Boston Herald reported 7700 state employees hauled in salaries over $100,000, not including benefits. A large chunk came from the UMass system, 1500 state troopers, 200 correction officers and 200 Dept of Transportation workers all made the six figure cut. Don’t forget, we are on the hook for 80% of the last five years average base salaries in pension benefits. Lest we forget state pensions are exempt from the MA income tax as well, regardless of size.
These stats do not include municipal employees, like your local police and fire chiefs who easily cracking the six figure income.
With this in mind, do we really want to raise the income tax to fund more public transportation projects? Striker pointed out how the Lyons Group contracted out some public service and were fined $400,000 b/c they owed back wages and damages. Striker uses this example as to why we should not allow private companies to bid on public projects or services. Allow me to give another example which should give everyone some pause and rethink what Stiker suggests.
A private company, Guilford Rail Systems, replaced the entire track, from Haverhill to Portland, Maine. Approx 100 miles of track, at a cost of $50 Million. The MBTA replaced the Greenbush line, approx 20 miles of track, at a taxpayer cost of?????? Drumroll please………$535 Million. Big difference, don’t you agree? See why I resist giving a dime more to these people? Oh and one last thing, the tracks going to Portland work just fine and dandy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenbush_Line
go to restoration controversy.
the Herald info is on today’s website.
Please back up the factual assertions in this post or I will take it down. Thanks.
Former State Republican Party chair Jennifer Nassour commenting on Scott Brown’s new gig and his old Senate salary of $170K:
Can you show that these “overpaid” folks are overpaid compared to other states, adjusting for cost of living?
Can you demonstrate that the track replacement projects were otherwise comparable in the work that needed to get done?
Good luck!
The Globe has the dope on this. The highly paid people are UMass coaches and administrators.
Government should be setting a standard for good pay, not leading a race to the bottom.
The two rail examples aren’t remotely comparable.
The Greenbush Line was disused for years — long enough that many residents assumed that trains would never run over it. It runs through populous neighborhoods (and downtown Hingham). It had many grade-level crossings, which may have been satisfactory in 1930 when the area was less crowded and traffic far lighter, but which would be hazardous today. As a result, lots of extra work had to be done, some of it extremely expensive, like digging a tunnel.
The Boston-Portland line has had continuous rail service since the 19th century, although *passenger* services ceased in the 1960s. Refurbishment wasn’t trivial — there were tricky issues involving conflicts with commuter train schedules — but it was far easier.
Building a mile of new road through a cornfield costs a lot less than building a new mile of road through downtown Boston.
It shows you the difference between a private company like Guilford Rail working under the constraints of a “budget” and a debt-ridden public entity like the MBTA, operating as if it has unlimited resources.
Depressing sections of the Greenbush tracks demonstrates reckless regard for the taxpayers, done so not primarily for safety reasons as you suggested, more so for aesthetics purposes. You can be darn sure if the rail was being replaced in Taunton or New Bedford, the tracks would have been at grade level.
…hence his support for Lynch and hostility to Markey. Dan, if you think people should make comperable to state wages and salaries, organize for that!
You didn’t really think that, did you? Look up “concern troll.”
…but I wanted to hold him to account for his concern trolling.
I had been kind of wondering if he was a secret Markey operative since he is doing such a hilarious job at “advocacy”.