Culver's Fat Payoff To The Unions

Here's the first five paragraphs of the Sioux City Journal's rant about Governor Chet Culver's bye bye payoff to the largest state employee union:

The only thing we might find “historic” about the tentative two-year deal reached Friday between the state's largest employee union and the Culver administration is the level of contempt it demonstrates for Iowa taxpayers and the brazen, cynical political maneuvering that went on to make it happen.

Iowans should be nothing short of appalled.

The agreement reached Friday - a deal termed “historic” by American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 61 President Danny Homan – covers nearly 21,000 state workers from July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2013, and likely will be finalized sometime in December after union leaders review the proposal and submit it to rank-and-file members for ratification.

It's a sweetheart deal for the union, to be sure. At first blush, it may seem “modest,” as Culver's lead negotiator Jim Hanks termed it, but in totality it is nothing short of exorbitant. In fact, state workers covered by the contract and not yet at full scale stand to see annual wage increases of 7.5 percent during the term of the contract. No, that's not a typo. They will get a 7.5 percent raise.

Do you know anyone who is getting annual raises of 7.5 percent? We don't either.

Now we'd like to call your attention to paragraph 23 of the Des Moines Register's story by Jason Clayworth:

Paulsen, the House Republican leader, said that in some cases, some state employees would receive a roughly 15 percent salary increase over the next two years, largely because of step increases. He said the extra costs will likely cause lawmakers to have to trim the budget even further when the legislative session begins in January. Layoffs are possible, he said.

Yes, Jason, hide the truth as far down in the story as you can.

You're such a good little trained doggie.