Presidents Have To Share A Holiday, But MASS. State Workers Score On Two Bogus Days Off
- Posted on February 20, 2011 at 9:13pm by
Mike Opelka
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The word of the day is “Kakistocracy” — government by the worst persons; a form of government in which the worst persons are in power.
45 of the 50 states (90% of the country), and the District of Columbia are facing massive budget shortfalls in the coming year. How do we get into a situation where 90% of the states in our Union are teetering on financial insolvency? KAKISTOCRACY. The worst people end up in charge and are not willing to do the difficult things needed to right the situation.
Massachusetts like many states, is trying to climb out of this long recession but they face a budget shortfall for the coming year of over two billion dollars. A couple of billion may not sound like much when compared to states like California and Illinois with their staggering $25 and $15 billion dollar shortfalls, but it is. And they have no one to blame but themselves when they do dumb things like create fake holidays, mandate that offices be reasonably staffed, thereby granting union workers a padded paycheck.
It all started when the State of Massachusetts granted holiday status to “Evacuation Day” and “Bunker Hill Day. ” Forcing them to pay millions of dollars to 7200+ union employees and compensate non-union workers who show up on those days with two “floating holidays.”
Bunker HIll by HowardPyle
For the record, Bunker Hill Day is June 17th, it marked a key shift in the Revolutionary War, and “Evacuation Day” is March 17th (St. Patrick’s Day), it commemorates the day the British retreated from Boston to Nova Scotia. Two historical battles, that happened less than a year apart and basically marking the same thing – the colonists showing they can beat the British. Do we really need two separate days of celebration for basically the same thing? And let us not forget that every third Monday in April, Massachusetts is “Patriots’ Day,” a nod to the opening battles of the Revolutionary War and a good day for a marathon.
Massachusetts has three separate state holidays all based around the war that gave America her freedom from the British. Doesn’t that seem a bit excessive? Especially when George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are now forced to share one day, Presidents Day. Considering the financial crisis that threatens the jobs of teachers, police and firefighters if draconian cuts need to be made, the state needs a dose of efficiency.
Last summer there was an actual debate addressing the cost of these holidays that virtually no business celebrates, but nothing changed. The Boston Herald reported;
Gov. Deval Patrick and Beacon Hill lawmakers yesterday engaged in a fit of finger-pointing over the legislation last summer that retained the two controversial holidays while also requiring state and municipal offices in Boston, Revere, Winthrop and Chelsea to stay open and “appropriately staffed.”
“The speaker and the Senate president were the ones who helped shepherd this through,” said Alex Zaroulis, spokeswoman for the Governor’s Executive Office for Administration and Finance. “The governor proposed actually eliminating these holidays.”
Here’s a suggestion for Gov. Patrick and the Beacon Hill gang, follow the lead of the Federal Government, do the Presidents Day thing, combine all of these days into one special day commemorating the vital contributions made by Massachusetts in the early days of the Revolutionary War. Fold them all into Patriots’ Day, you will save millions each year, possibly billions in the long run. And you will lose the smell of Kakistocracy.
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Comments (69)
Bermuda Onion
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 8:35amFrom a state (my state) that fought for freedom from tyranny and the king. What a shame Mass has become a socialist state where every thing seems to be regulated. I bet Paul Revere and those that started the whole revolution wish they were riding again to rid this state from the tyrannical laws and king Deval Patrick.
Report Post »bigdeg
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 8:17amWell, these people should have voted in Christine O”donnel!!!
Report Post »Bermuda Onion
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 8:36amWrong state!
Report Post »wash1776
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 8:06amAnyone want to bet that the Mass. speaker and president of their senate are backed by the unions in that state. This whole country is now a Kakistocracy with traitor Obama leading the charge. He is and will be the worst presicent this country has ever had. He is evil!
Report Post »Sister_Mary
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 7:55am“wolverines” !!!!!
