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Daniel Boehnen, The Tale of Bill and Kevin
Opinion - Wednesday, March 16, 2011
The budget repair bill from Governor Walker has sparked a lot of controversy and has divided a state and has the potential to divide the country. Public workers have been made out to be the “haves” and private workers as the “have nots”. I vote about 90% republican. I am also a public worker and have been my whole life. I have 25 years on as a police officer. Let me tell you my story.
I have a friend. Let’s call him Kevin. Kevin and me went to high school together and came from similar background and both entered our careers with no help from mommy or daddy. I got into law enforcement right out of high school, Kevin got into construction and became a plumber.
I started my first police job in 1987 and made $5.50 an hour. Kevin got an apprenticeship and was making $12 an hour. I at the time had no real benefits as my job was part-time. Kevin had a 401k and health insurance.
As time went by, I finally got a full time job in 1989 where I now was provided health insurance and also entered the Wisconsin Retirement System. I was now making $11 an hour and putting money away for retirement at the age of 22. Kevin was making just shy of $20 an hour and had a nice new truck. I drove a 1985 Ford Escort.
Me and Kevin remained good friends and over the years we would share stories of our lives. We both got married and had kids. Kevin became a licensed plumber and was busy working the housing boom of the 1990s. He soon purchased a monster of a house and was making almost $80,000 a year. I was making just over $32,000. He bought another new truck. And a boat. And a couple snowmobiles. I purchased a swing set for the kids. “Boy, I could have been a plumber”, I would joke with him.
Kevin’s business was in full swing. He was buying new equipment and now had a couple workers under him in his own business. He bragged about how he could buy a new truck almost every year as a “work expense” and take customers out golfing or hunting and write off all the expenses to show “a loss” on his taxes. I filled out the same IRS 1040 form I always did. I had my simple W2 and paid my taxes with not much to itemize. The last time me and Kevin talked about money was in 2005. He was over $100,000 a year and had life by the balls. I was happy for him. His house was huge, it’s value increased to over $485,000, and he had a lot of toys I could only wish for. I made $41,000 in 2005 and my 1450 squad foot house was about the size of his basement. “Man, I wish I would have been a plumber”, I would think to myself privately.
Over beer, Kevin would invite me to come hunting in Wyoming with him. Only costs $4000 for the week he would brag. I would decline politely as I could not afford that. He would suggest that we go to a football game, but I would always have to tell him that I had to work. You see, I had to work nights and weekends for nearly 18 years. Police officers do not get holidays or weekends off very often. As he would drive by one his way to Green Bay or Camp Randall, I would wave from my squad car and think, “Damn it! I should have been a plumber!”
Kevin once told me that he did a job for a very wealthy businessman and as a bonus for getting the job done ahead of schedule, he received a “bonus” of two brand new snowmobiles. As a civil servant, I did not get bonuses. All I had was my 401k plan that I put my own money in every check and my state retirement that now was $4000 a year in contributions.
In 2008, things got a little sour in the country and the state, ok REAL sour! The economy crashed and new construction basically stopped. Kevin was cutting back. He went from 3 employees to none. The clients all stopped calling. The new trucks stopped parking in the 4 car garage. For sale signs were now on his boat. And then his ATVs and snowmobiles. And then, his 4000 square foot house was for sale. But not at $485,000, but at $275,000. “Wow, I am glad I didn’t become a plumber”, I said to myself as I drove past Kevin’s foreclosed mansion.
I felt bad for Kevin. This was a real hard time for him. His income was half of what it was earlier. I lived pretty frugal and by 2008, my house was nearly paid for. At the end of 2008, I was now making $58,000. I was also a salaried employee and was no longer entitled to overtime, even though I was, and still am, working an average of 50 hours a week.
