Mr. Lepage What We Have Here is Overpayment.

     Ms. Paula visited a rather startling site today. The site was full of horrific numbers, and positions and departments and pay. Something titled www.maineopengov.org , c 2009 The Maine Heritage Policy Center. On this site we all can see the cost to the State of Maine, by the State of Maine. The horrific thing is what we pay to ourselves in wages and benefits, that is if you work for the state, instead of paying for the state. I only looked at this page for a little while before my eyes began to blister. With very little investigation, one probably shouldn't make large and assuming statements, but I am about to. Looking at a record of 15,847 Maine employees, we paid a total of $532,949,052 in regular wages. We paid out another $16,185,390 in overtime wages, and a mind numbing $345,596,246 in benefits. Dividing the total expense by the number of workers on this page Ms. Paula comes up with $56,460.50 per unit of labor.  Very costly, when we consider that many of these people are part time workers.
       Here are a few wild examples of our state: Career Center Consultant, $66,295 in wages, $30,754 in benefits (the guy you go talk to when you are unemployed and seeking work through our career centers). Guess he Found the right job. For a total of $97,049 I could pay three of me and still have change.
        How about this one: a Recreation Therapist at Dorothea Dix Psychiatric (BMHI): her total haul of your money $81,598. Not bad. Could you teach someone how to play for that kind of money?
        Another wonderful thing I noticed was the fact that there are many, many, way too many Public Service Managers. On the state list, all departments have one, two, three and more and their salaries with benefits, around $130,000. Again not bad. You manage a bunch of over paid state workers who really don't want to lose their job. Sit back, smoke a cigar, oh right its not the 80's. Well go home for lunch, visit with the wife, you know spread the love, and don't bother coming back, you're really not necessary.  There are thousands of examples of absurdity on the above mentioned web site, but do not go there if you have a weak heart or a quick temper.
      The way I see it Paul, lets start the cuts right at the problem, in the problem. Why cut services first? People we get rid of will need them. We should begin with rewriting jobs, firing the over paid, as their job will no longer exist with a rewrite, and rehiring with no benefit package. Instant saving, both short and long term. Don't you agree? I'm sure you do.

Total expenditure for this page: priceless
Total jobs created by this page: none
Total benefits: you, your comments and thoughts.    
                                                     Thank you for your time, Ms. Paula Page