LOL, good professional state workers? WHERE? There are people much more qualified then over 70% of the state administrative employees in jobs making $30,000 if they are lucky and paying 30 percent of their premiums. Go ahead and lose the "professional workers" because there are many of us who would love a cushy state job that have much more professionalism and experience then the current employees.

fire a few dozen state employees -your not irreplaceable in this economy - like the sgt. lets see if he can find a job at that pay in this economy -get real maine! 50 percent of healthcare share is more like it.

They don't get it....They have better benefits than the private sector and early retirement opportunities and retiree health insurance etc... it cannot be sustained by maine workers.....if they don't want to share the cuts then some have to go...bottom line

RE: OPINIONATED

YOU WANT TO BE PROFESSIONAL AND HAVE A CUSHY STATE JOB MAINE STATE PRISON IS ALWAY HIRING GOOD LUCK IN YOUR NEW CAREER

YOU'LL NEED IT IN THERE

Why not have all employees that are eligible for health insurance coverage pay a portion, not just those making more than 50,000 or 90,000? I think the idea that asking the employee to pay for part of the coverage would weaken the job offer. What a crock of crap. You either pay for the coverage or opt out. That is what employees at my employer need to do. Where in the rulebook does it say that all state employees must have health insurance coverage? The employee at my job that has to opt out because the cost is prohibitive funds a state employee's coverage. This whole topic makes me boil!

100% health care paid, must be nice.

It is.

Just lay off 20% of the excess state workers we have now and then the remaining employees can continue living in fantasyland!

What about deductables and co-pays?

What about deductables and co-pays?

If Irene Chandleris offended that she is going to be required to pay some towards her cadillac insurance policy, then she should pursue that job in the private sector to which she refers....good luck finding one and particularly ONE THAT PAYS FULL HEALTH INSURANCE! I hope these two who were interviewed go back and read their quotes and realize their whining is a bit hard to take for those of us who pay for health nsurance.

Granted state employees provide valuable services to citizens, but they seem to have the attitude that they are sacrificing their talents by working for the state. Then do something else.

There are people in this state - struggling to get by - many without insurance at all because they can't afford it - yet they pay taxes to support the state employees FULL COVERAGE.

Wake up - this is not a UNION issue...and the true test is what the D's will do. They love their UNIONS and in the past have been hardpressed to do anything that upsets that apple cart.

"There are people in this state - struggling to get by - many without insurance at all because they can't afford it - yet they pay taxes to support the state employees FULL COVERAGE. " THEY pay taxes? WE State employees pay taxes, too.

Well, now I would like to add my opinion, I think that what the State Workers that work for the Food Stamp, Maine Care, and other needs based programs should be getting alot more than health insurance for no cost, and for the record the health insurance does cost something to the State workers who have families, which I would almost bet is most of them. These workers get abused by the clientele that they serve everyday, and the ones doing the majority of the complaining and abusing are the ones who are frauding the system. Mabye some of the "conscious" public should make more of an attempt to turn in the ones that are commiting fraud, and help the system recoup some of the expense that goes with commiting the fraud, then the funds would be in the budget for more people to have health care at a very reasonable cost. The State workers I have had the pleasure of dealing with are so overwhelmed with applications, nasty applicants, and threats against them that for them to keep the job and continue to help the recipients of the benefits is a major thing to me. They do not get paid nearly enough to handle what they have to handle every day. So, opionated go apply for a job at the State Prison, but know this they will do a background check and, it is only a guess on my part, that you would not pass that. And for the others that think that the State workers have a coushy job, the ones that work for the Governor may have coushy jobs and excellent pay, but for the rest, you should do some serious fact finding before you spew the nasy comments around. And for the record alot of employers don't offer health insurance because that would take away from their profits going into their pockets so they can buy nice big houses, and expensive cars and not have to worry about where the next meal is coming from for their children and themselves. As I have stated before, IF YOU DON'T LIKE HOW THE STATE OF MAINE IS MOVE TO SOME OTHER STATE, AND QUIT COMPLAINIG ABOUT MAINE. But, I would again bet that they ones complaining are here because maine is the "easiest" state to get benefits in according to everyone I have ever talked to . So, quit complaining, get off your duff and do something to help out.

It is not the STATE that pays the full boat healthcare, vacation pay, matching savings plans and retirement for state employees. It's US TAXPAYERS, who have to pay OUR full boat vacation pay, retirement, take vacations for NO PAY. How many of us does it take to support ONE state employee at, say, $50,000.00 per year with all the bennies?? How many of us, with a family of 4, both parents working, paying daycare? And someone's asking that the state employees kick in FIVE lousy percent?

