Trumbull Co. commissioners strike blow for reasonableness

The problem with pUBLIC-sector employment can be seen in the current contract negotiations at the city, county and university levels, with the unions taking a hard line on pay raises and health insurance coverage. What part of “slow recovery from the national economic recession” don’t they understand? Obviously all of it.

Once an individual gets on the public payroll, he or she often adopts a job-for-life mindset that requires turning a blind eye to what’s taking place in the private sector, where terminations, layoffs, wage freezes and benefit givebacks have been the norm since the national recession began in the latter part of 2008.

Government does not make anything to generate revenue and depends on taxpayer dollars to stay in business. And most of that money comes from private-sector workers — who, by and large, have been struggling to make ends meet.

Thus, when three unions in Youngstown city government reject three-year contract proposals that include pay raises, the reaction in the community is one of disbelief mixed with incredulity. Why are the unions that represent ranking police officers, firefighters and waste- water employees turning down more money? Because they are concerned that the goose that laid the golden egg of health insurance is being replaced by a chicken — so to speak — that will bring forth a silver egg of coverage. Even with the change being sought by Youngstown Mayor John A. McNally, city employees will still do better than the average private-sector taxpayer in the city.

The unions obviously recognize this, which is why they haven’t taken their case to the community. They don’t want to come face to face with the reality that is Youngstown’s economic condition.

The national recession is over, and there are parts of the country that are showing definite signs of recovery, but the city continues to struggle, as evidenced by its shrinking tax base, the rising number of elderly rersidents on fixed incomes, and a decline in population that shows no signs of ending any time soon.

SILVER LINING IN TRUMBULL

But every cloud has a silver lining, and for us it’s the decision by Trumbull County commissioners to reject a fact-finder’s report that called for pay and benefit increases for deputy sheriffs of 26 percent over three years. The price tag for this unjustified, unreasonable giveaway of taxpayer dollars? A whopping $600,000.

The fact-finder obviously doesn’t know much about the economy of the Mahoning Valley, the destruction of the heavy manufacturing industry over the past 30 years and the brain drain that has caused many area employers to put off expansion plans.

The comment from Trumbull County Commissioner Frank Fuda after he and his two colleagues, Dan Polivka and Mauro Cantalamessa, rejected the report should be carved above the entrance of every public building in the region: “We have to live within our budget.”

We applaud the commissioners for refusing to bow to the wishes of the union representing the deputy sheriffs and would urge other keepers of the public treasury, such as Youngstown State University President James A. Tressel and the board of trustees, to follow suit.

The two largest unions at YSU representing the faculty and the classified employees have yet to reach agreement with the administration, and there are rumblings that it won’t be smooth sailing for Tressel, who has been on the job for a little more than 100 days.

As a general statement, we would point out that public employees in the Valley aren’t being shortchanged when it comes to compensation. The average salary is above the median income, and when the benefit package valued at more than 60 percent of an employee’s wage is included, the total take is larger than what the average private-sector worker is earning.

Something must give — and we believe that something is government and other public institutions.