Jackson Jambalaya

While you are at it, why not throw in a tax cut also?

7 million for a trooper school. They generally graduate 50 new troopers. That works out to $350,000 per trooper. Sweet Baby Jesus....

So basically he's ignoring the 10,000 other state employees that have gone 10+ years without a cost of living increase!?

Not saying teachers and correctional officers do not deserve more money. But there are a sh*t load of other Mississippians that have been faithful to this state and are the few that remained here trying to make a home!

If you are a state worker, do not promote Tater to become Governor.

A vote for Jim Hood is a vote for tax increases.

Where's my free shit?

@1:09

If you work for the State, odds are you’re too stupid to cut it in the private sector.

1:09 - damn right. You don't like Governor Feel's budget, so don't by any means vote for Tater. That makes a lot of sense - but then again, as a state worker, I guess we shouldn't expect anything better in the thinking department.

Good point 12:49; what exactly do we get for our $350k investment?

I'll hazard a guess...50 or so politically connected, self-entitled country boys with GEDs (and maybe felonies) and chips on their shoulder, that's what. Has anyone done a comparative analysis of what Mississippi spends to put troopers on the road, the retention rate, etc.? My guess is that we spend more, and get less.

1:09 - guess you missed that little $75 million of our tax dollars that the Gov wants to put into "your" retirement account. Again, having to increase the public input into another of your bennies that we all get to pay for your good services in addition to your hourly rate, the newly found right to "comp time" should you ever have to leave the office after 5, the health program that you want to bitch about but don't have the gonads to put it up for comparison of what private sector employers are able to provide for their employees. And now, in order to keep funding that automatic 3% compounded "COLA" us poor non-state workers are having to pony up more of a match of your pay.

Yes, keep on bitching about not getting paid enough while you work to get in your 25 so you can retire and come back and work on contract, or maybe even go home and live off that PERS perk, while the rest of us are working into our 70's just to pay bills.

Don't like your pay? Then quit and go get a job in the private sector and see how you fare there with all the other bennies gone.

If you work for the State, odds are you’re too stupid to cut it in the private sector.

Well, a couple of things - worked in the private sector, returned to Mississippi. There aren't that many private sector jobs available in my specialty in Jackson, Mississippi. I would have to move back out of state.

But if Mississippi is my home - why would you push someone to leave a state, that is hurting to keep people in the first place?

But you are too stupid to understand the importance of retaining homegrown talent.

7 million for a trooper school. They generally graduate 50 new troopers. That works out to $350,000 per trooper. Sweet Baby Jesus....

November 16, 2018 at 12:49 PM

Check you math.......

Still ridiculous,

@1:09 It does seem that a disproportionate amount of raises have benefited teachers. In addition, teachers automatically receive a cost of living increase yearly. I find it interesting that every one is quick to besmirch the COLA for PERS retirees but not a word is said about the cost of living adjust during employment for educators. Let me be clear: I fully support those in the education profession and want them to be paid fairly but I also don’t think it is right to do so without also providing an adjustment for all state employees.

Also, to those who attack the state employees, these are the people that go to work each day to carry out the business of the State of Mississippi. Without them, we wouldn’t have the vital services that we all depend on. Are there some state workers that are not meeting their goals? Sure, but in every organization, there is someone who could contribute more.

I know many well qualified individuals who are employed through the State of Mississippi that have a plethora of opportunities in the private sector but stay because it allows them time with their family and that is the most important thing to them. Money is nice and will buy you a lot of things, but money can never purchase more time.

Newsflash for 1:09–they already know you don’t vote for them.

It’s people like 3:24, the “I pay your salary types” that get their insecure egos stroked by being keyboard tough guys.

There are plenty of agencies that deserve the money Phil is throwing away to a trooper school

Not sure why anyone working for this state would be getting a raise. Obviously it’s not based on performance. He seems to be from the same budgeting camp as our loser president. Go ahead and hook up some golden toilets in all the schools while you’re at it Phil. Mine as well give some more malls tax breaks too. No wonder we are last at everything with this genius at the wheel.