Back in the 60's, Ma didn't HAVE to work. Then our Government decided, clearly, that "hey, we've got another source of potential tax income here." Like boiling a frog, the change came slowly and us frogs didn't see it. Now MSEA has us pretty well cooked. Now, BOTH parents generally have to work to survive. And government employees reap the benefits. I WANT A GOVERNMENT JOB. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO WORK UNTIL I'M 70 ONLY TO DIE PENNYLESS. Just because government employees have been convicned that they somehow deserve it.

No wonder there's such a HUGE underground economy in Maine. Many, MANY people couldn't afford to survive.

Musician, I feel for you and your fellow state employees, however, the State is broke and there are no pockets out here left to pick, so I would guess it's time to share some of the pain. THERE IS NO MONEY!

I am getting tired of hearing and reading about how cushy state employees have it. You try having a job where you have to get abused verbally every day and be expected to take it. and as for free insurance, I don't call $200 per pay period free. You also have to consider that not all of the jobs in the state sector have equal hourly pay as they would if they were private. So, it all balances out. We may have better insurance (that we DO pay for) but some of the private jobs have better hourly pay.

I am getting tired of hearing and reading about how cushy state employees have it. You try having a job where you have to get abused verbally every day and be expected to take it. and as for free insurance, I don't call $200 per pay period free. You also have to consider that not all of the jobs in the state sector have equal hourly pay as they would if they were private. So, it all balances out. We may have better insurance (that we DO pay for) but some of the private jobs have better hourly pay.

Bangorean says, "I WANT A GOVERNMENT JOB". Well, apply then! Many years ago, I wanted one, too, I applied, and was hired.

Also, when some folks find out that a background investigation and a polygraph examination are required for some government positions, they decide that they are no longer interested.

Good comments, hardworkingmom!!!

I love the comment about "Cushy State Jobs". (from opinionated); if you read and accept that comment, you would have to believe that he is not one of those who voted in our current legislative body, and is not responsible for the current situation. (He's not a Mainer). But, no, this is a person who has no clue. If he was able to, and qualified to, he would be a state worker. But the long hours and low pay isn't attractive to the main stream, that's why he's not. As far as losing the professional workers, the next time you go to any of the services offered and accepted as nominal, and currently complained about, that we state workers perform, (registering your vehicle, state licensing, drivers license, plowing your highways, protecting you from the kind of crime statistics that plague most of America, protecting our children from abuse, your courts, your elder services, your public health, and so many more services that when they are no longer available because you're the one who got to 'fire' the ones you wanted, I'm sure you'd be the first one in line to complain. Perhaps you'd like to make everything automated and spend hours on hold pushing buttons? Stop complianing, and pitch in and help. Mainers don't complain, they act. Now the ball is in your court, either serve it, or the last time I heard, the highway to the south was still cleared of snow. You may feel free to use it at any time. Have a wonderful Maine day!

People complain about the State employees, but then they still expect the State to provide all the various services for them. It takes employees to do the work to provide these services!

and we do have deductibles and co-pays already

We'll all be working for the gummit soon, komrades.

Everybody must contribute to their health plan premiums. There should be no free rides in today's society. Get to work, pay your premiums like everyone else does. You are very, very fortunate that you only have to pay 5% of the cost. Healthcare workers don't get a deal like this because the state owes us so much money!!!! The state needs to stand stong and realize that people will not quit because of this. Studies demonstrate that 95% of employees will contribute and maintain their jobs. The other 5% is probably better off with your competitors, so share them. In other words, let the slugs leave. That includes the president of the state troopers union. Go work in the prvate sectors, bet you can't drive your car home! LOL!!!

Let the State employees pay some of thier benifits. if they think that they can do better working somewhere else let them leave and go there to work.

Maine employees may have good benefits but until you have sat behind the desk and had a client lunge at you with the intent to assault you, or until you have been hit, kicked, choked, bitten, had your hair pulled out, been spit on or groped against your will by the people you are paid to serve just stop bit-ching about the taxes you pay. Maine state employees also pay taxes and they also tolerate abuse at work almost daily while watching so many others abuse the system. Why not cut out some of the freebies being given to the tramps who push out multiple children that they can not support? Why spend money to overpopulate our state with welfare babies? or create yet another program to support drunks! now there is a great use of tax dollars! And supporting convicts, child molesters, rapists, thieves and robbers... if we can support these worthless people, we can surely support the state workers who tolerate the abuse so we don't have to because it is certain that when their backs are against the wall, the state will not take care of their own!

THANK YOU JOYJESSUN!

THUMBS UP TO JOYJESSUN!!!!

