Jack--

I declined the 2.8% COLA increase.

The ordinance gave Commissioners the option of opting out.

Nick Fish

What can you say but blood-suckers? Portland has 10-12% unemployment and they give themselves a raise. So what's next building Versailles downtown?

It is my belief that public employee line staff SHOULD get a COLA. They do as much as they can with so little and have to take verbal abuse and more from the likes of the public. As a former public employee, I know first hand how hard line staff works to make sure the public is satisfied. Yes, there are a few bad apples that allow the perpetual whiners and curmudgeons to spew their vitriol, but the vast majority of them do good work.

However, in these economic times, department heads and council members are another matter. It would be skillful action if these two groups were to forego a pay increase of any kind. And it would send a great message to staff and the masses.

A lot of the private sector is not getting raises this year and probably even took a pay cut to keep their job. This applies to me and a lot of other people I know, personally I'm happy I still have a job.

Now, why should the government employee paychecks grow when the rest of the state is not growing and likely shrinking? Seems a bit unrealistic to me.

Oh, don't forget your water bill is going up 18% this year in addition to across-the-board CoP fee raises to pay for this nonsense. Randy ought to be in heaven if the more people that don't like it, the more he does.

This is the future, the battle lines won't be conserv/liberal or Rep/Dem. The question is to you get or give net money to the govt?

Gr8fulTed the only thing that makes government employees is they think they are unique when it comes to taking abuse.

Everyone is dealing with hard times right now and taking abuse from their boss and customers, because they know they can get away with it.

I meant to write:
"...the only thing that makes government employees unique is..."

Randy took it and is trying to get Fish's also.

The cost of living, year-over-year, is NEGATIVE 0.5%, so if one were to adjust their wages to the cost of living they would have to take a pay cut. Prices of quite a few things have declined in the last year including gasoline, food, lodging, and airfare.

I don't have a huge problem with the 2.8% raise. I look at it as a "pick your battles" type of deal. Plenty of other fish to fry.

That being said, I commend Fish and Fritz for refusing the raise, and disagree with Saltzman and Leonard for taking it. Just because you're entitled to something doesen't mean it's always right to take it.

AND.... Did anyone see Saltzman's video clip on the news where he said he was taking it? Man, oh man that looks bad to the everyday Joe that wonders if he'll have a job next week.

"Did anyone see Saltzman's video clip"

Translation - F-U taxpayers.

Did Sam take the raise?

What is white and sleeps three? A city of Portland truck. Yeah it is an old joke.

Thanks for opting out of the pay raise, Commissioner Fish. Your common sense approach is refreshing. I really appreciate it.

Has Randy spent all of the money in his campaign slush fund? Does he really need the extra $54 a week he's going to get?

Sam needs all the extra money he can get for legal defense, so of course he'll take it.

I'd be okay with these bureaucrats taking raises if the headlines were about job creation efforts rather that new stadiums and renaming streets.

Portland, it's time to wake up and see that most of these folks are career politicians who care little about the working people in the private sector, and care only about the safety and comfort of their taxpayer-funded secure jobs.

The best place to start is the recall of Mayor Creepy, then send Randy a message as well. This is truly a dysfunctional city government.

"This is for hard-working managers, people who are being asked to do more with less," Fish said. "People should not lose ground because of inflation."

Meanwhile, school districts are being decimated. Teachers laid off left and right. classes bulking up. School budget shortfalls for even the most basic necessities are immediately impacting students around the city.

Commissioners defended the raises as "an issue of fairness" and said unionized members received similar raises in their contracts.

What's "fair", exactly, about Leonard, Saltzman and Adams--all of whom easily make three times the salary (including benefits) of a veteran teacher--getting a pay raise while teachers are either laid off or facing another year of frozen (or declining) wages?

Commissioner Fish, I'm not impressed by your decline of a raise. You got the job six months ago.

How to we get our government back?
How do we get these people out of their cushy little positions?
And now they raise our water bills 17%?
How are we supposed to continue operating businesses if this is how the city functions?

Obscene. But should we be surprised?

would next week be too soon for recanting ? Would Kaufman's latest ploy be too transparent if the "martyr card" were played prematurely ?
is anyone falling for this ichthyo-crap?

How to we get our government back?
How do we get these people out of their cushy little positions?
And now they raise our water bills 17%?
How are we supposed to continue operating businesses if this is how the city functions?

