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Taxpayers Sick of Government Sick Pay?

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    States paying for unused sick days

  • Duration 8:04
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Taxpayers getting sick over government sick -- states all over America paying out retiring public workers hundreds of millions of dollars for their unused sick days.

But now new Jersey's Republican governor is fighting back Chris Christie.

Just vetoing a bill that would guarantee state employees up to fifteen grand in sick day payouts.

He says taxpayers can't afford it and most private workers don't get it.

So is it time to cut it out for all government employs hi everybody I'm David -- Merry Christmas to you all let's go into this -- Steve Forbes Rick Conger -- -- Dennis Neil.

Victoria -- And Mike -- a -- but a great crew Steve what about -- -- time to eliminate this dictate.

Yes only in the public sector would you get paid twice one for showing up to work demand for not getting sick.

And the private sector you don't have that Christie is right the states can afford to be cited the example of -- state policeman.

Two thirds retirement pay.

Health care benefits paid for 200000 dollars for sick pay only pay 7% these aren't all of this he said unaffordable.

David in the private a public sector their benefits and their overall pay 50% higher per hour and what you find in the private sector.

Not arguable -- -- -- specifically.

What Chris Christie said quote.

If you're fortunate enough to go your whole career without getting sick the first thing you should who is -- your knees and thank god for your good health after that.

Your next move should not need to put out your hand.

Put it out to taxpayers to demand six figure payouts do you agree or disagree with a government.

Well look I agree with the idea that this is insurance and it shouldn't be paid to people unless they're sick.

But let's take a look at this essentially these people negotiate these and this is part of their benefit package.

And their paid like a lot less money than what they're paid in the private sector.

So this is something that that people have come to rely on and -- we've paid people.

For years that this is I -- this -- -- telling Steve that he can't take its stock options that he can't cash those in India and Andy here.

We yes there is a need for reform but then we should be -- -- these people.

More money well.

Victoria -- some of the people here take issue whether it's the same at a private sector -- some of these payouts are huge one Phoenix police commander.

Cash out a 144000.

Dollars worth of six days sick -- this is something is not done in private sector isn't.

I don't know it's certainly isn't and hearing Chris Christie talk about this.

It actually makes me want to move to New Jersey I mean it's awesome that he is taking this on -- and that's have a lot right not everyone wants to move to New Jersey.

For passengers and but you know it's a real it's a real sickness in the system and it's because we're not calling a spade a spade it had become.

This hidden little benefit one superintendent in Illinois showed up to work to start his job.

With 200 days of sick -- what that -- isn't that he's planning on getting the flu 400 times.

-- said he he knows he can get a pay out and actually so you've got a college spate of -- at least what.

Happen in the eighties and -- -- -- trouble recruiting public sector boys so they harbored these benefits that were literally too good to be true and pay out.

So now it's time to sunset some of those isn't it overall I think that Burton got the more the government salaries and pay packages can reflect exactly the private sector the better for taxpayers and that's what we should be doing here.

My mom was a teacher for 35 years she did retire with 85 days of sick pay that was a nice bonus for her sorry mom.

We should be paying more to government employs the other thing it does guys.

If it gets people because they wanna save and bank to sick days to get a bonus upon retirement.

Or upon leaving the cup that that it it it it encourage you tended to work sick and get other people are right and that -- part but everywhere.

Stronger again -- it's what's happening is not.

Tearing up contracts that were made -- pass its stride as sunset.

These provisions.

That were too good to Begin we have.

But so the people under the contracts will get what they were promised it's just future contracts will not be as generous is that okay.

Let's start putting a real face and it's it's very easy to talk about this when we put the word public employees we are talking about policeman.

We're talking about -- were talking about people who do jobs that we don't see in the private sector we're talking about people.

Who protect our lives save our lives so that we can turn around and complain about what they're getting OK and what -- -- Let's -- about an hour wind kind of -- -- -- -- That's what itself and how that is okay let him finish go ahead Rick -- it comes to -- they think about this in the private sector.

Its use it or lose it if you if you don't use your sick pay you lose it so what happens most people tend to use it whether they're sick or not.

Now take that to depart to the public sector what happens when cops and abusing it may end up being -- the street and you know what we have to do.

We have to pay for someone else to -- take their -- It ends up -- pay me now or pay me later but you're paying it either way.

Are but -- the fact is if you don't have the cash you don't have the -- a lot of these communities don't have that right now.

That's right mark -- up the point that while they give them these benefits because they can afford to pay them well that's exactly the point.

The politicians that sign off on these -- know that.

If they included these benefits and presents salaries there's no way they can afford to pay so they push -- off into the future when they're not going to be an office in my -- -- Glen Rock New Jersey.

The budget was increased for pensions by 25%.

This year in these -- based on deals that people who were running the town years ago signed off on.

You have to reflect what's fair now in the current deal when you have the -- you don't know where accident happened down the road.

Mark that's the point is that these things are unsustainable these payouts are simply unsustainable given our current budget crisis if it is it is Iran that sustainable I agree but it deal's a deal we can't just tell somebody we're taking this -- what people want to call the house -- -- -- as -- -- pat -- always suggested that mark they're not suggesting ripping up contracts they're saying we should sunset.

These rules to pay out what pay outlet has -- has -- in my sons and literally right in that.

Let's face it in overtime then I think then I think that's fair it's but I don't think we can just suddenly rewrite this and this is kind of what's happening in the states are just saying look I broke up front were -- -- can't pay sorry.

All would say Fox News decided they work and yeah.

And tomorrow Dennis and they say yeah we're gonna -- again -- -- -- -- get a -- -- collateral brochure -- well hello Dennis go ahead of private sector finds it necessary sometimes to change the benefits that they had promised retirees because the future.

Is changed for them it happens all the time -- the private sector and have a city is in trouble and needs to do this I say sometimes you have to try.

To change current contract -- Think the liberal outcry when he has they didn't walk around excellent hockey and I'm -- I know I'm gonna.

I didn't see you crying when President Obama tore up the creditors contracts up for GM that's a good boy -- -- -- I didn't see you crying when mortgage contracts were torn up so that -- can give it away to people who.

What home all right all of us anyway and I don't I -- Oregon -- White -- that I -- example but Mike just brought up when.

When the government took over GM they essentially tore up the contract rights of the secured bond holders of GM.

That was that was abrogating contracts no.

Yeah but here's the problem nobody wants to talk about.

And what you can do the private sector which which gets involved with bankruptcy is not the same what you can do in the public sector states can't take days or so and they're very very good constitutional reasons -- -- -- -- Therefore you're here you're doing it apples and oranges comparison that may sound correct well I hate the idea why do you talk about -- that's -- go -- Steve.

The fact of the matter is to be don't have the money then you've got to cut back and in terms of us very -- most government workers have far more job security than you do on the private sector so few give ups is not as asking a lot to give up when they have that kind of security now everyone else does not what they're gonna work tomorrow that's got to be.