Look Where Your Tax Dollars Are Going!

1. In the first quarter of 2010, employees in the private sector earned $300 billion LESS than they earned in the last quarter of 2007, while governments grew and their payrolls increased.
2. In 2010, there are 3 million FEWER workers in the private sector than there were 10 years ago, but 2 million MORE working in government. That's why they want more taxes from fewer workers.
3. Officials in the low-income town of Bell, California were found to be earning exorbitant salaries – nearly $800,000 for the city manager, $457,000 for the police chief and $376,288 for an assistant city manager. The top official could earn over $14 million in pension payments over the course of his retirement if he lives to be 75, not including annual COLA increases and monthly Social Security payments!
4. At the end of 2009, average compensation and benefits to federal workers was $123,049, as compared with $61,051 for private sector workers. And, during 2009, federal workers got an average of 6.9% in raises and two new employee benefits!
5. State and local government and public education workers averaged $82,492 in compensation and benefits in 2008, more than $25,000 a year MORE than private sector workers.
6. The difference (excess in pay and benefits) between public sector and private sector workers in 2008 was $600 BILLION! That is an amount equal to 60% of all of the personal federal income taxes paid in 2008.
7. The average taxpayer who actually PAID income taxes in 2008 paid $10,000 that year. That was enough to pay ONE federal worker for ONE MONTH!
8. At the Department of Defense, the number of employees earning more than $150,000 a year increased from 1,868 to more than 10,000 people in an 18 month period from the end of 2007 to mid-2009. A 500% increase in a year and a half, while MILLIONS in the private sector were losing their jobs.
9. In San Francisco, one of every three city workers earns more than $100,000 a year. The AVERAGE pay is $93,000! The number earning more than $100,000 increased by 800% in the last decade.
10. In Florida, 5,000 public employees have been paid a huge bonus to retire, and also received a pension, and are still at work drawing full pay! Example: A Supreme Court Justice who collected a $427,000 lump sum, plus a $7,596 monthly pension, plus his current $13,000 a month paycheck.
11. In Alabama, two Education Association employees got lump-sum payments of more than $1 million EACH, plus their pensions.
12. A police chief in Ohio got a lump sum of $922,261, plus another lump sum of $235,000, plus a pension of $92,000 a year.
13. Arkansas has a $2 billion unfunded pension liability, but just INCREASED pension benefits for 28,000 participants.
14. At the University of Connecticut, there are 29 people who are being paid to work full time while they are also collecting pensions of over $100,000 a year.
15. In Illinois, there are teachers earning salaries of more than $150,000 a year (for 9 months work), who can retire at 75% of pay after 30 years, or 100% of pay after 40 years…with guaranteed 3% raises every year, and free health insurance.
16. Michigan has unfunded pension liabilities of $13 billion, but New Jersey tops it with $34 billion of unfunded liabilities. Between 2000 and 2006, the state made less than 30% of its required pension contributions, and skipped the entire payment in 2009.
17. Unfunded liabilities for Social Security and Medicare are estimated to be $106 TRILLION, eight times more than Congress says the US debt is.
18. In Miami, Florida, the city’s pension contribution for 2011 is $101 million, accounting for almost the entire projected $105 million budget gap. The average city resident earns $29,151; the average city employee’s salary is $75,961 per year. Nearly half of the city’s employees earn $100,000 or more; 186 earned over $200,000. Average firefighter’s salary was $118,000 in 2009; 8 of Miami’s top 10 earners are firefighters, making over $336,000 per year in salary and benefits.
19. New York – In Suffolk County, there are currently 500 police officers earning over $150,000 per year.
20. A Long Island school superintendant collects a $316,000 annual pension while earning $225,000 annually working for a different school district.
21. The State University of New York president earns a salary of $280,000 while also collecting a $261,000 annual pension from his previous employment as chief of the New York State Teachers Pension Fund.
22. The city of Vallejo, CA filed bankruptcy as a direct result of overly generous salaries and pensions; 40% of the city’s employees earned $100,000 or more. Average firefighter’s salary was $170,000 per year. That didn’t prevent the city council from recently approving a 7.5% raise for the city police department.
23. The former city administrator / deputy city attorney of Vernon California made over $1 million per year over the past four years, topped by his $1.65 million compensation in 2008.

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