Posted by al m | May 28, 2009 11:31 AM

al m: Recall,Sam, then the first "peep",out of Leonard, do it again, it's past all talking about it.

July 1: Recall Sam, Randy, and Dan.

Forget the whole Beau Breedlove fiasco, this pay raise in and of itself is issue enough to throw them out of office.

By November 4, they should be packing up the offices and leaving. Better yet - on November 4th, they shouldn't even have access to City Hall...we'll have to bring over some inmates from the County Jail to clean out their offices.

Seriously. I think there should be some grass-roots effort to take our city back. Crappy schools, high unemployment, sex scandals, constant increases in fees,and growing public disdain for how things operate. And on top of all of that...these guys keep digging in to the coffers to give themselves raises. This is BULLS**T !!!!

"Ecohuman"--

I actually got the job a year ago.

I didn't decline the COLA to "impress" you or anyone else. I opted out because I didn't think it was appropriate to accept the COLA while I was cutting budgets and laying people off.

Nick Fish

I actually got the job a year ago.

my mistake. sorry.

I didn't decline the COLA to "impress" you or anyone else. I opted out because I didn't think it was appropriate to accept the COLA while I was cutting budgets and laying people off.

Let me put it another way, then: do you think that *any* member of the Portland City Council--including the Mayor--should be voting for and accepting pay raises for themselves? It would've been easy enough to exclude City Council from the budget.

And Nick, I'm glad you're on the City Council. I voted for you. But first supporting a COLA for the Mayor and City Council (yes, I know, and for others), then declining it for yourself, felt like a token gesture to me.

Mr. Fish -

My question for you would be whether or not you feel this increase to non-union City employees is appropriate in general. Saltzman, Leonard and co. have said that it is fair basically because "that's what the unionized guys got".

As a Portland taxpayer and business owner who has had to lay off a few employees in this brutal downturn, I would ask...."who is looking out for us -- those that suffer consequenses of this economy, and must pay (increasing) salaries of bureaucrats and public servants at the same time?"

The answer is clearly NOT City Coucil. I commend you for not taking the increase, but someone needs to lead the charge to actually cut waste in this City.

And while I have your ear (if I do), someone needs to take Adams aside and tell him to step down with dignity; he's an embarassment and a hindrance to the progress we deserve. And now he's costing us more. Disturbing at best.

As a union federal employee, my last COLA was Z E R O, as it should have been. I'm working for the wrong government.

Yeah, PDX treats public employees pretty well. I hope we don't turn into the next Vallejo, Ca. which was forced to file bankruptcy under the crushing weight of public employee entitlements. With 12% unemployment (lower tax revenues) and increases for those on the public payroll, it's not hard to see how that could happen.

The slogan "The City that Works" just seems empty and arrogant at this point. Anyone have suggestions for a new slogan...Nick, anything?

@ecohuman:
You said, "What's "fair", exactly, about Leonard, Saltzman and Adams--all of whom easily make three times the salary (including benefits) of a veteran teacher..."

In 2007, 'veteran' teacher salaries in Beaverton and Gresham were $60,000 to $62,000. Now, adding in the usual 30% additional for benefits like health insurance, pensions, etc., that brings them to $78K to $80.6K per year. Do PDX commissioners really make more than $234,000 (incl. bennies) a year? If so, I really feel sorry for Portland taxpayers.

Commissioners make just under $100,000 a year. With benes, total compensation is probably around $130k. It's more than a veteran teacher, but certainly not 2-3 times as much.

Portland unions did not step up to forgo COLAs, as Multnomah County unions did and as state unions may yet do. One reason for that is that MC and the state are in far worse fiscal condition than the City is. Given those devastating cuts, it was in the union's best interest to give up COLAs to save some jobs.

Since about 80% of Potland's workforce is unionized, and contractually the city has no choice but to give COLAs to those workers, there is a real problem with denying COLAs to the 20% who are mostly management. Portland already has trouble in some bureaus getting employees to take a "promotion" to management since they give up overtime and in many cases start earning less while taking on more responsibility. Denying COLAs to non-reps just exacerbates the problem.

I am surprised that all five council members didn't voluntarily give it up based purely on pereption.

Commissioners make just under $100,000 a year. With benes, total compensation is probably around $130k. It's more than a veteran teacher, but certainly not 2-3 times as much.

wrong.