I still voted nearly always republican. I supported capitalism and although slightly envious of Kevin and his success, I never once thought that he should not have more than me. I was never one to take the hard left socialist view of taking from the rich, and “redistributing” to the poor. I got to see the welfare leaches at work all the time. Got that public assistance card and section 8 housing, but still could seem to have enough money for the 55” flat panel TV, cable internet, and plenty of beer and cigarettes. Under the democrats, it seemed like Wisconsin was “open for business”, but the business was crime and welfare seekers from Illinois. Time to close the border and make Wisconsin a lot less appealing to the free loaders, I thought.
Vote for Walker to straighten up this mess!! Yes! Yes, I did. I voted for Walker to be tough on crime as republicans historically are. End this Doyle / Raemish early release crap! End traffic stop collection data. End crazy spending and balance the budget.
Then February 11th came. Governor Walker, the man I voted for. The man who was going to put Doyle to bed and turn the ship around, spoke. His budget repair bill was announced and it was the shot heard around the country. He was now calling ME the haves, for being a public employee! I was the problem that the state is broke from my huge amounts of income and my retirement account. ME?? I thought. All of a sudden, I am the bad guy because I work for “the big bad government”. For 25 years, I was the “have not” while Kevin was the “have”. In a matter of days, I was now the reason that Kevin lost his house. We talked about the situation and he became upset that I still had my little house while he did not! He cried “foul” that “his tax dollars” padded my pockets while he had to work for all his money. “I didn’t work for my money?”, I thought.
The TV ads for Walker asked that public employees pay for the health care and retirement, just like everyone else. I have paid for my healthcare. Even with a lower income than most private professionals, I still paid a percentage every check and also co-pays for prescriptions. Nothing was ever “free”. I am not even in a union anymore. Collective bargaining does not affect my directly, but it does affect the good people that I work with.
So me and Kevin are still friends, but the relationship is a lot more stressed than it used to be. He is farther right than before, and I am a lot more moderate. While I never spoke out about his empire 5 years ago, he sure is vocal about my perceived one now. I try to explain that all I have, or shall I say, all that I do not have, is because of my frugality towards my retirement. It has been the only thing that I worked for since I was 22. Even when I was dirt broke, I put money into my Roth and deferred compensation accounts to accompany my retirement. My goal, long before marriage and children, was to retire and make up for the things in life I knew I would miss while working. In addition, I wanted to spoil my grandkids while not being a financial burden on my own children or on the taxpayers in the form of Medicaid.
And now, that dream is in serious jeopardy. Less retirement now. Longer years of work next year, and a possible raid on my retirement fund in the future. Protected status will surely be dissolved as well, so a 65 year old police officer or fireman may be a common thing.
I guess it is my fault. I decided to get into public service for its nobility in helping my fellow man. I wanted to serve my community without great reward, while just getting by. I never expected to get rich, only retire five years before most. Kevin has gotten a tax break from Walker to expand his business and the corporations that he buys his plumbing materials through has gotten even more money. As for me and my family, there will be no new car from that Bergstrom dealership. There will not be that vacation this summer to support Wisconsin tourism. But most importantly, that new house I was planning on building this summer is not going to happen.
And guess who was going to do the plumbing?
I guess I should have been a plumber after all.
Opinion - Wednesday, March 16, 2011
The budget repair bill from Governor Walker has sparked a lot of controversy and has divided a state and has the potential to divide the country. Public workers have been made out to be the “haves” and private workers as the “have nots”. I vote about 90% republican. I am also a public worker and have been my whole life. I have 25 years on as a police officer. Let me tell you my story.
I have a friend. Let’s call him Kevin. Kevin and me went to high school together and came from similar background and both entered our careers with no help from mommy or daddy. I got into law enforcement right out of high school, Kevin got into construction and became a plumber.
I started my first police job in 1987 and made $5.50 an hour. Kevin got an apprenticeship and was making $12 an hour. I at the time had no real benefits as my job was part-time. Kevin had a 401k and health insurance.
As time went by, I finally got a full time job in 1989 where I now was provided health insurance and also entered the Wisconsin Retirement System. I was now making $11 an hour and putting money away for retirement at the age of 22. Kevin was making just shy of $20 an hour and had a nice new truck. I drove a 1985 Ford Escort.
