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Reader says It’s simple math. The financial condition of the Village is such that new hires are completely out of the question

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Reader says It’s simple math. The financial condition of the Village is such that new hires are completely out of the question

It’s simple math. The financial condition of the Village is such that new hires are completely out of the question. Unlike the Federal Government that can print money, the Village of Ridgewood can’t. We can all play the blame game of how we got here. Incompetence. Stolen quarters. Nepotism. Unsustainable pension schemes. We can also talk about raising extra revenue. The problem with raising taxes is that Ridgewood competes with other similar jurisdictions, and if you raise taxes here, that raises the incentive to move elsewhere.

Bottom line, guys. Just like the rest of us who work in the real world. You do more with less. I think I speak for many of us when I say that we all are doing jobs that were not very long ago, being done by more people. It sucks, and we go into work each day with an element of worry wondering if it’s our day to get called into HR

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33 thoughts on “Reader says It’s simple math. The financial condition of the Village is such that new hires are completely out of the question

  1. Amen. The private sector has been doing more with less for years and it’s time for the public sector to get on board. Problem is that unions have instilled this sense of entitlement to its membership. Lifetime employment, guaranteed raises, minimal contribution to health insurance and a full pension in your 40’s.

    In the real world, if an employer can get what you do done for less, they hire someone else. If you can’t justify yourself financially at work, you’re gone. Not always fair, but that’s the way it is.

  2. Not a fair comparison, in the private sector if your employer gets rid of you, you are free to open your own business and compete against your former employer. That’s not so with public employees.

  3. I take issue with #2. If a municipal employee is let go they are free to pursue opportunities in governmental agencies, in other towns or in the private sector. Nothing limits their choice of employment opportunities except their skills….or lack thereof.

  4. #2: You rationale is a little baffling. The vast majority of private sector employees who get let go enter a period of sheer terror, worry about surviving on a little severence pay and some measly unemployment income, while big chunks of it are eaten up with mortgage payments and Cobra. With very few exceptions, starting a new business is well beyond the ability of such people. As for public employees. First, layoffs are rare, and when they do happen, re-employment opportunities are no different from those in the private sector.

  5. Historically, one would choose the public sector vs the private sector for :
    Wages below private sector in return for job security, pension, and health benefits.
    Wages in the public sector now EXCEED those in the private sector, while still maintaining job security, pension, and health benefits.
    3 out of 3 isn’t bad if your the worker.
    3 out of 3 isn’t fair if you’re the taxpayer.
    How about picking 2 out of 3 in all fairness.

  6. #2 You’re thinking the wrong way. Don’t compete with the government per se, compete with the services it performs on an individual basis. There’s not one public sector function that couldn’t be provided back by private outsourcing. The Feds even outsourced the military, for Pete’s sake

  7. are you going to out source the fire dept to volunteer that would save a good 7 mill.

  8. so we are not going to put on any new workers in the village, yeah ok. tell that to the b o e. some of u nuts are smoking to much weed.

    most of you bums did not care about the village workers a few years ago. what happened you can not find a job on wall street.

  9. #8 Huh?

  10. to # 1 huh ?


  11. Anonymous:

    are you going to out source the fire dept to volunteer that would save a good 7 mill.

    #7, you only mention the current operating cost to run the department. What about the pension & heathcare promises made that will never go away ? Many of the guys retire under 50 so that means they get that pension & subsidized helathcare for +30 years if they reach the average lifespan of an American male. What about that cost ? You didn’t mention it. Younger private sector workers won’t get SS until they turn 67 now, if they get anything at all. And they don’t get defined benefit pensions and subisdized Cadillac healthcare like public sector employees. It’s outright theft of taxpayers.


  12. Anonymous:

    most of you bums did not care about the village workers a few years ago.

    I guess taxpayers – who are already being taxed to death – have finally had enough of just giving away everything that the unions ask for… taxpayers get organized and you think they are “bums” and “nuts” ? Say what #8 ? What do you have to lose ?

