Remember that cult television show from 60’s, Lost in Space? It was the one with the robot running around with the warning, “Danger, Will Robinson, danger!” I am beginning a series of columns on the costs associated with running our government, especially local costs as our budget season is beginning here in Windham and elsewhere. A smart citizen is an informed citizen.
In the news recently, there have been many stories about companies going bankrupt because of high labor, health care and pension costs. I was totally shocked to learn that General Motors spends more on health care than making cars.
With so many of us baby boomers reaching retirement age will this trend carry over to municipalities or states? Can we afford the retirement systems in place and still be able to retire as taxes skyrocket? According to news reports, Michigan could be the first state to declare bankruptcy.
I know the immediate effect of looking at the cost of local or state government is that the sky is falling and there goes your services that you desire so much. Our houses will burn down, crime will increase and certainly the roads will deteriorate to the point of being impassable (as if they aren’t already). But, I firmly believe that consolidation is the answer and that all levels of Maine government can easily sustain a 20 percent reduction in salaried positions and still provide adequate service to citizens.
Having said that, I’ve gathered salary figures on Windham’s school and municipal workers that I asked for under Maine’s Privacy Act. I am neither a mathematician nor accountant so these figures are best viewed as approximate.
The list I received from the town shows 485 municipal workers. To be fair, many of these are seasonal, call, or non-regular part-time workers and only their hourly salaries were given. The list also includes some who work a very limited amount of time like town councilors.
Out of 485 workers about 56 percent or 274 have a salary of more than $10 per hour. There are about 103 workers or 21 percent which the list showed with a salary rate plus an annual rate. I averaged those 103 salaries and the figure is $39,000, which probably does not include overtime.
The list of school employees contained 468 names and only contained annual salaries. The total number of employees making over $20,800 ($10 per hour) is 317, or 67 percent. The number making over $30,000 ($14.42 per hour) was 254 or 54 percent. The number making over $40,000 ($19.23 per hour) was 170 or 36 percent. Finally, the number of school workers making over $50,000 ($24 per hour) was 74 or 16 percent. Again these figures are approximate and were calculated in that manner.
Now do you understand why I used the word “danger?” I am not criticizing the employees, because they are fine workers and citizens. However, what can we afford? Can we afford government salaries that are much higher than the average private sector salary?
What happens to the cost of salaries and pensions in Windham and Maine as more and more workers retire? Some states are already in serious financial trouble as well as some nations, especially in Europe where socialism prevails in most countries. It’s time we got government salaries in line with what the rest of us make.
“Well, fancy giving money to the government! Might as well have put it down the drain.” AP Herbert
Send questions/comments to the editors.