Where do I pick up my Phil phone?

The entire $50,000,000.00 USD should be diverted from "teachers" and directed to the mental health arena. Teachers today are already grossly overpaid and contribute in a large way to the growing mental health issues we face due to early education failures that we have become accustomed too.

I have lived in the Jackson area all my life, went to college in the state and have worked for both private sector and public sector. State employees generally are working far harder at their job than it pays. I had people responsible for running large projects but for the same pay my secretary made in the private sector to answer phones. The retirement system is not the option for state employees but it is the only choice and will ultimately cost the state millions of dollars. They need to convert employee to a different system before the deficit crushes tax payers. That won’t happen and will be kicked down the road. So stop botching about State employees and a retirement plan that they have not choice in.

"In addition, teachers automatically receive a cost of living increase yearly. I find it interesting that every one is quick to besmirch the COLA for PERS retirees but not a word is said about the cost of living adjust during employment for educators."

5:31; Check your facts. It's true that the scale for teachers, low as it is, includes small steps for a few years, but that quickly tops out and they're stuck at the mercy of the district, basically, unless the legislature throws them a bone every few years.....which typically amounts to about sixteen dollars per week.

You want folks to think teachers receive raises 'during employment' each year going forward and that is not true.

Government is the largest employer in Mississippi....so, the simple political math is: Promise public sector employees across the board more funding or raises so they'll vote your way. Phil Bryant is a scumbag. After the election, he'll say they don't have the money.

After the election, he'll say they don't have the money.

Clueless.

Want a raise? Sell bonds. Ask the JPS how to do it.

I tried to post this but it was canned by radar:

Who the hell gives a rat's ass what Feel Brant recommends. He has proven himself to be ignorant, arrogant, self centered, egotistical and narcissistic over the past six years at least. And he ain't through yet.

Sadly, he actually believes he is effective, involved, intelligent and engaged. He's just 'there'. That's it.

“5:31; Check your facts. It's true that the scale for teachers, low as it is, includes small steps for a few years, but that quickly tops out and they're stuck at the mercy of the district, basically, unless the legislature throws them a bone every few years.....which typically amounts to about sixteen dollars per week.

You want folks to think teachers receive raises 'during employment' each year going forward and that is not true.”

@12:07 That is not what I want everyone to believe, that is a fact. Please see the link below that shows the Rankin County School District’s pay scale (from RCSD website). Each teacher does not receive a step in years zero through three but afterward receives a step each year until year 35. So I fail to see merit in your argument that this simply doesn’t exist. Perhaps it is you who should check your facts.

https://www.rcsd.ms/cms/lib/MS01910580/Centricity/Domain/676/GBA-E1%20RCSD%20Teacher%20Salary%20Schedule.docx

While we are on the subject of teacher pay, we should evaluate your claim of the pay being low. A starting teacher with a bachelors degree makes $36,390. These individuals are contracted for about 190 days each year. So $36,390/190= $191.53 per day. Allowing for seven hours instruction time and an hour administrative time per day, their hourly rate is around $23.94 per hour straight pay. Add in the cost of health insurance premiums paid on their behalf and the state’s contribution to PERS and these individuals make north of $30 per hour. If you perform the same function for a teacher at retirement age it is approximately 34.94 per hour (53,110/190=$279.53/8=$34.94) straight pay. This is for an individual with a bachelors degree. The cost only escalates from there for master’s and specialist.

Finally, $16 per week is a much greater pay raise than state employees have seen in many years. I think you should be grateful for any increase rather than chastise the amount.

I hope you found this post enlightening and informative.

I didn't find it enlightening at all. In fact, it's laced with bullshit. Obviously you've never lived in the same house as a dedicated school teacher. I have.

