Coral Gables: Balancing Well-Being of Taxpayers and the Budget
August 30, 2010 1 Comment
The Teamsters Union is now leading the general employees into a dark corner by asserting that Coral Gables is wealthy enough to keep paying high salaries, pensions and other benefits. This is insulting to residents who have paid taxes through thick and (now) thin and have generally accommodated decent and fair salaries for most (and some not so great) employees in many years.
Many residents now believe that the Slesnick Commission has tolerated, if not outright defended, the well-being of employees above taxpayers. Unions, of course, have cooperated in this process by defending the commission.
Now both the commission and the unions should work together and share the pain to get the budget back into balance.
Taxpayers cannot do any more than they have.
About Stephen E. McGaughey
Coral Gables Watch 
To say that Gables residents and taxpayers have long been generous to city staff is a gross understatement. When times are good, the good people of Coral Gables are effusive with their bigheartedness and benevolence. When times are tough — the worst in 80 years — city employees must reasonably expect tax payers to resist guaranteed, overly generous compensation and iron-clad guarantees of high pensions and benefits. Everyone must share equitably in the downturn. To consider taxpayers as a bottomless pit of cash is unreasonable and unsustainable. Severe cuts will be made. When good times return, we can all return to our generous ways.