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California Highway Patrol salaries

sacbee.com

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Re: California Highway Patrol salaries

#11

Post by carsongross »

davidmurphy wrote: post #10
rottencupcakes wrote: post #8

While I understand how voters often want "public accountability" and itemized breakdowns of state budget, something like this seems like a mistake. There was another thread on the front page earlier today about why companies keep salaries very private. There are reasons why private companies do that. Forcing a government institution to publish these like this must make for interesting inter office politics.

There was an article in the Washington Post (I think) about this very topic. It really is a harm to morale.

As a CA taxpayer, it certainly harms my morale.

Cheers, Carson

Re: California Highway Patrol salaries

#12

Post by rm-rf »

rottencupcakes wrote: post #8

While I understand how voters often want "public accountability" and itemized breakdowns of state budget, something like this seems like a mistake. There was another thread on the front page earlier today about why companies keep salaries very private. There are reasons why private companies do that. Forcing a government institution to publish these like this must make for interesting inter office politics.

My salary is in a database just like this at a newspaper in another state.

Big deal.

I am a public employee. The public can, does and should know my salary. If they don't think I'm worth it, they (the public) should fire me.

Re: California Highway Patrol salaries

#13

Post by idoh »

rottencupcakes wrote: post #8

While I understand how voters often want "public accountability" and itemized breakdowns of state budget, something like this seems like a mistake. There was another thread on the front page earlier today about why companies keep salaries very private. There are reasons why private companies do that. Forcing a government institution to publish these like this must make for interesting inter office politics.

We only want "accountability" because they can't be trusted to do the right thing otherwise.

Re: California Highway Patrol salaries

#14

Post by heresy »

davidmurphy wrote: post #10
rottencupcakes wrote: post #8

While I understand how voters often want "public accountability" and itemized breakdowns of state budget, something like this seems like a mistake. There was another thread on the front page earlier today about why companies keep salaries very private. There are reasons why private companies do that. Forcing a government institution to publish these like this must make for interesting inter office politics.

There was an article in the Washington Post (I think) about this very topic. It really is a harm to morale.

Morale wouldn't be undermined if wages were fair and rules around raises applied predictably.

It's when someone gets bumped to the next pay grade without merit that you're going to get sour grapes among those not as fortunate.

Re: California Highway Patrol salaries

#18

Post by folz »

jister wrote: post #15

Isn't this sort of thing supposed to be confidential?

No. The Freedom of Information Act (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_information_act) allows anyone to request the salaries of government officials. Usually this means that newspapers request the salaries for all government officials and put it in a public database. My local newspaper does the same thing (http://datacenter.courier-journal.com/government/salaries/in...), and I presume yours does too, providing you live in the United States. Try searching for "$YOUR_NEWSPAPER_NAME salary database" in your favorite search engine.
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