And you cleverly forgot to subtract from their wages the money a teacher pays out of her family budget for classroom supplies, repairs to school rooms, dues, expenses to attend seminars. And you probably are totally unaware of the number of evening and Saturday trips a teacher makes to the school for preparation, project work, working on the classroom itself and mopping.

Oh, and those parent-teacher conferences, attendance at evening parent school-visitation events, athletic event duty, staying late at least three days a week, arriving early five days a week, being on the phone with parents and other teachers two or three nights a week, doing research on a home computer constantly, home-printer supplies for the hundreds of papers and projects required...well, the list goes on and is endless.

Your calculator app seems to work real well but it's only as accurate as the person punching the keys and obviously reveals his bias and preconceived notions. Please go to the back of the class.

11:09 - I hope you find this enlightening:

Fifty Five Thousand bucks for 35 years experience? Many production workers and assemblers make more than that in Mississippi with 35 years experience. Plus they have company insurance, paid holidays, overtime at time and a half, a pension plan and a 401(k). And sometimes they enjoy the benefits of collective bargaining.

Check with any private sector industrial personnel director who does wage and benefit surveys or call your city/county industrial development gurus who do the same.

11:09- you sir are clueless. They work way more than 180 days and way more than 8 hours a day. Come spend a day at a school and see what they do.

First, each of you has ignored a crucial part of my statement: I never indicated that the wage was too low or too high. I simply provided facts based on empherical data (something none of you have done) and allowed the reader to mke an informed conclusion. Each of you have provided no data to support your position but rather resulted to emotional rantings and petty name calling. It is sad that none of you seem to be able to debate the issue based on the merits of your position.

Further, I am simply pointing out that (according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics) the median salary for all Mississippians is around $38,000 which is around the same salary for a starting teacher.

Finally, the contract is there to stipulate the number of days that are to be worked. What solution would you propose? One individual above referenced factory workers. Is it your position to move these employees to an hourly wage like factory workers?

Source:

https://www.bls.gov/oes/2017/may/oes_ms.htm#00-0000

“Fifty Five Thousand bucks for 35 years experience? Many production workers and assemblers make more than that in Mississippi with 35 years experience. Plus they have company insurance, paid holidays, overtime at time and a half, a pension plan and a 401(k). And sometimes they enjoy the benefits of collective bargaining.

Check with any private sector industrial personnel director who does wage and benefit surveys or call your city/county industrial development gurus who do the same.”

Correct me if I am wrong but those in employed by the state are entitled to many of these same (or substantially similar) benefits.

Plus, I think what the commenter was trying to convey is not the overall salary but the hourly rate.

"One individual above referenced factory workers. Is it your position to move these employees to an hourly wage like factory workers?"

7:50, it was you, not I, who decided to do some basic math and reduce pay to hourly rates so I thought I would continue on with that model, assuming you could understand it.

And, no, 10:12...teachers are not entitled to overtime, comp time, collective bargaining or annual increases based on salary and benefits surveys.

@ November 16, 2018 at 5:31 PM

Well said! Couldn't have said it better myself.

It is amazing the number of state workers I know that support the Republican message, because of the racial dog whistle rhetoric they use.

But never consider the very same people are trying to eliminate their job or keep their rate of pay stagnant.

I get being fiscally responsible and not abusing the taxpayers in this state. But at the same token, many of these agencies provide a service that protects the citizens in this state in one form or another.

As a state employee, I hate to sh*t on other state employees. But fair is fair and if I am going to call one agency out, its is DPS. They do not need another trooper school. The problem with DPS is that it is too top heavy. That money should go towards COLA increases for all state employees.

5:31 pm you are exactly right DPS is top heavy. The unqualified Chief of the Highway Patrol has a driver/ bodyguard who is one of his buddies. By the way he got a promotion to take the job. No other chief ever needed a bodyguard. Of course this one has always been afraid of his shadow.