Cutting the Wrong Salaries

Heather, your situation is a microcosm of what is happening all across our country , and it pisses me off ! If there is to be pain , the just and right thing to do is spread it eqally across all stratum of employment, not taking disproportionately from those who can least afford it .
I've got one letter in me to show my displeasure with these proposals - where & to whom do you want it sent?

Heather,

I appreciate where you are coming from, but I’m trying to look at your big picture and have some questions for you:

Is your pay being cut 16.76%, or are you foregoing a future pay raise?

If your pay is not cut, will your working conditions suffer?

Would you be better off sharing your suffering with those who will lose their jobs?

Heather, you've missed a key aspect of how America works: the top executives at the County get either pay raises or get to keep their pay *because* they cut your salary, and *because* they deliver fewer services.

Getting regular people to pay more and get less for what they pay is the way American works, at least for the past 30 years!

Doubt that? Look at your health care. I pay way, way more than I did in the 1970's (about $12,000/year now), and now when I see my doctor they are distracted the whole time, filling out forms the whole time, and usually just ask me what I would do... in the 1970's I got way more quality attention and just wrote a check for $30 at the end of the appointment.

Heather, your job is the #1 government job we families want to see ended.

In fact, we want you and ALL CPS workers in PRISON for your Federal Crimes against families-

http://familyrights.us/bin/CPS_violat...

-several of which are Capital Crimes.

Leonard Henderson, co-founder
American Family Rights
http://familyrights.us
"Until Every Child Comes Home"©
"The Voice of America's Families"©

^^^

That's one cheesy website! Sort of like saying because there are a few bad cops ... all cops are bad, worshipers of Satan, and the reason for all of America's woes!

The CPS system is full of problems and there is no doubt it needs a revamping. One of the ways it could be improved is by hiring more, not less, social workers, and by giving them a competitive salary so as to attract the brightest and most compassionate employees possible. Most of these folks already have master's degrees and work long hours at jobs none of us could stomach, with each new case sometimes being more horrifying or disheartening than the last. And on top of that, they each typically have an overwhelmingly large caseload that makes it impossible to give each case the full attention it deserves. And then when subsequent problems occur within the clients' families, the CPS workers themselves usually publicly get the blame for whatever went wrong.
It's a mighty thankless job and takes extreme dedication not to become jaded by the work and the process.
Just as with police and firefighters, our CPS workers are there to protect and serve. To be cutting the pay of these heroes is unconscionable.

I'm a supervisor at CWS; was a social worker for 10 years before becoming a supervisor. We work ungodly hours without complaining (too much), because we sincerely believe we are supporting families to make positive changes, to nurture their children and become self-sufficient.

It is demoralizing, to say the least, to know that the BOS and our management value us so little, that they'd come up with this plan to cut our pay by 16.76%. Heather is absolutely right. The wrong people are getting cut. If management and the BOS were willing to take a salary cut, we would too. BUT 16.76%??? I have been working since I was 17 and I never EVER got a pay cut like that.

We are running faster and faster to keep up with our increased caseloads and that's ok, because that's what we signed up for. We didn't sign up for having our pay cut to the point where we are scared for our own economic security.
We aren't asking for pay raises. Or increases in benefits. Just don't cut us to the bone. Some of us are a paycheck away from being homeless. Give us a break.

Thanks Heather and to answer TG's questions:

No this is NOT a future salary takeaway, this is the % figure that all Santa Barbara's Co's proposals would reduce the average $35,000 per year hourly wage employee in our unit. Due to the difference in pay, some would lose less others would lose more. And it is based on what they recieve currently.

NO if these cuts do go thru, the County would save about $375,000.00 in the General Fund BUT because of our funding sources and what we do, the entire Department and County would LOSE 4.6 Million (Yes that is MILLION) in State/Federal Funds that are earmarked for our programs! And another several $100,000's from outside revenue sources that if we cut the REQUIRED amount that the County is supposed to match, then we do not get those funds.

NO there are only 1.4 people slated to be laid off if the cuts do not go thru, in fact due to the economic crisis our case loads are exploding and the State/Federal Revenues are being adjusted UP to reflect the drastic need for trained, professional, loyal and dedicated workers who can get our Communities in need, thru these rough times and stablized until they can become Self Sufficient again.

