Public Employees Make New York The Empire State
by Nicholas J. LaMorte, President, CSEA Long Island Region,

It’s amazing how out of touch some public officials can be! Gubernatorial candidate John Faso claims “generous” public employee pensions should be replaced by 401K’s.

Public employee pensions only average $13,000.00 annually, hardly a princely sum! Why should public employees give up the security they have earned? Does the government want us all to become destitute like the people who invested their life savings in Enron?

Public employees contribute part of their salary for the first decade. Every penny of a public employee’s pension is earned over the course of 30 years of work.

CSEA members who are public employees earn their pensions by issuing licenses and permits, handling complaints and inspecting homes; by paving and plowing your roads to ensure safe passage for your families; by making sure your public school facilities, parks, and playgrounds are safe and in good repair.

CSEA members who are public employees are Bay Constables, parole officers, EMT’s, police and fire dispatchers who save lives every day. Public employees taught John Faso when he attended college at the State University at Brockport. Public employees help make New York the Empire State.

Faso claims he values family and hard work. Yet he seeks to dismantle a system that rewards work, provides stability and a decent life for middle class families. Stable workers buy homes, contribute to the tax base, and support the very businesses Faso champions.

Public employees are the bedrock of strong and stable communities. We did not create the state’s budget challenges, and should not be scapegoats for the self-centered ambitions of public officials.

by Nicholas J. LaMorte, President, CSEA Long Island Region, Commack, New York