Calif. State Workers Protest Salary Database Publication

The Bee is not a PUBLICLY FUNDED ENTITY.

As a state employee in another state here are my thoughts. The Bee is sensationalizing to sell papers. How about the Bee posting all its employees names and salaries? Secondly if it really wants to be (pun intended) helpful they should post the salaries for competitive/equivalent private sector jobs. In my state we are about 20% under market share even including our "generous benefits and retirement." Silly me I took a large cut in pay to leave the private sector thinking I would make a difference. The papers in our state occasionally post salaries of state workers and print them in a special edition about every 5 years. However they (to date) have only done this for pay over a certain dollar amount. Last publication was those over $100k. What the Bee needs to focus on is the ability to obtain what we need to do the job the citizens want us to do. In the private sector if I needed something to do my job, equipment, supplies, etc. I would just make request. With the state if I need something to do the job the first question is do we have the budget for that, gas prices going up -- do we have the budget to have police on the road? And my favorite: end of budget cycle no money to buy paper for the printers! So maybe the Bee should report on those issues also.

And more power to those who are in CalPERS. From what is being published it is clear the state servants are underpaid. We need to pay more taxes immediately!!! We are cheap and greedy taxpayers. Enough. Share the wealth ....

Taxpayers believe they are directly paying for each and every government worker. In that light taxpayers believe they have the right to treat government workers with every disrespectful infringement upon their rights they can conceive. How trite of them, especially since governmnet workers are taxpayers, too!

I think it time for all State worker to boycott the Bee by ending their susbscription all on month of June.We show them who really is hurting..

I'm a current Calif State Employee who's info is in the database. A couple points... First, it's all public record. As stated in the article, anyone who wants the info can easily obtain it online. Second, the database shows the agency one works for, not the work location as in an address. As most state agencies have employees in multiple locations throughout the state, its a bit deceiving to suggest that location info is a safety issue. That's not the case. Again, if someone wants to track me down, they'll have no problem finding me regardless of the database.

No, but if he buys STOCK in your company(like a taxpayer ownes stock in the government) He certainly is entitled to know your wage. Its published in the annual shareholders report! YOU WORK FOR THE TAXPAYER JUST LIKE THE CORPORATION WORKS FOR THE INVESTOR!

As a woman who left a violent relationship and moved to another city, I am ever so annoyed that I can be found so easily by my ex. All I can say is thank you very much. That said, the salary that is listed for me is quite a bit more than I make. I find that very entertaining.

Now that this information is posted for State Workers, when is the database for Federal, County, and City workers going to be published in your highly defended "public service" database site. I'd like to check out the salary of my ex-wife who is claimng poverty and wants more child support.

AMEN!

Salaries yes. Names no! Unless you are an elected or appointed public official.

You forget that state employees pay taxes also. Does this make us self-employed? A state emplyee's name is not state property. The position and salary is. The employee's name is personal; publishing names makes it personal.

I am a current State employee, and I appear on this database. I would like to go on the record as one of the few State employees in favor of the Bee's database. I believe that it is vitally important that the public have access to information such as this, and encourage the Bee, or any other news organization, to continue enusring that the public has information at its disposal. I am proud of the work I do, and not ashamed of my salary (perhaps because it is lower than market conditions outside of government arenas). I was not forced to become a State employee, but made the decision myself, knowing full well that my information would be, and should be, available for public review. And as a side note to those current State employees posting comments against the Bee and its database, I would only mention that you aren't helping your case any by using horrible grammar, nonsensical sentences, and misuse of the English language overall.

taxpayers have the right to know who they are paying and how much..It's part of accountability

I am a state employee and most of the state employees I know have no problem with publishing salaries of positions without identifying individuals. In this day of identity theft and idiots shooting up government buildings; it is dangerous to publish names and locations. Some taxpayers seem to regard public employees as a sub class of slaves just because they are paid with tax dollars. Being a taxpayer doesn't buy you the right to know all personnal information. I'm a taxpayer too and I say the vast majority of public employees are hard working and under paid in an understaffed agency or department (despite the myth). The same guy who does all he can to avoid paying taxes, begrudges a liveable income to people who work for government . As for those "benefits" some grumble about; in most states they exist to attract workers. Otheriwise. low wages and slow pay increases would result in few willing to work for the taxpayer. It amazes me how many taxpayers want the government to do everything for them but are not willing to ante up the dollars to do it.