The Human Reasources Mantra of Shared Sacrafice is misleading at best. We are the largest Department in the County, we have the biggest budget, yet we recieve the least from the General Fund. And all of the Services we offer to the Communities that we serve are MANDATED by State and Federal Regulations. We are at the bargianing table trying to offer up what we can, but the County has rejected all of our proposals, including a pitance of .5% pay (yes that is 1/2 a percent) increase so we can just keep up with increased gasoline prices!

Our workers have been paid Under Current Private Sector Market Rates for years. Some are already 26% behind the Market Rates. And recently the Office Professional class of workers was Reclassified where our clerical office support is making more in hourly wages then people who have worked here for 20 years and have Masters degrees.

Fair is Fair and Cutting Off your nose to spite your face just does not work. We are not going to agree to cookie cutter cuts that cause way more damage and harm to our workers and our Communities.

Those are the facts, we do tough jobs in tough times. We are professionals that are dedicated to providing vital mandated services to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our communities, if these cuts to our wages and benefits happen, we will lose our housing, health care, child care, ability to pay our own utilities and we will end up being the very clients and community that we have dedicated ourselves to serve, unable to continue working because we cannot pay for our own child care any longer. As you can also see this affects the entire community, We cannot buy groceries, pay babysitters, make morgtage payments, pay the rent, and all of those shortfalls have a domino effect on our Communities

@ alwayspoken

Thank you so much for pointing out the Federal Funding sources.

For those who don't know, this funding comes by raiding and DEFRAUDING the Social Security and Medicare systems- See how many places- http://www.socialsecurity.gov/OP_Home...

(You know, those Federal entitlement programs that are BROKE, bankrupt)

CPS people take NO oath to "uphold, support and defend" the Constitution of the United States and therefore STOMP people's Constitutional Rights in the dirt.

The courts that the accused appear in front of are NOT courts of Constitutional Due Process- http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-26...

The only "right" that remains is the NEW "Best interest of the child"- which is basically whatever a government employee says it is- "Best interests operates as an empty vessel into which adult perceptions and prejudices are poured." --Hillary Rodham, Children Under the Law, 43 Harv. Ed. Rev. 487, 513 (1973).

See Best interest of the child- A new "Civil Right"- http://familyrights.us/news/archive/2...

CPS is an evil, fascist, tyrannical operation, and there is no "smiley face" to put on it.

That's why families would LOVE to be rid of you and your coercive "services".

Leonard Henderson, co-founder
American Family Rights
http://familyrights.us
"Until Every Child Comes Home"©
"The Voice of America's Families"©

I am a very sad grandmother who lost a beautiful grandson to a cruel and illegal system of CPS. My daughter never abused or neglected her son. It was shown in court and the child was ordered home with his mother. We never seen the child again. The judge retired and the state filed for the termination of my daughters rights and against the child being placed with me because the foster parents loved him and wanted him. We, his family were just leftovers to be tossed in the trash. The end product was then sold and the organization stood to make a lot of money for my grandson.

Most children are removed from their homes because they are a product. There is little to no reason for most removals. The courts are nothing more then a stamp placed on the check the state will get for these children. CPS is the most child abusing people I have ever seen. Most of the people working for them belong in prison for so many reasons that I won't get into it right now.

I have since dedicated my life to stopping this child stealing organization for over 10 years. I don't want to see any of you get just a salary cut. I want to see your whole organization shut down for good. More children die in foster care and at the hands of adopted parents and case workers then they do in their own home. NO ONE loves our children like we do. NO ONE!!!

Come one come two come three come all,
We will take your kids to the court room ball.
The State makes claim The judge complies,
The hearts ripped out the family dies.

The sheriff's department they say very stern,
Go home get out this court's adjourned.
The children's life's are now in danger,
First from the cops, CPS then in the hands of a stranger.

There was nothing wrong the children were fine,
They say if we keep them, we'd abuse them in time.

With their crystal ball and some money from gov.,
They cast them in homes, We pray they get loved.
They TPR you - You did nothing wrong,
They are cold hearted and cruel,
Now your family is gone.

