March 31, 2001 Bear
Creek Fire dispatched quickly with no losses by the valiant public service employees
of several fire departments.
Public service workers like these are under attack in 16 states by the TEAbaggers
and we need to protect them as they protect and serve us.
On this same day, Ohio governor Kasich signed into law a limit on the collective
bargaining rights of 350,000 public workers, including teachers, nurses, police
and firefighters.
Similar efforts in Wisconsin were stopped by the courts. Recall efforts are
under way in both states.
The Pew Center reported earlier this year that states have already under-funded
pension plans for public service employees by "$1 trillion. That's the gap at
the end of fiscal year 2008 between the $2.35 trillion states had set aside
to pay for employees' retirement benefits and the $3.35 trillion price tag of
those promises."
The worst states, in order, are Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana,
Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina,
Utah, Washington and West Virginia. http://tinyurl.com/42bat4x