I'm a former California State Worker and this information was regularly published in the newspaper that covers government activities. My memory was that the first time my info. was published I was shocked but the next thing I did was see how much other people I knew were making. I suspect that is what people are doing with this new online database. I find it strange that people consider information online so much more revealing than when it was printed. Or perhaps, people don't read except online now. If state workers want this to change, well they need to change the law.

So if an individual buys the product or service your company sells, they have the right to know your salary, work location, etc. as well? After all, they're paying your salary based on your logic.

It's sad that SEIU Local 1000 is getting a free pass by complaining about posting of salaries by the Sacramento Bee. Local 1000 has the worst state contract of any state employees union in California, even though they are the largest. In fact, the Bee headline announcing its database of state salaries included this phrase: "Rank and File left behing in boom." Readers of a government technology magazine also ought to be aware that the leadership of Local 1000 has fought to prevent the creation of a new bargaining unit for the thousands of state I.T. professionals.

Perhaps you are not familiar with public disclosure laws. If you don't like the law change it. If I was a less curious person I would wonder if you have anything to hide.

Since there is no news value in providing the public with the names of State Workers, one would have to wonder if the Bee is 'stirring the pot' as a ploy for publicity. It is this type of irresponsible reporting that has lead many readers to seek real news from sources with integrity. As a union president for a local law enforcement union I encourage my members to look to other sources for their news and entertainment.

Sacramento Bee, please publish the names and salaries of the writers, editors, and executives who were involved in this decision.

Maybe it takes all state workers boycotting the Bee to get their attention.

Sir, Would you leave your name, address, where you work and you salary for this past year? Thanks, State worker

The publication of welfare recipients names are not published because we tolerate it. Contrary to popular belief this is still a democracy and when we vote and see the "incumbent" listed beside a candidate's name simply choose the other name. If everyone does this enough our elected officials will finally get the message, do the will of the people or you will not get re-elected.

In New Jersey, this information has been available to residents for about a year and a half in two separate newspaper websites, the Star-Ledger and the Asbury Park Press. I have not heard of any organized protest, even though most state workers are represented by a union. As a state worker, I realize that this information is available publicly anyway, so I didn't object very strenuously. What did I do when I found out it was published? Looked up all the people who work for the state I could think of! Information is a powerful thing; it can be dangerous but if the information is already public, I say, quit your whining.

As a State employee ... this is nothing new. State employees are underpaid, for the knowledge and experience they must have. When State jobs change (such as new technology or no secretaries -- do your own typing, filing, mailing, keep with the State rules, regulations, etc.) you have to do all that you did, plus, don't hire staff to replace staff retiring, etc. State employees do not get a raise, they got/get more and more piled on them. Post all information about everyones salary -- all publicly held businesses, too. It is funny that those who consider themselves above the law are the ones who abuse everything.

If public service is the reason; Why not publish all salaries from the IRS and State Tax agencies (e.g., FTB)? . I'm sure the IRS and FTB agents would have a field day.

When are you going to understand. You are a PUBLIC employee. Your salary is PUBLIC information because I pay your salary. It is my right to know. Sheeesh!

Because publishing the property owner's name is specifically prohibited by law. You knew that or you wouldn't have brought it up. Be honest if you're going to post here.

You'd leave but you're married to that "million-dollar" CalPERS pension. NO ONE in the private sector gets that. But you do.