  13. In practice it looks like unionized municipal workers automatically get their annual negotiated wage increases, PLUS annual step wage increases, cost of living adjustments, longetivity bonuses, etc. The STEP schedules rapidly accelerate employees’ base salaries every year, particularly in the first 10 years of employment. One Ridgewood Step Schedule for employees hired after 2010 starts at a base salary of $32,000 in the first year of employment. Under the schedule, the base salary increases to $81,971 by the end of the fifth year of employment. This represents an incredible 156% increase or a compounded annual rate of increase over 20%. This does not include the publicly disclosed 4.2% annual wage increase or a 2% bonus after year four. As long as the employee remains employed, this astounding rate of increase is all but guaranteed. Although the agreements state that the annual increases are “not automatic”, employees expect them and, in practice, it is rare that they are not approved.


  14. Anonymous:

    are you going to out source the fire dept to volunteer that would save a good 7 mill.

    Apparently you can’t comprehend the value of a paid fire department.
    The response time is crucial in knocking down a fire and limiting injury and damages.
    Our homeowner’s insurance rates reflect a discount for the paid dept.
    Volunteers cannot even staff an ambulance so not a chance of staffing the FD.
    And its pure jealousy on your part (Mr. DPW). No matter what happens, you’re not getting 27 more ‘workers’. Ever.

  15. OK # 13, EXPLAIN TO US HOW employees hired after 2010 that start at a base salary of $32,000 in the first year of employment, ARE SUPPOSE TO LIVE IN TOWN ON $32,000 a year?


  16. Anonymous:

    OK # 13, EXPLAIN TO US HOW employees hired after 2010 that start at a base salary of $32,000 in the first year of employment, ARE SUPPOSE TO LIVE IN TOWN ON $32,000 a year?

    Who says just because you work here you get to live here?
    Perfect example=our Police and FD get paid very well with most earning in the mid 150’s range. You can live in town for less than half that. If their wives work then they are pushing 250-300k. Where do they live? OTHER TOWNS.


  17. Anonymous:

    so we are not going to put on any new workers in the village, yeah ok. tell that to the b o e. some of u nuts are smoking to much weed.
    most of you bums did not care about the village workers a few years ago. what happened you can not find a job on wall street.

    As an unskilled laborer, you should be very thankful for the generous wages, pensions, and benefits you receive working for the DPW.

  18. #15 Why should all municipal employees be paid enough to live in Ridgewood ? Many taxpayers who live in Ridgewood work in NYC but can’t afford to live there so they commute every day to work. What is so bad about that. Time for the municipal workers to get real.

  19. #16 said…..Who says just because you work here you get to live here?

    You are required to live in town to be hired and in some town departments you are required to live in town during your first year of employment. With that in mind again I ask you to explain how someone making $40,000.00 a year can live in town…..I can’t wait to hear your reply.

  20. Live with your parents, or get roommates, or get a second job – I thought the RPD and RFD had lots of legacies living with mom & dad ? Lots of people starting out on low bases make do by living with roommates, taking a second job, etc. You think a 25 year old kid should be able to afford their own house and property taxes in Ridgewood ? What planet are you living on ?


    Anonymous:

    OK # 13, EXPLAIN TO US HOW employees hired after 2010 that start at a base salary of $32,000 in the first year of employment, ARE SUPPOSE TO LIVE IN TOWN ON $32,000 a year?


  21. Anonymous:

    #16 said…..Who says just because you work here you get to live here?
    You are required to live in town to be hired and in some town departments you are required to live in town during your first year of employment. With that in mind again I ask you to explain how someone making $40,000.00 a year can live in town…..I can’t wait to hear your reply.

    Rent a house or an apartment with a friend..or friends.
    We all had roomates at one time in our lives.
    Do you expect to live in the heights just because you work for the town?