Joy, I hate to break this newsflash to you, but people who are employed in the private sector handle these situations which you describe as well. That is your job when working in the social service realm. Get used to it! There will always be crazy people and it is our job to handle these conflicts ethically and in good faith! State employees do not have an argument when it comes to contibutions for you healthcare premiums. We have been paying for the past 20 years so pull up your pants and get ready! You're in for the ride like the rest of us!

That's right, WE have been paying for the past 20 PLUS years!

Ok I read a bunch but just could not keep going without getting sick. State workers are not CUSHY jobs... but they are respectable jobs. Health insurance is not 100 percent paid for because for an individual there is a $200 deductable PLUS co-pays. State workers just like private sector workers have to work hard and deal with the same issues that everyone else has to deal with. I love my job... I struggle week to week to pay my bills just like everyone else... I have opted my husband off my insurance due to us not being able to afford it... I do have to pay rent, oil, lights, phone just like everyone else but I make too much to get HEAP or other assistance... I don't have cable, I don't have internet... I am grateful to have a job to come to every day and I am grateful to have health insurance available to me. I pay taxes just like everyone else. So until you walk a mile in my shoes please don't make blanket comments about how our benefits should be delivered. And for those saying "Cut jobs" ummm get real... that will only make you happy until you have to call us for something and there are not enough workers to get your claims, apps, support, business completed timely then it will be a whole different story... BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR....

I have no health insurace at all. I also am not on Mainecare. I pay out of pocket. Many people in the private sector have to pay sustantial portions of policies. State workers need not be exempt. I ,and many other taxpayers in Maine, pay state employee's health insurance, yet we have no health insurance ourselves. As for Sgt.Michael Edes of Maine State Troopers Association, he has had a 23 yr free ride for health insurance. If he gave up so much when he came to us....I can only say the pkg he received, must have had something in it for HIM. The small amounts being asked of more highly paid state employees toward THEIR Health Insurance is NOTHING. They all should have been paying all along anyhow. If they can get more in the private sector, which I doubt is broafly true, let them do it. Have you heard there are not that many good jobs in Maine?

I work i n the health care sector and I have to pay for my insurance, co pays, perscriptions,ect. so why should'nt state workers have to pay for thiers, It seems to me that if state workers were to pay for a portion of thier insurance just maybe the state could try to balance some of the budget.

But, let's keep paying the druggies mileage to drive to the methadone clinics for the regularly-scheduled fix!

The folks making 40,000 a year should be paying health insurance premiums lets not exclude them. there are many people in the state of Maine that would love to make 40 grand a year.

Oh, if only we had a Lee Iacocca as governor: "State employees, if you can find a better deal, TAKE IT."

It seems that there is a lot of talk going both ways on this issue. I was a State employee for a period of time but left the state for the private sector. I could not handle the lack of effort and the attitudes from the other employees within one of the service centers. It was a decent paying job, the benefits were good, but I have found a job with a great local Maine company with benefits almost as good as the State, just without the dead weight of other employees. There are too many State employees that have been with the State too long and are out of touch with what it takes to run the government correctly. There are some good State employees but most are there for the free ride and have teh attitude of what have you done for me lately, they believe that the citizens of the state owe them something.

Right on jaysays. Been there, done that. I never believed that the stereotype about state workers could be so real, but it is. No work ethic, no innovation from the crop of people who have already put in ten plus years. They were working only for their retirement. They never missed a minute of a lunch break, smoke break, etc. Pathetic.

Oh, and it's only State employees who work for retirement and never miss a minute of a lunch break?! Give me a break.

I've been a State employee for 20 years. I'll be the first to admit that there is "deadwood" in within the ranks, although not in my particular workcenter. But, these few are far outnumbered by hundreds of dedicated, hard-working people doing their jobs day after day .

I hope nobody bashing Sgt. Michael Edges ever need him to save their life or the lives of their love ones... geesh... give the troopers anything they want as long as they are there for me when I need them ... PLEASE leave the cops and fire and ambulance workers alone..

Good point, Opinionatedmelanie, and don't forget the dispatchers who are on duty 24/7 to answer the calls. If you have to call 9-1-1 on your cellphone, it is a State employee who will answer your call.

If you call from home it is State employees that answer the phone... In reality I don't think people have ANY clue about how many services they use and NEED that are state employees.... State, Federal and public... Lets keep um all employed....but I surely don't want to lose or piss off the people that would be saving my life or my families lives... THANK YOU ALL!!!!

It depends on where in Maine you live. Some 9-1-1 calls from home are answered by State employees, but many are not. Almost all from cellphones ARE answered by State Employees.

Dear Irene Chandler,

Where the bleep can anyone find a good paying job in this state right now. And for the state trooper, if you don't like it, leave. Go find one of those high paying jobs Chandler is talking about.

