http://www.r8ny.com/blog/larry_littlefield/local_government_employment_payroll_in_2007_nyc_vs_some_big_and_prosperous_places.html

Included is data on all local government employees put together, which adjusts for the varying structure of government. Most of the work of government is done by local government or the private sector (ie. health care) even if paid for by the state and federal governments.

I compiled this data in the spreadsheet attached to this post, which is focused on New York, my main concern. The post includes detailed information on the methodology; the data includes some counties in California that I sought to compare with New York.

http://www.r8ny.com/blog/larry_littlefield/2007_census_of_governments_local_government_employment_and_payroll_data.html

In this post, I produced a spreadsheet specifically for California, where I know some people, showing how the state’s local government employment and payroll per employee actually compare.

My take — California’s governments are not overstaffed, but its public employees are paid more than those elsewhere, even with some adjustment for the cost of living.

My analysis of Census Bureau finance data shows that California used to have among the lowest education spending as a share of its residents’ income in the country in the wake of Prop 13. Later education spending rose to an average amount relative to income, but with borrowed money because Californians didn’t want to pay for it. Pensions were also enhanced, and underfunded.

The problem, which is a problem for the U.S. generally, is not “spending” now. It is PAYING now for spending THEN, with younger generations the loser and Generation Greed the winner.

Of course you might pull the old right-wing flim-flam: Cut the wages and benefits and then say “Ooops, we’ve decided not to increase the number of workers after all.

Haven’t seen whether or not we pay them “way” more than other states; although the cost of living is higher here than in many other states.

And Larry, Welcome back. I missed your impeccable logic. Because I said that California does not have the largest bureaucracy in the country, you accuse me of saying there are no fiscal problems in California. I said no such thing.

California does have serious fiscal problems for many reasons, including corporate tax breaks, reduction in the tax rate far below the 10-11 percent under the Wilson Administration, the arbitrary cut in the vehicle license fee, our failure to tax oil production, etc.

So, StevefromSacto, how about cutting government employees’ wages and benefits by 20%, so we can increase the overall number of such employees by 20%?

— John Seiler