Report Post »Boojer56
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 7:54amI am in the Market for a new truck non union made I found a list of vehicles made by unions and its put out by the UAW
Report Post »http://www.pricewheels.com/blog/2009/09/27/uaw-releases-list-of-2010-union-made-cars-and-trucks/
dpselfe
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 7:36amGee, St. Patrick’s Day in Boston. There‘s a stretch to figure out why that’s a holiday. One trip to “Southy” on that day would tell you it’s hardly about beating the British, unless they beat them with bottles of Guiness. They want to make up the budget deficit in MA? Just add a few more DUI checkpoints on the roads leading in and out of the city.
Report Post »As for Patriot’s Day, it’s the day they have the Boston Marathon. I’d be glad not to have to drive to work that day.
June 17th? Should be re-named “Breed’s Hill” to be more accurate…..just sayin’
lljem60
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 7:24amEverybody needs to make the sacrifice. No one should be exempt from having to take a cut. Ouit the whining and being selfish. If something is not done, there will BE NO MONEY FOR ANYONE! What part of BROKE do people not understand?
Report Post »cor18076
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:55amOk…we get rid of unions or OSHA….
Report Post »piper60
Posted on February 22, 2011 at 7:38pmI don’t think getting rid of unions will do it. Getting rid of the Dept of Ed would be of more help with budgets,etc.
Report Post »piper60
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 5:49amYes, there are 3 days commemorating the same thing. Four, if you include the 4th of July. Would you suggest our not celebrating that day in the name of efficiency as well? I‘m surprised that they don’t move the 4th to a MONDAY for govt efficiancy as well. When it comes to budget woes, holidays are the Least of our worries. They should, if they were truly worried about a shortfall, repeal the individual health insurance mandate.
Report Post »justice
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 5:32amThe Teachers in my State of Ohio are constintly off. They were boo-hooing they only got 2 Gov’t snow days this year and have to make up 1 week of their summer. And next year they get none. They have to work less than 9 months out of year including just about every holiday and complain they need the break. Give us the taxpayer a break.
Report Post »bhscpa
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 11:53amFellow Ohioan here. We’re waiting for our turn to try to tame public sector unions. We need to be a Right To Work state too. Governor Kasich – we are counting on you. Unions have way too much power thanks to the NLRB and liberal lawmakers. We need a national Right To Work law!
Report Post »SilentReader
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 2:28amLet’s hope that they are not standing in line for a bailout, like California, because it’s not coming. We will adamantly oppose bailing out any state. That would be rewarding bad behavior. If you have children you know what the outcome of that is. More of the same.
Sorry Massachusetts. You’re going to have to clean up your own miserable mess.
All failed states are kakistocracies and all kakistocracies are made up of Liberals. All failed states are ruled by Liberals.
Report Post »mrmikejohnson
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 1:22amWatch the movie “Idiocracy”. It’s all coming true. President Camacho is ruining the country.
Report Post »Kurty C Wipe
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 1:08amLet Howard Dean, Larry O, can’t forget Ed, and the rest of the Socialists that love unions pay for them. Christ, just let the DNC cover all freebies that come with getting a public job. DNC would be as broke as the country is with no money left to shovel into the cesspool called Washington DC selling “change”. The unions are the last thread the DNC has. I say give them all the contracts they want, and then lay’em all off. Sub contract, enough Americans would take their job tomorrow. Broke is broke. Flat tax, term limits now, cut the IRS in half!
Report Post »miles from nowhere
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 11:37pmThis is an excellent example of Unions=entitlement free loader
Report Post »Progressivehater
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 11:05pmSorry to say but I live in Mass. The past 3 speakers of the house have been removed from office due to criminal activity on their part. The 4th is on trial now. The govenor is a mirror image of his best buddy odumbo. The speeches that they give are almost word for word. Chaos will be starting here in the near future because all the libs don’t get what is going on in this country. The progressives know what is going on and it’s what they want to happen. Destroy this country ala Cloward and Piven. I love my house and my neighborhood but this state sucks politically.