  22. know one gave a shit about the town workers a few years a go when every one made a lot of money. then the wall street bull shit hit the fan and now a few would like to be a cop or a fire man.
    too bad , this is the pay so take a walk.


  23. Anonymous:

    know one gave a shit about the town workers a few years a go when every one made a lot of money. then the wall street bull shit hit the fan and now a few would like to be a cop or a fire man.
    too bad , this is the pay so take a walk.

    #22, first, please stop being so rude on this blog, and second, please learn how to write English. It is “the pay” because the CBAs have been overly generous, it’s not in line with private sector reality. Concessions need to be made.


  24. Anonymous:
    You are required to live in town to be hired and in some town departments you are required to live in town during your first year of employment. With that in mind again I ask you to explain how someone making $40,000.00 a year can live in town….

    #15 and #19, what insatiable greed ! NO private sector worker starting their first job can afford their own home and Ridgewood property taxes just on their salary. They need help from family, live with roomates, work part-time jobs, etc. It’s this kind of greed that got us in to the current mess we’re in with overly generous CBAs. Clearly you have a son on the force or in ther dept, because only someone with blinders on would suggest that someone should be able to afford to live on their own in town on the salary from their first job. Also, this just shows the kind of circular logic used by the unions to steal from taxpayers – we shouldn’t be raising starting salaries just to meet residency requirements. It should be the other way around; if you want the job with the RPD or RFD, you find a way on your own, not on taxpayer dime. Your demands are completely tone deaf to the private sector reality.

  25. Tell me which private sector job requires you live in Ridgewood and stay in Ridgewood during your first year of employment? Let me help you out, there is NO private sector job that requires you live in town to get the job and stay in town for a year to keep the job.

    Why don’t you rent out some of the rooms in your home to help pay your taxes instead of complaining about them?

    Why are you so greedy that you want to balance your personal budget on the backs of public employees?

    If you can’t afford the taxes here it’s time you consider moving or trading in the nice expensive car you shouldn’t have bought cause you cant afford it.

  26. So you are arguing that wages should be increased to meet a requirement that the hire live in Ridgewood ? That’s completely circular logic. That same requirement ensures that we get mainly legacies as new hires in Ridgewood public safety. Sweet deal for the legacies who can live with mommy & daddy in Ridgewood, and it shuts out equally capable candidates who happen to live in another town. We get a lack of diversity – which is a long term negative – as a result. As you say, “there is NO private sector job that requires you live in town to get the job and stay in town for a year to keep the job.” By the same logic, there is no way that the starting salary should be raised just to meet the requirement, because it should be based on the real world, not some fantyasy land where you think a 25 year old deserves their own home in Ridgewood. It’s your type of thinking that has saddled us with this mess.

  27. I have a unique idea.
    Put a full page ad in the record.
    Advertise the municipal jobs.
    Post the starting salaries, step raises, medical benefits, and retirement benefits.
    Include the requirement to ‘live in town AFTER appointment for one year’.
    Show a link to craigslist ‘rooms for rent’, ‘apartments to share’, etc.
    I’d venture that you would have a lot more competition for these coveted jobs.
    $32,000 starting salary is pretty good for someone without an education.
    Try spending more than that per year on college or a master’s degree.
    Try spending 3-5 years as an apprentice to become a licensed tradesman such as a plumber or electrician.
    Quit crying about ‘what you deserve’.
    Those of us paying your salary, medical benefits, and pension could care less, because you are replaceable, just like every one of us.
    Split a house with your friends and it will cost you no more the $500 per month. You can afford that If you work at Burger king.

  28. Rent with friends, live with your parents, get a second job – if you want the job and there is a residency requirement imposed by the union contract, figure it out just like anyone starting out in the private sector does. Seems like those are pretty sweet jobs if they come with multi-million dollar pensions & healthcare benefits for life after only 25 years on the job. I’d live cheap for a few years if that was the pay-off. It rises pretty quickly to over $80,000. Why are you so greedy #27 ? What is your personal agenda in arguing for higher starting wages for people who aren’t even trained or capable of improving public safety for the first few years of their career ?