Mayor Facebook makes $118k/yr. add in benefits (and ignore the pletiful intangibles), you get around $150K.

other Commissioners make around $100k/yr. loaded salaries (again, ignoring the intangibles), you might get around $130-$140k.

let me fill you in on teacher salaries. a veteran teacher--and by "veteran", I mean somebody with about 3 years' experience or more--typically makes in the $40s. those "average" salaries you hear all about? they're bunk, and distort the truth about what *teachers* make.

don't believe me? ask several teachers in various areas. not administrators or a PPS fact sheet--*teachers*.

the point isn't whether or not Commissioners make EXACTLY THREE TIMES the salary of a "veteran" teacher--it's that they're already paid very well for what they do, and voting themselves a pay raise in current times (whether or not they accept it) is absurd. never mind the fact that teachers routinely experience pay freezes (which are never made up for later) and are being laid off in numbers that make the City Hall cuts laughable.

and anybody notice that Ted Wheeler took a several thousand dollar pay cut?

Since about 80% of Potland's workforce is unionized, and contractually the city has no choice but to give COLAs to those workers

again, wrong. check it out.

Eco, since you listed the same numbers as I did for City Commissioners, I'm not sure why you say that I'm "wrong." (The Mayor is not a Commissioner.) Looking at this year's budget online, Commissioners make $95,868. Next fiscal year, it's scheduled to go to $99,504. I think that qualifies as "just under $100,000." I used a 30% factor for benefits, but it could be higher.

With regards to teachers, why would you define "veteran" an anyone with 3+ years of experience? That's ridiculous. PPS teacher salaries topped out in the mid-60s a few years ago. I haven't looked recently, but I imagine it's upper 60s by now. I think that is anyone with 20+ years experience.

By the way, I'm not ripping on teachers at all. If I were in charge, I would be handing out 20% raises for all teachers and raising taxes to pay for it, and asking for some enhanced accountability in return. We need to attract the best and brightest to teach our children, and given the level of teacher education, current salaries don't cut it.

In terms of union representation, I "checked it out" and I'm right. Today's O says the pay raise affects 1,300 full-time non-rep employees. Total City full-time employment is roughly 5,700. That means non-reps are about 22% of total full-time employees.

Eco, since you listed the same numbers as I did for City Commissioners, I'm not sure why you say that I'm "wrong." (The Mayor is not a Commissioner.) Looking at this year's budget online, Commissioners make $95,868. Next fiscal year, it's scheduled to go to $99,504. I think that qualifies as "just under $100,000." I used a 30% factor for benefits, but it could be higher.

missed the point, didn't you?

By the way, I'm not ripping on teachers at all. If I were in charge, I would be handing out 20% raises for all teachers and raising taxes to pay for it, and asking for some enhanced accountability in return.

Since you're not "ripping on teachers", then I'll assume that you're now asking for the same "enhanced accountability" of all those currently receiving a raise.

In terms of union representation, I "checked it out" and I'm right. Today's O says the pay raise affects 1,300 full-time non-rep employees.

I'll say it again: COLA raises are not "contractually" mandatory.

With regards to teachers, why would you define "veteran" an anyone with 3+ years of experience? That's ridiculous.

Go and tell that to a teacher after they've done it for 3-5 years.

...and the Mayor *is* a de facto Commissioner, both sitting on City Council and performing many of the same duties as a commissioner. the only significant thing missing is the title.

WorkerBee, I reread my last post. I'm sorry for the harsh tone--I'm just repeatedly disgusted by the recent leadership decisions and intentional wishy-washiness of local government. the impacts are enormous. obviously, none of that's your fault.

that's what I get for veering away from environmental issues. and my NBA conspiracy theories.

I think I get -- and agree with -- your overall point on Mayor/Commissioner salaries. Foregoing them is a symbolic gesture, but probably symbolism that is worth doing.

I am confused, though, why you don't think COLA for union employees is contractually mandated. It's in the contract, and the only way the City can take away those COLAs is if the union agrees. If the City withholds them unilaterally, the union takes it to the labor relations board and they will win, easily, and the City will probably be fined for violating a negotiated agreement.

The City does have the option of denying COLAs to the 22% who are non-reps. But I'm not sure that's a good idea when the other 78% are getting increases.

Randy Leonard's acceptance of the raise is a deliberate middle finger to his critics.

That's Randy.