LMAO @ Scranton Public Workers .. Welcome to the Depression

**NickTheCage** · 07-10-2012, 01:24 PM

Pennsylvania city workers to take mayor to court over across-the-board minimum wage salaries | Fox News

Pennsylvania city workers to take mayor to court over across-the-board minimum wage salaries

Employees of a Pennsylvania city, who have all seen their salaries cut to minimum wage as the mayor grapples with budget problems, are hoping a judge restores their paychecks in full.

Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty cut everyone's pay -- including his own -- on Friday, saying the state's sixth-largest city is broke because the City Council blocked his proposed tax increase. Doherty, a Democrat, warned nearly 400 police officers, firefighters and public works employees about his doomsday plan, prompting a Lackawanna County judge to order the city to pay full wages to all employees, citing that it is a violation of their contracts. Hours later, the payday envelopes went out, and, despite the judge's order, they were light.

“This needs to be resolved," Scranton firefighter and president of the local firefighters union John Judge told FoxNews.com. "My members are getting a check for $7.25 an hour. These are people that are the head of their households. They have mortgages. They have other living costs. They are now going to have to throw their bills in a hat and randomly pick what gets paid on time.”

“The mayor is trying to strong-arm the council into doing what he wants, but it’s the city’s employees that are paying the price,” Judge said, adding that the workers in his department saw their paystubs go from about $1,500 every two weeks after deductions to a gross pay of about $600. “This is not a case of no cash. It’s a cash-flow problem.”

The cuts were sudden, as city employees were only given eight days' notice. Doherty also claimed last week that there is only $5,000 left in the city’s accounts.

“The employees are the ones in the middle of this battle between the mayor and the council," said Sam Vitris, president of the public works union. “We’ve had four or five recovery plans over the years and none of them seemed to have worked. The stalemate between them has led the city to run out of money.”

**LUCas** · 07-10-2012, 03:04 PM

Haa, police and firemen risk their lives for the public and can't feed their families. Hilarious!!!!

^^^^^ Modern Conservatism ^^^^^^^^^

**Sycamore** · 07-10-2012, 05:47 PM

I cant fathom why anyone would find this amusing.

**NickTheCage** · 07-10-2012, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by Sycamore

I cant fathom why anyone would find this amusing.

Read it again, absorb and think abt it .. you'll find many levels of amusement

**Sycamore** · 07-10-2012, 06:01 PM

Ive heard about it. I'm dating someone originally from Scranton. Why don't you tell me what's funny.

**NickTheCage** · 07-10-2012, 06:39 PM

Originally Posted by Sycamore

Ive heard about it. I'm dating someone originally from Scranton. Why don't you tell me what's funny.

I'll let you absorb the entire article a lil more as I have faith u'll figure it out.

Irregardless of the humor I find in the story, I would bet my dollars to doughnuts that most of the small business owners find it funny. Anyone who has been in their position, looking for the American dream, & has had to deal with the tyrannical regulations and the ones who enforce them. Some bureaucrat telling them they have to fork over a fine in order to stay open because of some regulation they never knew about to do & something they didn't authorize. All because some do-gooder needed to protect the ruling class in city hall.

**five apples** · 07-10-2012, 07:50 PM

Originally Posted by NickTheCage

I'll let you absorb the entire article a lil more as I have faith u'll figure it out.

Irregardless of the humor I find in the story, I would bet my dollars to doughnuts that most of the small business owners find it funny. Anyone who has been in their position, looking for the American dream, & has had to deal with the tyrannical regulations and the ones who enforce them. Some bureaucrat telling them they have to fork over a fine in order to stay open because of some regulation they never knew about to do & something they didn't authorize. All because some do-gooder needed to protect the ruling class in city hall.

So I read it, and other than it being poorly written, I fail to see any sort of humor. Did you mean to link to an Onion article?

What I got is that the city is broke, that the Mayor is playing what seems to be brutal hardball with city council and that he has violated a ruling by the court. That people who thought they were getting their normal pay check did not. That some of these people are police and firemen. If you could point out the joke in this article do so.

You have gone from amusingly out of touch with the Universe to an ahole with your choice of thread title. Also, LMAO, what are you a teenage girl?

TYRANNY.

**NickTheCage** · 07-10-2012, 08:48 PM

Apples; You are very hungry and need a loaf of bread to eat but the place you always go too offers you 1/3 of a loaf you are left with two options .. You either except that 1/3 or you go to another place to look for more or the full loaf, no?

**five apples** · 07-10-2012, 09:41 PM

Originally Posted by NickTheCage

Apples; You are very hungry and need a loaf of bread to eat but the place you always go too offers you 1/3 of a loaf you are left with two options .. You either except that 1/3 or you go to another place to look for more or the full loaf, no?

Yeah, why is that funny. But I have a well paid highly mobile job. What if I am a firefighter or a cop? Who is hiring those? So I ask you, why is that funny? What is funny about a city collapsing?