Come one come two come three come all,
We will take your kids to the court room ball.
This is all so profitable easy and fun,
It's also illegal but it's to help every one.

So the families get hurt that's a small price they say,
When you look at all the money the feds will pay.
After all there are really children who are being abused,
There are children who you see and hear on the news.
It's the wrapper on the candy that makes people say,
It's OK to take the rights of the families away.

Cecile

In times of plenty, Santa Barbara County can be forward thinking and save for a rainy today. Well, it's raining today!! I can't imagine the cases you see and the workload you have. Right now we are in hard times, and I believe that is when we turn to public workers to prop up our communities so kids, seniors, and the disabilied (the ones least likely to be able to fight for themselves) can be safe. So those newly disenfranchized can have a chance to get back on their feet. It's not your fault that unemployment is what it is. In fact your case levels have probably gone up for it! We all have a responsibility to maintain the services that makes Santa Barbara County a nice place to live while demanding that the county focus on bringing revenue into the county. ONLY that will solve the problem. Not you taking a 16.75% cut!! You have my support in fighting for what's fair!

erthcrclr

Most case workers are nothing more then high school graduates and other untrained young people who have never had a child. Most of them go into the job thinking they are going to change the world. They want that feel good feeling of saving an abused child. They quickly find out that is not what happens.

So many of the good people who do get hired usually quit the job in a short amount of time. They see what is going on and many of them want nothing to do with it for any amount of pay. They burn out real fast. I do not believe for one minute that any case worker who has worked in the CP system for any length of time has never lied under oath. Many believe they have immunity for this but that is not true. They don't get charged in most cases because most lawyers will not take it on even when it is provable.

Most children go to foster homes that are not relative homes. This is ordered by the laws of each state and Federal laws all dictate that the children are to be placed with family whenever possible. Most of the reason behind this is because there is no money in it for them to allow family to raise family.

When a family is accused of abuse or neglect they never get attorneys who will fight for them. So many times the attorneys are afraid of CPS. I know an attorney whose grandchild was threatened to be taken if she continued to really work on a case. TRUE FACT!! That attorney was a friend of mine and she was good at what she did. I know this was not an isolated incident. Parents are forced into jumping through hoops while the clock ticks away the time they have to get their children back home. Most services are a joke that are created to make a parent believe that if they have done nothing wrong and they do what they are told that they will get the children returned home. This rarely is the way it works.

If the state has enough evidence to take a child from their home and their family, then charges should be pressed and the court and a jury should decide who keeps the child. NOT any self righteous case worker with an agenda and a judge who is in bed with the state. It is time to cut the pay to those who do the dirty work of those who are above them in their own system. Then they will have to start doing their own dirty work.

Cecile

16.76 percent cut to my $60,000. Not much of a cut. You could live on $20,000 to $30,000 easily.

As far as I know, all(Not just 1) of my case workers were 100% bad and used fraud.

A case worker with a high-school education working entry-level position making $60,000 a year is worried about a %16 pay cut?????? Seriously...what a typical social worker cry baby.

Ok several of the comments here actually talk about real people and events. Like social workers being overworked and under paid. That is very true. But they really have no cause for complaing. The people they help typically make half if not three times as less money.
Myself live off of $6,000 a year...and I have seen many snotty caseworkers in my time and if you actually meet a caseworker who isn't jaded and does their job with any proficiency they are quickly removed for fear of making the whole department from looking bad.

Cws is a joke. They all act like the clients are trying to ripp off the system,like they need to protect everything as if it was there own money and they bully you when ever they get a chances.

If any slob can make it out of the trenches to white collar positions they have probably slimed their way to the rewards of avoiding cuts.
Mean while the clients suffer in the end from these high-school thugs.

I tell ya what...take that %16.76 and give it to your clients!!!!!

Then go back to school and get re-trained in a new field and then come back and cry about how hard you have it. When people are actually starving not knowing how to pay next months rent.
I know people living in a studio with two children working 40 hrs a week at $8 an hour and getting their paycheck docked for child support!!!! And cps harrasses them because the other parent makes false claims.

Seriously FREAKING topic is ......whatever