hardemann proposes pay raise for vor employees

WOW how out of touch are we, Councilor Hardemann? The labor force in this town works two jobs to make ends meet, has no insurance(which increases the hospital indigent charges to the county) has no retirement, has no money for child care, pays the high gas prices that the scalpers in this town charge....and then have to watch VOR employees get a raise for breathing? VOR employees have insurance, retirement, paid holidays, regular hours and SECURITY.
Why don't you hang it all out on the fence Ron and propose a living wage ordinance like Santa Fe has? March first their Minimum wage goes up to $10.29. All the naysayers have been proven wrong on this one and guess what-IT WORKS. Just read where Potter, the town economist, stated that business is good and real estate is alright . Gross receipts are up, according to DL, so all should be able to pay a living wage, right????? Come on, Hardemann, GET REAL and go to bat for all those kids you taught over the years that have now chosen to stay in this town-they can't all work for the village????

Is Mo-Ron up for re-election? It is always suprising how many liberals in conservative clothing are here in Lincoln County.

Are you referring to upper management?

(Management) Is that what you call it?

Sorry
King alborn and his court.

Hey Get Real, most of the Village workers are working two jobs also! What's wrong with giving people who take of this Village a raise? Is it because you couldn't get hired on with the Village?

NMCritter wrote:

Hey Get Real, most of the Village workers are working two jobs also! What's wrong with giving people who take of this Village a raise? Is it because you couldn't get hired on with the Village?

"What's wrong with giving people who take of this village a raise?"
Guess you answered your own question if the people are "taking"
If you meant "taking care" of the village......that's their job, is it not?
My post was really about leveling the playing field in the job force here.
If people are not paid enough in the private sector, to live here, there won't be anyone to "take of", will there?

If the village has any extra money to throw around for raises, it would sure be nice to spend some of that money on pot hole material so those village workers would have something to do.

They should be thankful they have a job.

get real wrote:

<quoted text>
"What's wrong with giving people who take of this village a raise?"
Guess you answered your own question if the people are "taking"
If you meant "taking care" of the village......that's their job, is it not?
My post was really about leveling the playing field in the job force here.
If people are not paid enough in the private sector, to live here, there won't be anyone to "take of", will there?
If the village has any extra money to throw around for raises, it would sure be nice to spend some of that money on pot hole material so those village workers would have something to do.

Seems to me it's the Village's job to compensate its employees for their work and the private sector's job to compensate their employees for their work. If the Village has the money to give the employees COLA, do it! And shame on the private sector for not putting employees first and shelling out for COLA.

.25 cents an hour increase across the board to hrly employees.

The problem is the cost of living in this town!! There is no reason it should cost this much to live here. And yes that was a typo.

NMCritter wrote:

The problem is the cost of living in this town!! There is no reason it should cost this much to live here. And yes that was a typo.

People with half a brain knew what you meant when you accidentally typed "take of," Critter. I am shocked that anyone would object to the employees getting the 2% COLA. Social Security recipients got their COLA in January. State retiress got their COLA on their pensions. It's hard for everybody to get by on a frozen salary as costs nevertheless go up. COLA for the Village employees. COLA for private sector employees. Otherwise their employers don't deserve their work. Grateful to have a job? Maybe 2 years ago when George Bush had squandered a 5 trillion dollar surplus and sent the country tailspinning into the recession. Two years later, all with a frozen salary, I'm tired of hearing excuses from owners and top management. No raises and no COLA this long is just plain old exploitation with the economy as a cheap explanation.

It is all President Bush's fault? Over three years later & that is all you have? You have no clue how the federal government works do you? Or life?

Grow up & take ownership of your own problems. You don't like your pay & benefits? You think employers do not " deserve their work"? Pretty obvious why you have not gotten a raise lately. It is your crappy attitude. You are all about gimme somthin. Keep on sucking on the government teat.

If you think you deserve better go get it. Start your own business and take your own risks. Or just keep on complaining about how the man is keeping you down.

NMCritter wrote:

The problem is the cost of living in this town!! There is no reason it should cost this much to live here. And yes that was a typo.

And that is just one of the reasons so many people are leaving, along with a corrupt and incompetent local government, too many mean people and angry tourists from Texas/Mexico, a collapsing infrastructure, a dying and charred vegetation landscape, the poor school district, water problems, high gas/utility prices, the rapid closing of quality bussinesses despite the Hubbard Tax and the rich folks that now run this town, plumiting property values, lack of good produce and other quality foods, etc. Yes, the glory days for Ruidoso have longed passed now so if you do not like the situation here, you are not alone. It is not the town that I have lived in for the past 20 years. And yes, I am trying to move out thank you and the door will not hit me in the ass when I am gone.

The fact is there is a built in COLA for Village Employees each year. The taxpayers pickup 75% of each employees full insurance plan. So when that plan rises as it does each year , we pay for 75% of that increase.

Unless you work for a big company, the taxpayers do not have access to the benefit plans that the Village employees have. In today's economy, having a job that is secure like the employees have is enough until the economy turns around and the citizens of Lincoln county are doing benefiting from that improved economy.

Remember, the village government does not drive the economy, private enterprise does. The government should only enjoy increase benefits when when private enterprise and the taxpayers are enjoying the benefits of increases in revenues.

Seems to me wrote:

<quoted text>
People with half a brain knew what you meant when you accidentally typed "take of," Critter. I am shocked that anyone would object to the employees getting the 2% COLA. Social Security recipients got their COLA in January. State retiress got their COLA on their pensions. It's hard for everybody to get by on a frozen salary as costs nevertheless go up. COLA for the Village employees. COLA for private sector employees. Otherwise their employers don't deserve their work. Grateful to have a job? Maybe 2 years ago when George Bush had squandered a 5 trillion dollar surplus and sent the country tailspinning into the recession. Two years later, all with a frozen salary, I'm tired of hearing excuses from owners and top management. No raises and no COLA this long is just plain old exploitation with the economy as a cheap explanation.

Where in the world did you get your information? Please share your sources. Two years ago what happened? Five trillion dollar surplus- really? I'm fascinated.

Mr. Hardemann has always been a government worker so he does not understand where his and all government salaries/benefits come from......the private sector! No, the private sector cannot afford COLAs or any raises because they are paying for the public sector salaries and benefits.

I didn't see any layoffs, furloughs or cuts in VOR salaries/wages in the last few years. These folks should be glad they have jobs. And, if they think they are not being treated right...low salaries, etc. they can go look for work elsewhere!

It used to be that public servant meant something, no more! Now we have it backwards....the private sector is the servant to the public! Let's hope that some new VOR Councilors will understand how this is supposed to work. Elect some private sector folks. Stay away from the retired government workers!

All money problems in Ruidoso are easily solved by raising your taxes and giving the raised tax dollars to hubbard.

"Remember, the village government does not drive the economy, private enterprise does. The government should only enjoy increase benefits when when private enterprise and the taxpayers are enjoying the benefits of increases in revenues."

So lets get out the vote FIGHT BACK and raise taxes to pay for a stonger private sector.