The bee's (I won't capitalize the paper's name, because they don't earn the respect to be referred to properly) excuse that they're doing it as "a public service," is a bunch of nonsense. Don't insult the public's intelligience by fawning that tired, old line of reasoning. They've gotten exactly what they wanted. Cheap publicity, not from doing any hard investigative reporting about a real issue, but by picking on a safe victim, someone they know they won't have to worry about catching heat for picking on. The bee knows that government workers are generally perceived by the overall tax-paying public as lazy bums eating at the public trough. It's been said time and time again and bears repeating. All the bee had to do, was publish position titles and their salary ranges. If their argument is that it is a public record that everyone can already see, than it is available in public records, and therefore, furthers my argument that the bee didn't need to do this to "provide a service" to the public. That public service is already provided. But then what would you expect from the only paper in the 20th largest market in the country, whose circulation continues to decline every year.

It is not Sacramento Bee fault. It is how we defined freedom in our country. We need to redefine the meaning of freedom, privacy and family value. If it is ok for state employee info to be publish then any employee (private City or county or Federal) in USA or CA should be public record and we should have access to it.

Then why aren't welfare records public? Why do we shield those who leech public funds from scrutiny, but the working class is held up for ridicule?

What this database leaves out is all the overpaid contract employees. The California Department of Public Health avoids creating new positions by "contracting" employees from UC Davis. These overpaid, underqualified "temps" make nearly 100K a year, while doing the work of an entry-level analyst. This "temporary" fix was supposed to last a year, but is now in its third and fourth year. Why are these hidden? Where are they in the database?

If it's all public, then how about EDD (unemployment) payments, and welfare and food stamp payments? Why pick on the working class?

Stay with the state job - remember that the radio dj's ... raise a ruckus on anything and some are legit - but outing an employees info is wrong - although you will notice they never talk about state senators and representatives - their salaries and perks which the normal civil service employee doesn't get - how about the judges who get paid over 100k and are in the state pension system but don't pay into it nor do they have to work as long as normal civil service employees to get a full pension - stick with the job you do well - remember these dj's get replaced every couple of years - unless they do an outstatnding job -

Public records are public records and government employees and their salaries, among other things, are public records. And you're right, it is because the "Bee" made this data easier to find the information. To what I suspect may be the meat of the subject, why this data? Publishing the data is one thing, but what possible reason would there be to pinpoint the employees work location? Tell me how that benefits "the public." "Upon further review" by the Bee it was noted they only printed information that was available from other public sources. This good. SO now we all know the "Bee's" standard. If it's "public sourced" anywhere on planet earth it's fair game (as we see it of course). This is simply another bonehead, legal, but thoughless act by a generation of media leadership that have no grace, no thoughtfulness, no compassion and remarkably fewer and fewer subscribers.

As state employees, we are also taxpayers and even more so. If our information should become public, then all of the private sectors employees should become public records.

This happened to West Virginia state employees a year ago -- what people don't notice is how pitifully low some of the pay scales are -- all I can say is "good luck" !

In NJ, various papers have published similar databases. As a state employee, I have become subject to such invasions of privacy. This information is rarely used for good reason it only seems to be used by the public to heap slurs upon state employees. Our states biggest radio station, spends precious air time going over individuals salaries and then commenting that public employees do not work enough, even though they have not worked in the public sector. I would very much like to get out of the public sector so I can have some respect for the work I do.

Well, let's make it all public then. Let's publish the City, County, College and Schools salaries along with the names of those employed there. We can dig even deeper and publish all of Sacramento County's PUBLIC RECORDS and air everyones trash too. Even if you go out to the County Assessor's page and look up an address or plot, you don't get the person's name

The exact same thing happened with the State of Michigan and a local newspaper. Why can't these salary databases be published by position or classification instead of by name? It still provides the information that the newspapers want to publish without invading the privacy of the public servants.

If your a government employee..whether state or federal, your salary is a matter of public record. Since your employment is on my dime (taxes, fees, etc..) I have the right to know who gets paid what. The reason you're ticked off is that the Bee made it easier to find this information.