Review of the Wisconsin budget plan for 2011
-Philip E. Morris (AKA SofaEater)
Salary and Taxes
The average salary before taxes for a teacher is $46,390, and starting salary of $25,222; and this is before the proposed 5.8% to 12.6% increase tax is $40,544 and $22,044 respectively BEFORE normal taxes. The average cost of LIVING of one person per month in Wisconsin is $487.35, factor in the dues to the unions (for strike pay, representation, legal, fair treatment and hiring, etc). Then factor in of $1,081.91(base payment) + 12.6% state tax and $4,681.25(base payment) + 25% federal tax. This means an actual income of $24,800.18 & $10,986.75. This is 53.46% & 43.56% of their original salary and 217.24% more than someone with the same salary in a different position. [My math may be incorrect]
{Scott Walker makes about $129,611 yearly excluding bonuses. (Via http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/29505169.html)}
Understanding the planned budget
The Budget takes money only from education section of the government not the legislative employees. These include (but are not limited to); the governor, council members, Congress and House representatives, and county executives. Now under Governor Walker's budget, unions would have to win yearly votes to continue representing the workers, and could no longer have dues deducted from workers' paychecks. This could effectively destroy the unions, because if there is one election that doesn't go in favor of the unions for teachers are abolished. And unions are a necessity, as they help protect the rights of the workers of that field in matters relating to pay, conditions, hours, etc. (Look at the time periods before unions and other countries that don't have unions). And, coincidently, a 7% increase in the 'Employment Relations Commission' whose propose is to "avoid the costly consequences of strikes, lockouts and other interruptions of service and production".
The long term consequences
The damage to the education system will be also immediate if this budget is accepted. Teachers will leave their jobs creating a void in a job field that is already in demand. This will lead to under qualified and less skilled teachers being hired. And because the starting salary is so low less money will be given to the state via taxes. This defeats the entire propose and reasoning behind Governor Scott Walker's plan for a better state economy.
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The majority of the information has been obtained by the actual budget itself and nationally accredited news sources, along with public government documents.
"The Governor recommends increasing state employee contributions towards pension and health insurance costs. Employees will generally pay 50 percent of the total required retirement contribution, which for calendar year 2011 equals 5.8 percent of salary. The Governor further recommends increasing employee contributions for health insurance from approximately 6 percent of the premium to 12.6 percent of the premium. These modifications are necessary to bring state employee compensation in line with private sector employment and reduce compensation costs." - The proposed budget (http://www.doa.state.wi.us/debf/execbudget.asp)