Report Post »Moment of Clarity
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 4:03amI am IMPRESSED! A fellow progressive hater from one of the most (if not the most) liberal states in the Union (Union = USA). We are a rare and brave breed, aren’t we, living in that nest of liberal vipers? It always annoyed me that my buddy who works for the MWRA got those extra days off with pay while I did the 128 shuffle.
Report Post »betsea ross
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 10:56amHello- I too live in Mass. love my home and neighborhood- the mindset of the majority here is so depressing though! All the chickens waiting for more chicken feed from the Gov’t!
Report Post »banjarmon
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 10:00pmAlmost all jobs in the government sector are useless. case in point– the lawmakers make up new laws just to try to look busy and justify their work so they can get a yearly pay check. They should be able to do their work in TWO weeks out of the year and spend the rest of the time in their own state, working a real job.
Does mrs potus really need all the people in her staff to have a Holiday with them?
Report Post »blueracer
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 3:44amI have always said that there is no law that says you MUST enact NEW LAWS. We hae too many laws now and a lot of them are in conflict with each other
Report Post »kc2egl
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 9:47pmHow about a holiday celebrating Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Jim Quinn and Rose Tennant”s birthday’s. A seperate one for each. And only those of us on the ‘Right’ are allowed to have it off with pay.
Report Post »Gabby Johnson
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 10:02pmAmen, KC.
Report Post »etetetet
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 9:41pmIn France – On top of the MINIMUM five weeks paid vacation (average is almost 8 weeks vacation), there are another dozen public holidays, and a maximum 35-hour work week, with no paid overtime allowed. Managers who work more than 35 hours a week, get more time off.
“The so-called 35-hour work week gives us 22 more days a year,” says one French Manager.
Frances External debt has gone from 2.8 Trillion (US) in 2006 to a little over 5.0 Trillion (US) in 2010.
Gee – I wonder why – uh – doooeee – we still have bills but, nobody is working any longer to pay them.
Report Post »What a concept.
You will reap what you sow.
Gonzo
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 9:59pmToo bad you can’t use common sense to argue with liberals.
Report Post »2bheard
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 9:33pmI love unions who wants to start a protesters union? Let them pay to protest just an idea that im kicking around
Report Post »WHITE LOTUS2x
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 10:49pm2bheard: I think you are too late, think they already have the corner on that one.
Report Post »power_cord
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 9:30pmI think we should have a federal holiday called LUNISTOCRACY so everyone can take the day off and get paid so we can all gather together and commiserate about the lunacy we suffering through at the hands of the loons in charge. We can also celebrate things like $500 toilet seats, an porous border and an unstable Middle East amongst other things that make the majority of us go “hhhmmm”. Nope, this has nothing to do with the moon.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 9:26pmGet to work lazy, unproductive government/union workers. Real CHANGE is coming.
Report Post »82dAirborne
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 9:25pmNope! Nothing wrong with our country. Everything is just fine. Hell, all the entitlement programs fully funded – Right Sen. Reid????
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 9:24pmWow, maybe with all those holidays, they could learn to spend less. But a few extra days off is not enough incintive to ever get me to move to a communist state.
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 9:23pmHow about 4/15 of every year be a TEA Party day in Mass ?
Report Post »NickDeringer
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 9:25pmThis could be done. Let’s chat it up on social media.
Report Post »Smokey_Bojangles
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 10:01pmThen Everyone can go to work To Pay Taxes.
Report Post »WHITE LOTUS2x
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 10:59pmcheez: Why not trash all the hollidays but leave Easter, Thanksgiving , Christmas and Independence Day. Valentines Day and ST.Patricks Day and Ground Hog Day could stay because the mail will be delivered and everyone goes to work as usual. Nothing personal, thats just my favorite Hollidays.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 11:13pm@SHOWTIME
Let’s go National .. make APRIL 15th the day we defund the IRS and get a flat/fair tax. TAX FREEDOM DAY … TEA!
