Turning this week's City Council MAST Mess into a debate solely about Union pensions is a nice move for The Kansas City Star because it gets their favorite politicos off the hook for consistently poor leadership and absolutely foresight.
Make no mistake:
THE CURRENT PENSION CRISIS AT CITY HALL IS A DIRECT RESULT OF POLITICOS TOO WEAK TO STAND UP FOR KANSAS CITY'S HEALTHCARE PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP!!!
So-Called local Conservative d-bags completely missed the debate because Glenn Beck didn't cover it but at the same time folks raged about ObamaCare Kansas City engaged in a hostile takeover of local ambulance service and the results have been disastrous.
Response times are down.
EMTs are being forced out.
The current KCFD management doesn't seem to think there's a problem while Ambulance Service continues to collapse around them.
Still, I can't blame Union leadership for trying to take whatever they could get away with . . . The blame lies with Mayor Funky and all of the City Council dimwits who voted for this fail that was easy (for TKC) to predict.
Because The Star was so slow in following this issue their lame view fails to look at the big picture and the doomed MAST vote that initially made the pensions Kansas City's problem. Arguing against pensions for workers who deserve every penny isn't just pointless but nearly Undemocratic.
Everybody but Northland Council Dude Ed Ford is responsible for failing KC Ambulance Service. Now a big paycheck brings out The Star's anti-Union editorials and only creates confusion.
Blame weak local politicos for Kansas City taxpayer suffering and not collective bargaining.
If this keeps up, and it probably will, when the e-tax is repealed, what money the city has will all be spent on underperforming TIF projects and pensions with none left for actual services.
ReplyDeleteThe saddest thing is that the public probably won't be able to tell the difference.
Combine Police department with the City's healthcare plan. Save $$$$.
ReplyDeleteKCFD Fire Fighters Union is now the strongest union in the KC/MO Metro area. The union controls 2 out of 3 emergency services and the only emergency service that cannot strike because it is against the law is the Police. Does anyone remember the fire fighters strike from the 1970’s where police officers were manning the fire trucks. This merger was 100% power grab for KCFD and now they can strong arm the city to get anything they want. Bow to the altar of KCFD.
ReplyDeleteThere, Mayor Mark Funkhouser and some City Council members are angling to add 320 new city employees who once worked for the Metropolitan Ambulances Services Trust to the city’s pension plan, at extremely low cost to the union members.
ReplyDeleteHow’s it possible? By unfairly and irresponsibly tapping taxpayers.
This week the council will try to approve retroactive, taxpayer-funded pensions for the former MAST employees. The estimated potential price tag is $30 million or more in extra costs over the next decade.
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Another good reason to VOTE no on the E-tax. No more money for abusive politicians.
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I'm against collective bargaining for government employees.
ReplyDeleteNo EMTS are being "forced out." Nobody has been forced out. Your source on this Tony is as full of hot air as you.
ReplyDeleteEMTs are being USED. Used up and replaced with "real" (in their eyes) Local 42 members. That is the truth. Plain and simple truth.
ReplyDeleteMAST take over is an ongoing hostile action. Collateral damage is KCMO.
Many of us out here in the city are pissed. Now the Health Care Levy is in play? Troy Schulte, you and the rest of the council strongly stated that the Levy funds would not be used. You lied. as did most of this council.
No dodging votes!!!
People time for a new Mayor and City Council they're LYING to the public !
ReplyDeleteWhy the confusion about the Star?
ReplyDeleteYou were told a long time ago that the public face (bunch of commies) of the Star was not the real Star, but you paid no attention to the warnings.
The real Star is all about continuing the policies that Henry Ford made famous at River Rouge.
I believe there is an article in the Missouri constitution (39) which states an employee cannot receive pay for work already completed i.e. backpay. I wonder if this would count?
ReplyDeleteShuld have fucking listened to that wuman who didn't want this to happen!
ReplyDelete