Is anyone else as appalled as I am to learn that State of Maine employees pay zero dollars in premiums for their excellent health care plan? At the University of Maine System, all employees pay roughly 11% of their health care premium for an excellent health care plan. For a single person this comes to only $678 per year. Since most UMS funds come from State of Maine taxpayer dollars, one has to ask why are not all the other 14,000 State of Maine employees also paying a similar premium payment. Again we go with this "let's support all the welfare we can" governor of ours (even, shockingly, welfare for 9-5 full-time state employees mind you!) in a state that is not rich and, like the rest of this country, is experiencing severe economic distress. And so what does our Governor Welfare suggest to save a measly $1 million? Make employees earning more than $50k/year pay a huge 5% in health premiums and those at $90/k pay a huge 10%! In the private business world it is not uncommon to see 25-50% premium contributions mandated on employees for oftentimes not as good health plans as the one for State of Maine workers. Please people, if you feel as angry about this "luxury" that our taxpayer dollars can no longer afford to support, contact our Governor, contact your State Senators and Reps. and let them know, as I plan to do, that they must initiate some fairness here with regards this matter and mandate that ALL State of Maine employees begin paying some portion of their health care premium. We must start to erode our Governor Welfare's mismanagement of OUR taxpayer dollars once and for all!

Most people with "cushy" jobs in both the private and public sectors EARNED them through a combination of work and a hard earned education. So go put that in your bong and smoke it.

I'm sick of people who complain just because they don't have something and they think noone else should. Join a Union for better benefits I did.

I really don't understand mankind. Why do we always try to pull people down instead of trying to pull ourselves up. Instead of demanding that state workers pay more for their benefits, we should all be demanding similar benefits and decent pay for the jobs we do!! United we stand..divided we fall!

I say for those not wanting to help pay for insurance and think it better in the private sector then by all means go for it. I should imagine the job you have now could survive with out you.Why don't you look at the people that has lost their jobs, maybe share your job with them. My Fiance has to pay for her insurance 100%. Bet you complainers can't do that.All I see is you have learned the true meaning of GREED. God bless you and people like you.

I say they all should contribute some for their insurance,everyone else who have a company plan has to.I retired from a private company several years ago with paid health insurance ...AND GUESS WHAT..THEY HAVE HAD THEIR HAND IN MY POCKET THREE TIMES..AND THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT.So,state workers,welcome to reality and the rest of the real world.

I guess it all boils down to the fact that we all chose our professions, nobody forced you into the job you now hold. Instead of complaining about State Employees, apply for a position when the hiring freeze is lifted.

I applied for a State job in the early '90's. With the DOT in Augusta - ROW division. When I arrived at the interview, expecting to meet with the head guy at the ROW division, two lower-level employees met me to "interview" me. Their illustrious leader was called away to his "other" job - a real estate brokerage in China down Rt. 3, for a closing. He blew me (and the taxpayers) off for a closing. Fine. So the 2 guys start interviewing me regarding my knowledge of ROW acquisitions, conservation easement acquisitions, etc. It sort of got turned around with me interviewing them, telling them where the best educational opportunities were to explain what we were discussing. They were typical government employees, and appeared to grow concerned that I knew more about the ins and outs of their business than they did. There were no problems, no animosity, no condescension, it's just that a little light went on telling me that I wouildn't - COULDN'T - be a good little State Employee and try to claw my way up the ladder.

Don't get me wrong. I've got a lot of friends in government employ - State and Federal - and they do just fine in life. I worked for the Feds for awhile and couildn't stand the boredom and waste of time and money. Most of them don't really have to exert themselves. It's just that the rest of us have to support the largesse by taking home less and living with less than they seem to get - while we pay for it. And no, I wouldn't slop at the taxpayer trough again on a bet.

I ended the interview politely and said "thanks, but no thanks," and drove back north pretty disgusted.

Put them all on Dirigo!

I know several state workers with families and they pay approximatly $5500 per year, plus co-pays and deductables, which easily brings it close to over $7000 per year. the 100% is only for the empoyee, and does not include the copays or deductables or any of the other extra fees. also the insurance policy is not the best to begin with. Add that to the low salary (for the people who are doing most of the work) and that makes it hard for state workers to pay bills.

Welcome to the real world. I wish I only had to pay 5% for my Ins. Stop your crying!!!!!! Sick of this crap yet? Go to www.Paintmainered.ning.com

It's hard to believe that so many of these overpaid, lazy and wasteful state workers just got another 4% pay raise, which was probably part of Baldacci's payback to the union for all of their past campaign and pet project support. Will our crooked politicians and government officials ever be held accountable for all of the damage they're doing?