**Sycamore** · 07-10-2012, 09:57 PM

I still don't find any humor in it, but I do see that you're a nutjob, so nevermind.

Also, irregardless is not a word.

**the mule** · 07-10-2012, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by Sycamore

Also, irregardless is not a word.

Irregardless - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Irregardless originated in dialectal American speech in the early 20th century. Its fairly widespread use in speech called it to the attention of usage commentators as early as 1927. The most frequently repeated remark about it is that “there is no such word.” There is such a word, however. It is still used primarily in speech, although it can be found from time to time in edited prose. Its reputation has not risen over the years, and it is still a long way from general acceptance. Use regardless instead.

**NickTheCage** · 07-10-2012, 10:12 PM

Originally Posted by five apples

What I got is that the city is broke, that the Mayor is playing what seems to be brutal hardball with city council and that he has violated a ruling by the court. That people who thought they were getting their normal pay check did not. That some of these people are police and firemen. If you could point out the joke in this article do so.

You have gone from amusingly out of touch with the Universe to an ahole with your choice of thread title. Also, LMAO, what are you a teenage girl?

TYRANNY.

What good is a normal paycheck if it bounces?

There is $5K in the city account. The judge says this isn't a problem of no cash yet admits there is a cash-flow problem???? Like you would he prefer full paychecks that bounce?

**NickTheCage** · 07-10-2012, 10:13 PM

Did u not notice what I put in bold?

The public union prez complains abt 4 or 5 'recovery' plans and wonders why nothing has worked?? A very wise man once said, way back in 1964, "The more the plans fail, the more the planners plan".

The union prez then goes on to say "the stalemate has led to the city running out of money" ... Apples and/or Sycamore please explain that to me as I can't figure out what I'm missing???

**Sycamore** · 07-10-2012, 10:13 PM

It's a colloquialism.

**NickTheCage** · 07-10-2012, 10:19 PM

Originally Posted by five apples

Yeah, why is that funny. But I have a well paid highly mobile job. What if I am a firefighter or a cop? Who is hiring those?

If they don't like the wage couldn't they turn to the private sector to look for employment? No one is forcing them to work for min wage. Why not look into private security field?

Originally Posted by five apples

So I ask you, why is that funny? What is funny about a city collapsing?

How does the 6th largest city in Pa. only have $5K in their acct? To me that is f'en hilarious. Where did all the money go and what was it spent on prior to collapsing?

**JoeBaker** · 07-11-2012, 04:45 AM

Originally Posted by NickTheCage

How does the 6th largest city in Pa. only have $5K in their acct? To me that is f'en hilarious. Where did all the money go and what was it spent on prior to collapsing?

Oh, I get why it's hilarious, however I think it's more sad and painfully pathetic.

What other options did this Democrat mayor consider other than a 29% tax hike to fix their problems. That's the knee-jerk Democrat reaction to any problem. Raise taxes. Guess what, people are fed up with that sheet. Property owners in Philadelphia should understand this more than anyone. Property taxes raised again this year and those "temporary tax increases" are now permanent. And wait until AVI went QV, Center City, Society Hill, etc see their prop taxes triple. woo-hoo.

I digress. I don't know what taxes were being raised by 29% but Council told him to go pound sand, so his next best course of action was the minimum wage thing. Are 7th grade dropouts running for office in Scranton? Wait, isn't that where the deep-thinking VP Joey B is from? That explains it.

**ArcticSplash** · 07-11-2012, 07:02 AM

Somehow I don't believe the taxpayers of Scranton will get better public services when their public servants get legal-minimum pay. When you pay at that level, you kinda get what you pay for. I guess Wilkes-Barre finally wins the superiority complex wars between Wilkes-Barre and Scranton.

Just sayin'

**ArcticSplash** · 07-11-2012, 07:04 AM

Unions, Scranton clash over minimum wage pay cuts - CBS News

**Litter Box** · 07-11-2012, 07:09 AM

Originally Posted by ArcticSplash

Somehow I don't believe the taxpayers of Scranton will get better public services when their public servants get legal-minimum pay. When you pay at that level, you kinda get what you pay for. I guess Wilkes-Barre finally wins the superiority complex wars between Wilkes-Barre and Scranton.

Just sayin'

Caller to 911 - I have a fire and need help fast, 911 operator, Do you want fries with that ?

**ArcticSplash** · 07-11-2012, 07:15 AM

If you're wondering what the SDP's problem is---it's going to mimic this after next school year:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/11/us...wage.html?_r=1

The SDP has the ability to get a new credit facility around the (SDP's own estimate) of $500MM, which is enough to get it through 2012-2013 but not after that. Since debt service at the SDP is already $0.32 of every dollar going to debt service instead of operations, which is already way way too high... when it takes out that bond that will be the moment when its credit gets cut off and it won't be able to borrow any more until its revenues show an increase warranting an upgrade in borrowing ability or a massive cost restructuring that lowers operation cost to give the SDP enough breathing room to service its existing debt and take out new debt on top of the debt it rolls over.