Report Post »heavyduty
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 9:22pmAnother reason for UNIONS to go away.
Report Post »cnsrvtvj
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 9:27pm@heavyduty – I couldn’t have put it better myself. This is all the more reason why Scott Walker needs to stick to his guns.
http://www.donsmithshow.com – see the time for choosinng video
Report Post »Cobra Blue
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 9:32pmIn the future when all the dust clears, we will establish a new holiday, “THE DAY THE UNIONS DIED.”
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 9:35pmAnd you will lose the smell of Kakistocracy.
Report Post »—-
That smell , thats the smell of Cacastrocracy
13th Imam
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 9:49pmWonder what side of the fence Scott Brown will fall on?
Report Post »joseph Fawcett
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 9:50pmI just don’t understand why or how these things could have gotten as out of hand as they have without the goverment doing something reasonable to stop it. Commonsense, is commonsense!!! Now the union people. I say if they continue to protest then fire them all as ingrates and start fresh with new employees and block any attempt to have the unions involved at all!! If they don’t see the commonsense to everything that is happening then let them all lose their jobs, period end of discussion!
http://www.josephfawcettart.com western artist
Report Post »etetetet
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 9:53pmHey TOWER – next time just paste the link you copied this from – how do we know you copied it – because you could not possibly type that fast, with no typos in that format in the short amount of time the first comment hit. So quit trying to take real Blazers space away unless it’s a lot shorter comment – you are a troll -
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 10:02pm@Cobra Blue
That reminded me of Don Mclean’s “American Pie.”
“But, February made me shiver with every paper I’d deliver
Bad news on the doorstep – I couldn’t take one more step
I can’t remember if I cried when I read about his widowed bride
Something touched me deep inside the day the music died.”
Except I was thinking, “the day THE UNIONS DIED.”
“What a wonderful world this would be!”
Report Post »mcfinch
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 10:15pmAnother reason is right they should and will be abolished one day hopefully.
http://politicalbowl.com – Political Videos
Report Post »kryptonite
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 10:38pmIf the T-Wannabe (T stands for tyrant) gets his wish, there will be an Obama Day to celebrate his idiocracy. All (other) patriotic holidays will disappear, but we’ll still be more broke. That’s because we are moving fast from a kakistocracy to an autocracy.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 11:07pmThey are just trying to get their “right” to never have to work a day and receive not only a wage higher than private sector but lifetime taxpayer paid retirement and health insurance. Every year add a few more vacation days .. year after year….
BTW .. I thought July 4th “celebrated” whipping the British…. they need more days?
ENOUGH!
Report Post »constitutionparty
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 7:04amit is not just the Unions that are the problem. Until politicians start spending money like it was their own we will always have these financial problems. Using taxpayer money to buy votes is a recipe for disaster.
Report Post »Cobra Blue
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 7:39amShowTime
I like that…Kudos to ya.
Report Post »Boojer56
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 7:45amExactly. If they go away we might get out manufacturing base back from overseas.
Report Post »912828Buckeye
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 7:53am@ Constitution …. HERE HERE.
Report Post »When you have to pay union dues as a condition of employment
and the union uses your dues to support an agenda that you
don’t support it can be very frustrating. I believe the heart of the
problem is power hungry corrupt people in government and the unions.
Scorchem
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 9:01amAgree! One holiday is enough, don’t need to mandate giving away money, unions are a money sponge.
