with some type of aid and stabilization plan or a planned bankruptcy is beyond me.

**Meddle** · July-10-12, 09:28 AM

I read some of that, but does it include the staffs of the Mayor and Council?

**poobert** · July-10-12, 09:34 AM

I see that it is, as always, the union's fault in their comments section.

**cman710** · July-10-12, 09:57 AM

I do not know enough about Pennsylvania law and the collecting bargaining agreeements in place to comment about the situation legally, but this situation is terrible for everyone involved. Unfortunately, I think we will see this scenario play out in many times across the country in the next decade, as municipalities are forced to face fiscal reality.

First, the article indicates that the city cannot currently get financing from banks. This represents a major problem because the city also appears to be running a deficit. If it cannot finance the deficit, the city must make cuts someplace.

Second, the city council appears unwilling to address the problem by raising property tax rates. Instead, they suggest that the mayor find "alternative" forms of revenue. I am not sure what the city council has in mind, but it does not sound like these alternatives would bring sufficient revenue to solve the problem.

Third, if the city council does raise property taxe rates by three times, then this will drive out businesses and residents who will seek lower taxes elsewhere.

Fourth, regardless of how the particulars of this situation work out, it sounds like Scranton's city services will be on a downhill trajectory. This will of course ultimately provide incentive for anyone with means to leave the city and go someplace else, making the situation worse for everyone left behind.

Finally, on a personal level, it is awful for city employees to have their salaries cut like this. I am sure many have financial obligations to meet and this will make things very hard for them.

I have a feeling we will be having similar discussions regarding Detroit in the years to come...

**Wesley Mouch** · July-10-12, 10:11 AM

Misleading thread title.

There is not a pay cut. There is a payment cut. The article says 'pay cut' dozens of times -- but the mayor says the employees will be paid.

Once the crisis is over, employees would be paid the deferred pay, he has said.

Reading between the lines -- both the mayor and the union rep don't want to do this. They simply have no alternatives. The mayor is paying what he can while keeping the city running. The union is trying to protect its members using the law.

There was no indication from the city that they have any issue with paying these people. They just don't have the money.

**Zacha341** · July-10-12, 08:45 PM

Sounds like some of the fun going on over here, though not quite implemented...

Originally Posted by Meddle

I read some of that, but does it include the staffs of the Mayor and Council?

**oladub** · July-11-12, 12:46 AM

When the Kalkaska school board did not have enough money about 25 years ago, it shut down the Kalkaska school system one one month early. A judge threatened the school board members with punishments but after his intimidation failed to magically produce money, the board members were let go and the schools shut down early. There just wan't any money. This PA mayor has been ordered by a court to pay the full salary amounts and he too is refusing to comply because he doesn't have the money to do so.

**Papasito** · July-11-12, 08:46 AM

Everyone is getting their pay cut in private sector jobs.
What makes government employees so special where they don't get more hours, less pay and no benefits like the rest of us?

Employment should suck for everyone.
Equal opportunity suckage.

Wow, what a crappy world this is turning out to be.

**rb336** · July-11-12, 09:29 AM

according to this chart from the National Low Income Housing Coalition, they will have to work 89 hours a week to afford rent

http://cdn.billmoyers.com/wp-content...nimumwage1.gif

**old guy** · July-11-12, 10:51 AM

Originally Posted by Papasito

Everyone is getting their pay cut in private sector jobs.
What makes government employees so special where they don't get more hours, less pay and no benefits like the rest of us?

I saw an interview with a Scranton fire fighter. He said he could get a job down the street from the fire station scooping ice cream for $8.50 an hour rather than the $7.25 or $7.50 an hour his pay was cut to. Ever run into a burning building? It isn't fun.

**jackie5275** · July-11-12, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by old guy

I saw an interview with a Scranton fire fighter. He said he could get a job down the street from the fire station scooping ice cream for $8.50 an hour rather than the $7.25 or $7.50 an hour his pay was cut to. Ever run into a burning building? It isn't fun.

Yes, he probably could get the ice cream job. However, he won't get as many hours each week. Maybe 10-12 each week if he's lucky.

**ejames01** · July-11-12, 09:03 PM

Originally Posted by Papasito

Everyone is getting their pay cut in private sector jobs.
What makes government employees so special where they don't get more hours, less pay and no benefits like the rest of us?

Employment should suck for everyone.
Equal opportunity suckage.

Wow, what a crappy world this is turning out to be.

Not everyone is getting more hours, less pay and no benefits.....

**Det_ard** · July-11-12, 09:18 PM

Originally Posted by ejames01

Not everyone is getting more hours, less pay and no benefits.....

That's true, some are getting fired.

I guess the mayor should issue everyone their full check each week, then watch as only the quickest 1/3 to get to the bank actually get to cash their paycheck. The slowpokes get a big fat NSF and have to wait til next week when a little more money dribbles into the city's coffers.

**Jimaz** · July-11-12, 09:39 PM

Originally Posted by old guy

I saw an interview with a Scranton fire fighter. He said he could get a job down the street from the fire station scooping ice cream for $8.50 an hour rather than the $7.25 or $7.50 an hour his pay was cut to. Ever run into a burning building? It isn't fun.

That's insane. At some point people playing this game of chicken are going to regret ever getting involved in the game.

And I'm not referring to the front-line players. The background players blithely pushing these pawns are going to regret their actions.

No one is immune from accidental fires.

**ejames01** · July-12-12, 05:49 AM

Originally Posted by Det_ard

That's true, some are getting fired.

I guess the mayor should issue everyone their full check each week, then watch as only the quickest 1/3 to get to the bank actually get to cash their paycheck. The slowpokes get a big fat NSF and have to wait til next week when a little more money dribbles into the city's coffers.

Some aren't getting fired either.

**gazhekwe** · July-12-12, 09:43 AM

The firefighter would not have benefits at the ice cream shop. Are their health care benefits and pension benefits still in effect though they have minimum wage until the budget sorts out?

**Ray1936** · July-13-12, 09:30 PM

Time for Scranton to do what Detroit did in the thirties!

**Danny** · July-14-12, 11:30 AM

Good ideal for the Mayor of Scanton! It's time for folks to stop whining about your wants and plan on your needs.

**Papasito** · July-24-12, 08:56 AM

It could be worse, They could be in Argentina!!

A raffle will determine which civil servants in a small Argentine town will receive their pay first, due to insufficient funds, its mayor announced Monday.
"We will draw lots to decide the [[order) of payment," said mayor of Bialet Masse....

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/cash-strapp...180106093.html

**antongast** · July-24-12, 01:26 PM

Glenn Moon is sounding like a visionary right about now.

Until we city Livonia prove ourselves worthy to receive future worldly financial blessing from God in name Jesus Christ, this is what we city Livonia must do: starting with our highest-paid city employee, we will ask city employees, “are you willing continue your employment with city Livonia time period duration one year in exchange financial reimbursement one dollar?” If city employee fails to submit self to holy will of God in name Jesus Christ agree remain employed salary one dollar, we city Livonia are commanded by God in name Jesus Christ terminate employment, eliminate employment designation, distribute job responsibilities to other city Livonia employees.

**rb336** · July-24-12, 01:29 PM

moon is an absolute nut case

**antongast** · July-24-12, 01:34 PM

Originally Posted by rb336

moon is an absolute nut case

That's what I used to think, but it seems like the rest of the world is trying to follow his example. As someone who thinks public employees are valuable and deserve to be reasonably compensated, I'm starting to feel like the guy who calls the cops because all the other cars on the expressway are driving the wrong way.