The Scranton Government Payment Package

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The Scranton Government Payment Package by Save Scranton

I have received considerable amount attention from the last article. I wanted to demonstrate that government Scranton, Pennsylvania is more like a monarchy than a democratic government. The Scranton government lords over Scrantonians like they are serfs while the government employees enjoy wonderful payment packages like princes and dukes- more on that later. Many of the allies of the local government- the people working in the local government- said that it was unfair to combine standard salaries with things like overtime, health benefits, and pensions. I find this argument silly because your compensation is the amalgamation of the entire cost of your employment that is conferred upon you. In other words, if you are receiving a dollar directly, or indirectly by not having to spend money on something, that is compensation! But for the sake of argument, I decided to break down the compensation expenditures to see what they would look like. Please take a look:

Total Standard Salaries 27,584,846.44
Total Standard Salaries plus other salaries $31,829,248.47
Total Salaries plus Health Benefits $47,019,264.02
Total Salaries plus Health Benefits and Retirement $61,750,449.02

 

Alright, now we can see every break down of the compensation. When we examine this it leads to one conclusion, YOU SHOULD WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT. Seriously, these payment packages are amazing! While the average Scrantonian is struggling with working multiple minimum wage jobs, trying to make ends meet, you have policeman pulling in an average of $74,623* a year. Now, when you add health benefits (we all know that the rest of us mere peasants have to pay for health insurance out of pocket), you get another $36,123 on average of additional coverage. At this rate, why should anyone go to college? Seriously, just join the Scranton government and work for one of its departments, preferably the police or fire department. Become a policeman or a Fireman and you will live do amazing. I mean it makes sense why the city is falling apart and people are moving out en masse; the government made it clear that it exists for itself and not the people of Scranton.

It is similar to how medieval kingdoms used to run. The king and princes would live in the castle while the rest of us peasants would toil in the fields. The king and his men would then of course come and take the crop we worked and labored hard for-yeah that’s called tax. This is so the king and his men can live splendid and decadent lives. If you are not a government employee, you are just out of luck. The perks for working for the government means a great base salary in a place that already has a low standard of living. You have free healthcare. And a retirement package that will insure you will be able to retire comfortably at age 45. Since people are living longer, that means you get a whole other life time to live on the public dole without having to lift a finger. Yes, while the rest of us have to prolong our retirement to work, government affiliates do not have to worry about this. Who they have to think for all for this majesty? Well, You of course, the tax payer. This is what your taxes are paying for. When you combine all the salaries, health benefits, other salaries, and pensions these government workers get, you come at this astonishing figure $61,750,449.02.

Even if I do take 2015 actuals and add the TAN(Tax Anticipation Notes i.e loans), you still have a budget where 75% is allocated to compensation. This will insure that the long term liabilities of the city keeps getting larger and larger because the Scranton government is not paying these debts down. No matter how you cut it, your money is being used to make sure other people beside you and your family live really well! The Scranton people must really love their government. They, the government, get to live amazing lives because of the Scranton people. Let’s be honest, the taxes the city of Scranton people are paying is going to compensation. While Scrantonians struggle and are subjected to increase taxation, closing businesses, blighted homes, broken roads, old street lamps and dwindling to nonexistent job opportunities, crime, and corruption you can rest assured that the government workers are living good and are being well taken care of- that is assuming you were worried.

Thus, I guess the rebuke was right. I was wrong. Why should the Scranton government invest in the city when it can invest in itself? People of Scranton, if you are wondering where all the fees, taxes, and payments you pay are going towards, look no further, now you know.

 

Gary St. Fleur
www.savescranton.com
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