Report Post »independentvoteril
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 9:41amMany PRIVATE companies give some of these days off also.. Shame is the DAY AFTER St. Patties day should be the holiday since all the hung over workers aren’t producing much anyway..LOL.. However.. days off for PUBLIC schools have increased over the years.. such as they have TEACHERS INSTITUTE DAYS this is where the kids are OFF and the teachers do their paperwork and visit..1/2 days for the kids so the teachers can meet with the parents something that USE to be done in the evening.. Private schools use to have MORE days off than PUBLIC schools and at different times NOW the Public schools have kept their original days off AND added the one PRIVATE schools have..this trickled down to all PUBLIC workers..which days they have off are up to the contract and UNIONS.. PLEASE QUIT yelling it was the UNIONS that caused all this we have to take RESPONSIBILITY that WE allowed OUR employees (Politicians) to SIGN these contracts..when it comes down to it on PUBLIC UNIONS it’s WE the people who PAY them.. It would be interesting to find out just WHO signed these contracts.. and WHEN.. Working for a private company has benefits.. you can choose to work for one that matches your values.. I worked for a Christian/American we got things like GOOD FRIDAY.. MEMORIAL DAY, 4TH OF JULY, LABOR DAY..THANKSGIVING AND THE FRIDAY AFTER.. CHRISTMAS EVE AND DAY.. NEW YEARS EVE AND DAY.. all the rest were WORK DAYS.. we showed up or didn’t get paid unless we took a vacation day.. Our shop and warehouse were union.. (private sector).. and they got the SAME days off we did and the same rules.. That is the DIFFERENCE between PRIVATE sector unions and PUBLIC unions.. I’M waiting for them to make Cinco De Mayo a legal holiday in the Public sector..
Report Post »watchtheotherhand
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 12:47pmLet me play “devil’s advocate here for a minute just to raise a point. When unions originally started they did do some good in protecting workers from employer abuses (greed motivated) that I think most fair minded people would have been opposed to. And through the course of time the Unions have somewhat morphed into what they initially set out to counter (namely they themselves have become corrupt and greedy to the point they are oppressive…..all political agendas aside for a moment). I too want to see them brought to their proverbial knees. However, if they were to be totally eliminated it wouldn’t be too long before injustices were seen from the employers again as the pendulum would swing back the other way. My reasoning is that sinful human nature is such that as people or groups gain power or leverage they will take advantage of others (power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely). That is why our founding fathers placed so many checks and balances into our form of government, they understood this principle. The best way to keep corrupt people from seeking positions of power whether it be in big business or in big unions is to keep the power base diluted not eliminate one or the other. Just my thinking wonder what thoughts others may have on this issue? Please don’t misunderstand me I hope the WI union takes a beating….they need to be cut down to size.
Report Post »PubliusPencilman
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 3:24pmWow. This is an incredibly stupid article. Being from Massachusetts, let me try to explain these holidays. First of all, the three holidays mentioned are only officially celebrated in one county: Suffolk County (Boston). Secondly, Evacuation Day has been a holiday in MA for over 100 years, so this is nothing new. Also, many private businesses are closed on these days, and the ones that are open benefit greatly.
Evacuation Day is in fact on St. Patrick’s Day, which, as you may guess, is a big thing in Boston. While giving people a holiday may seem fiscally irresponsible, not only is the parade an important part of Boston’s culture, but local businesses make a killing (well, mostly bars!). Great for the Boston economy.
Same thing with Patriot’s Day–locals and tourists spend the day in the city to see the Boston Marathon, a huge boon to the city economy. Plus, traffic is severely snarled because of the marathon route, so commuting would be a disaster anyway.
Bunker Hill Day is perhaps less important, but still integral to the cities culture and the three day weekend, like with the other holidays, works wonders for local businesses.
I am a little amazed that The Blaze seems to generating it’s own content for once on this one–I just wish they would pick a writer who had some idea of what he was talking about.
Report Post »Melissa1234
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 3:50pmI live and work in Massachusetts, I am not a state employee. The state employees here have a holiday in every month except August. I wish our Governor had the backbone that the Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has. This state would benefit greatly from what Gov. Walker is trying to do. I have yet to hear a good reason why I should have to help fund (as a taxpayer) for 7200 (estimated) full lifetime pensions while trying to live off my own pay and establish my own retirement. When they don’t contribute any toward it themselves.
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