Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009 | 4:37 p.m.
That's how Jon translated police union veteran David Kallas' description ("anatomy envy") of the effort by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce to bring government salaries and benefits in line with the private sector. Studies by the Chamber reveal Nevada's average government worker makes $47,450 a year while a private sector employee is paid an average of $37,040 a year, and the state's public retirement benefits rank among the most generous in the nation. Nevada, it should be noted, also employs fewer government workers per capita than other states.
Unfunded pension liabilities are an issue in many states and clearly need to be addressed.
The question in my mind, and Jon asks it... is does a private sector which is increasingly dependent on taxpayers to stay afloat have the moral authority to tell government how to operate?
If you're interested in seeing how employees of the non-profit Chamber are compensated, check out the last page of the Chamber's 2006 tax return. The salary for the average Nevada worker, private or public sector, pales in comparison.
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