(2-2-2004) How can SC be sure state salaries keep up with the cost of living?

LP, Lexington:
Well now, let's see, first we need funding. That can be done in many ways such as bringing back video poker, taxing the $#@% out of cigarettes and tobacco products and many other ways. Also, stop rewarding people for breeding like flies by giving more tax breaks when you have more kids. Instead, how about giving tax breaks to couples (or singles based on predetermined formula) who have been involved in the production of two or less (including zero) children. After three kids, tax them at a higher rate and rescind the tax cut on the first two (exceptions for first time multiple births not induced by fertility drugs). Tax cuts should grandfather couples with more than two kids up to nine months after the change goes into effect. Hopefully this would reward reproductive responsibility and put the burdern for overloaded resources such as schools and highways where it belongs, with those who most contribute to the problem. Also, how about a high tax (say, maybe $1000 per quarter) on those obnoxious and annoying little utility trailers that everybody and his brother seems to have at least two of on the road these days. You know, the ones that usually have at least one lawn tractor and 3 or 4 weedeaters and assorted other implements of destruction hanging on them and are usually pulled by a pickup truck owned by "Joe Schmuck's Yard Maintenance" or something like that. These things can really take up a lot of space in town at stop lights and such, especially when there are several of them traveling in the same direction at the same time. They rarely achieve the speed limit so if you are stuck behind one, hope you aren't in a hurry. I think a grand each quarter is not unreasonable for road use given the inconvenience these things cause all but the owner. Finally, once some funding is raised, how about a system for fairness in giving raises to state employees? In the past while the bottom and middle workers who actually DO the work for the state are given no raise, 1/2% raise or maybe even a whole 1% raise, agancy heads (who frequently cause a lot of the budget problems with their pork barrel special projects) get 7% or maybe 14% raises. How is this fair or justifiable? One half or one percent of $100,000+ is a heck of a lot more than the same percentage of $20,000 a year. I have said for years, that agency heads should have the percentage of their raises tied to the lowest paid employee in the department. In other words, if the lowest paid janitor gets a 1/2% raise, then the agency head gets the same percentage, not 5, 7, 14, or whatever percent. This would bring a much fairer perspective to the passing out of raises. I just hope they get something soon, as what they have received the last decade or so is shameful.
GC, Swansea:
I concur 100 percent with FD/Irmo!
JP, Sumter:
Every state employee can keep up with the cost of living just by quitting the state and working for private industry. State employees except for Department of Commerce, Lottery Board and those who have special political friends, like PSC, are considered bottom feeding scum by the state legislature. The legislature has shown by their deliberate actions that they do not consider state employees to be on the same level as humans. I hope that in the coming election that a movement to not vote for any incumbents gets started.
JP, Columbia:
1. Fire all state legislators.
2. Sell off all state vehicles.
3. Fire all state legislators.
4. Colsolidate school districts into one.
5. Fire all state legislators.
6. Contract out all school cafeteria operations.
7. Fire all state legislators.
8. Dissolve DSS.
9. Combine DOC, DJJ, PPP.
10. Did I mention that we should fire all state legislators?
AH, Lexington:
Do you know that Pharmacist is the outside real world working @ such places like WalMart, CVS, Eckerds start their employees in the $90's and yet the State of SC expects to hire Pharmacist at $50,000? Get off of it. I am not a Pharmacist, but this is just a simply illustration as to the kind of low-bottom feeder pay the State of SC pays it's employees. If your in one of the lucky "Gold-Haired" agencies such as the Budget & Control Board then money is no issue. If your not, then your doomed. It has been 2 years since State employees received a dime of a raise and yet everything around us has increased three-fold. Here's an idea: How about reduce the poverty level for those on Medicaid from 175% back down to 125%; Bring back video poker machines, Stop paying for viagra for Aids patients on Medicaid. Get this picture. The law makers ignorance on how to cut costs and save the State of South Carolina money is completely laughable.
DT, West Columbia:
In a word: we can’t. State employees’ salaries come from the same pool of money that pays for everything else the state funds. That money comes from the taxes we all pay, and judging from the tone of most respondents to this forum the voters are in no mood to pay any higher taxes for any reason. So long as that is the case, there is no way we can “be sure” state employees’ salaries will even remain what they are, much less keep up with the cost of living.
FD, Irmo:
I called my respresensatives last week. Of course I didn't get to speak to them. Their staff took my call and no return of the call. The plan offered on your website last week increasing the sales tax would take careof most of this states problems! Increase the sales tax. Eliminate car and real estate taxes. Increasing the sales tax everyone pays plus the tourist help pay our bills. This is the answer. It has worked in other states. Of course our do nothing Governor should get involved and promote this plan. It is the answer to problems of this state! By eliminating car and real estate taxes the citizens will have more money to spend and increase the tax revenues of the state. State workers could receive pay raises. Look at how much money Lexington County raised on their restaurant tax.