Beware of Angry State Workers

[Jake]

Recently the Lansing State Journal realesed a column about where to find pay information, by name, for state employees. This has angered the herd and they are threatening to stampede and level the Lansing State Journal through boycotts, angry demonstrations, and whatever other means necesarry to get their point across. Now as a lowly security officer this should not bother me, but as circumstances dictate I am sitting in their midst, and am hearing the rumbles of discord. Just the other day I made the mistake of asking one of them what the huge deal was, and made a slight comment on how I felt that a level 5 secretary made just a little too much money. The lecture that ensued was not worth the comment. My opinion is that the column has angered alot of people, and that is inherently wrong on the Lansing State Journals part. I feel that to keep harmony among the ranks the Lansing State Journal should probably print an apology. I cannot even purchase a Lansing State Journal newspaper in the building that I secure, These people are PISSED.
I feel that our fellow poster Todd probably had something to do with this incident, from his past affiliations with the Lansing State Journal. He should probably come to lansing and take pictures of the carnage that is about to happen when the herd decides to stampede. Todd pull your strings at the Journal and get an apology printed so the madness will end. The angered state employees are holding my funnie pages hostage and I miss them.

[convicker]

As you know, it is difficult to get my hands on an LSJ in Miami, but I am sure that if you will follow the links in the article, you will see why is is so difficult for the State of Michigan to balance its budget. I held a couple of jobs with the State of MIchigan (Correctional Officer, and Forensic Security Supervisor at the forensic Center in Milan). Now if I had been able to keep my charming personality in check I would have been making approximately $60,000 a year right about now (a grand total of 5 years with the state). I work at a maximum security prison in Florida, and if it were not for me being a Captain right now, it would have taken me at least another 6-8 years to make $40,000 a year. Now, I am not saying Florida is right and Michigan is wrong, but if the state would take the proactive measure of easing up on the wages for state employees, then they would not be facing the deficit which they are probably facing right now. By the way, as a correctional Officer in Michigan , after 5 years, I would have been making $49,000 a year. Another step the state could take is not absorbing so much of the percentage of the health insurance for state employees. When I worked for the state, I payed about $40 a check for every insurance which the state offered, and I had my son covered. The same insurances in Florida (We have the same blue cross blue shield as the state of michigan) would cost me $150 per check. Multiply that by the 35-45,000 state employees and see what you get. Just a though from your friendly southern redneck partner

[Joe]

Well , well.... I knew this one was coming!
Yes, people (state employees) are furious about all this! They know that this information is not hard to find out if you go through F.O.I.A. or if you just find the job description and kinda guess when the person started employment, throw in there 1-2% raises you can come up with a pretty accurate figure.
But then who really cares? I mean alot of state employees get alot of flak from non employees for everything, .....do they really know what they do? and what they have to put up with on a daily basis?
I dont think what LSJ did was right! down to the names and dates of hire?
I can only imagine the junk mail, and sollecitors these people are now "forced" to put up with.
If LSJ really wanted to do this they could have left it only to job description and salary without the personal stuff.

PS
I think Jake is right when he stated that Todd has something to do with it

[diegosmom]

I'm sorry...the LSJ was beyond wrong. All they really needed to do was list the classifications along with the average rates ranging to and from..but of course this wasn't good enough...If there are ANY information or Credit violations on my account, you can be ASSURED the LSJ will get the legal and attorney bills that are associated with clearing my credit...>DATE OF HIRE is a lot but my amount paid too...Let's just give them my SSN number too so they don't have to do too much more searching.

[convicker]

I just had and uh-oh moment. I was generally speaking about the amounts that State workers are paid. I now understand what the fuss is about. I just thought they gave general pay rates for certain job classes, not an individual's pay amount. That is very wrong, but then again, the LSJ was only pointing out available information. Why does the State make this information available anyway? It is obvious that some of the State employees' anger should be directed at the State of Michigan for making this information readily available to the public.

[diegosmom]

It is available thru FOIA but making it readily available thru the internet thru LSJ allows more views and more using our information.

[convicker]

Can someone provide me with that link to the wages page? I would like to contact some of the folks that I went to my Correctional Officer training with, and this would at least let me know if they are still employed. Thanks for the help.

[luci_73]

HAPPY JULY 1ST !!!!! TO ALL THE CANADIAN'S OUT THERE!!!

[todd]

Okay. I just got back to my computer. I have been in Lansing for the last two weeks. You all should know by now that I quit the State Journal months ago because the managers were being stupid. This is just another example of that.

The circulation for the newspaper continues to fall so they figure that this will bring a market to the website instead.

This is probably something that came down from corporate. Gannett tests things through the State Journal. They are probably just trying this to see the results before they try it in other markets.

[Joe]

Todd.....what good timing you have!
you come down to Lansing......and I was in da UP eh?
I'll catch you around.....thinking about another trip around that area, I'll keep you informed!