  29. I have a unique idea.

    Before anyone goes to college they have to work 3 years either in military service or in a laborer position so they can mature and learn how most americans live and earn their living. Then, after they go to college, they can only earn up to $250,000.00 a year which is 4 times the normal income of most americans. No bonuses, no stock options, no other compensation of any kind.

    You clearly have not a clue about what you are talking about. You keep mentioning about your college education…guess what, no one cares. ! If the college crowd was so smart how come this country is deeply in debt, things are falling apart and the so called educated elected officials lie about everything. A college education is worth spit today. I bet I could do your job just as well as you do without the education you have. I would like to see you take apart an automatic transmission or engine in a car and diagnose the problem and fix it with your college education. My bet is you couldn’t even begin the job no less finish it.

  30. Great ideas #28. That residency requirement for new hires limits who we can hire, but if it was changed to residency after one year of appointment we’d get a much broader range of qualified applicants going for these golden jobs with their multi-million dollar lifetime benefits. And let the Village fire people for incompetence. Now apparemtly the only way to get rid of a Village employee is to catch them stealing quarters. According to some former Village employees on this blog, the Engineering department where that thief was employed has cost taxpayers millions of dollars in DEP and other fines, lost quarters, and flooded fields and Village Hall that need to be repaired every time we get a super storm. Where is the accountability to taxpayers there ?

  31. Funny, the guy responsible for the biggest fines has a doctorate, the thief had a bachelors degree, and the village engineer is educated in civil engineering, so I guess a college education is no guarantee of competency. After all if you can get a sponsor you can take the sec test with a high school diploma, pass it and work as a stock trader. No matter how much you despise village employees, the tax problem in Ridgewood lies with the board education the budget there is higher than some of the total tax levy’s of some towns. Approximately 95 million dollars, ( ouch )


  32. Anonymous:

    I have a unique idea.
    Before anyone goes to college they have to work 3 years either in military service or in a laborer position so they can mature and learn how most americans live and earn their living. Then, after they go to college, they can only earn up to $250,000.00 a year which is 4 times the normal income of most americans. No bonuses, no stock options, no other compensation of any kind.
    You clearly have not a clue about what you are talking about. You keep mentioning about your college education…guess what, no one cares. ! If the college crowd was so smart how come this country is deeply in debt, things are falling apart and the so called educated elected officials lie about everything. A college education is worth spit today. I bet I could do your job just as well as you do without the education you have. I would like to see you take apart an automatic transmission or engine in a car and diagnose the problem and fix it with your college education. My bet is you couldn’t even begin the job no less finish it.

    Save the ‘working mans whining’. Nobody cares. If you don’t have the aptitude to get a higher education, then you have no one to blame but yourself. There’s a limit to what someone ‘is worth’ in the marketplace.
    Fact the facts. Once of these days some illegal alien is going to take your job for 12 bucks an hour, and do it with a smile, instead of bitching about how they ‘deserve’ more and ‘deserve’ to live in the town in which they are employed. Yes, someone has to dig ditches, but you’re not going to get 80 grand a year for it… unless you work for the dwindling number of positions available in the Village for UNSKILLED labor.
    And note to our new village manager: The Garden state parkway uses a private contractor (Creamer) to take care of the road. And I saw Sanzari doing the same on RT 80 the other day.
    Yes, we still have the good old NJ Dept of Transportation employees doing pot-hole patrol… the green trucks with 6 guys in them watching one guy do the work.

  33. #35 Any time you want to try to do mechanics work you let me know. I will even give you the simple work and go easy on you. You wouldn’t last one day. As for what you do for a living with your college education, you are going to be replaced by computers and you are going to end up working at a local Bank as a teller at $20.00 an hour while I will still be making $65.00 an hour fixing cars and trucks. I hope your envy eats you up inside. Only a fool looks down on others because the have an education and other don’t.

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