Me and Kevin remained good friends and over the years we would share stories of our lives. We both got married and had kids. Kevin became a licensed plumber and was busy working the housing boom of the 1990s. He soon purchased a monster of a house and was making almost $80,000 a year. I was making just over $32,000. He bought another new truck. And a boat. And a couple snowmobiles. I purchased a swing set for the kids. “Boy, I could have been a plumber”, I would joke with him.
Kevin’s business was in full swing. He was buying new equipment and now had a couple workers under him in his own business. He bragged about how he could buy a new truck almost every year as a “work expense” and take customers out golfing or hunting and write off all the expenses to show “a loss” on his taxes. I filled out the same IRS 1040 form I always did. I had my simple W2 and paid my taxes with not much to itemize. The last time me and Kevin talked about money was in 2005. He was over $100,000 a year and had life by the balls. I was happy for him. His house was huge, it’s value increased to over $485,000, and he had a lot of toys I could only wish for. I made $41,000 in 2005 and my 1450 squad foot house was about the size of his basement. “Man, I wish I would have been a plumber”, I would think to myself privately.
Over beer, Kevin would invite me to come hunting in Wyoming with him. Only costs $4000 for the week he would brag. I would decline politely as I could not afford that. He would suggest that we go to a football game, but I would always have to tell him that I had to work. You see, I had to work nights and weekends for nearly 18 years. Police officers do not get holidays or weekends off very often. As he would drive by one his way to Green Bay or Camp Randall, I would wave from my squad car and think, “Damn it! I should have been a plumber!”
Kevin once told me that he did a job for a very wealthy businessman and as a bonus for getting the job done ahead of schedule, he received a “bonus” of two brand new snowmobiles. As a civil servant, I did not get bonuses. All I had was my 401k plan that I put my own money in every check and my state retirement that now was $4000 a year in contributions.
In 2008, things got a little sour in the country and the state, ok REAL sour! The economy crashed and new construction basically stopped. Kevin was cutting back. He went from 3 employees to none. The clients all stopped calling. The new trucks stopped parking in the 4 car garage. For sale signs were now on his boat. And then his ATVs and snowmobiles. And then, his 4000 square foot house was for sale. But not at $485,000, but at $275,000. “Wow, I am glad I didn’t become a plumber”, I said to myself as I drove past Kevin’s foreclosed mansion.
I felt bad for Kevin. This was a real hard time for him. His income was half of what it was earlier. I lived pretty frugal and by 2008, my house was nearly paid for. At the end of 2008, I was now making $58,000. I was also a salaried employee and was no longer entitled to overtime, even though I was, and still am, working an average of 50 hours a week.
I still voted nearly always republican. I supported capitalism and although slightly envious of Kevin and his success, I never once thought that he should not have more than me. I was never one to take the hard left socialist view of taking from the rich, and “redistributing” to the poor. I got to see the welfare leaches at work all the time. Got that public assistance card and section 8 housing, but still could seem to have enough money for the 55” flat panel TV, cable internet, and plenty of beer and cigarettes. Under the democrats, it seemed like Wisconsin was “open for business”, but the business was crime and welfare seekers from Illinois. Time to close the border and make Wisconsin a lot less appealing to the free loaders, I thought.
Vote for Walker to straighten up this mess!! Yes! Yes, I did. I voted for Walker to be tough on crime as republicans historically are. End this Doyle / Raemish early release crap! End traffic stop collection data. End crazy spending and balance the budget.
Then February 11th came. Governor Walker, the man I voted for. The man who was going to put Doyle to bed and turn the ship around, spoke. His budget repair bill was announced and it was the shot heard around the country. He was now calling ME the haves, for being a public employee! I was the problem that the state is broke from my huge amounts of income and my retirement account. ME?? I thought. All of a sudden, I am the bad guy because I work for “the big bad government”. For 25 years, I was the “have not” while Kevin was the “have”. In a matter of days, I was now the reason that Kevin lost his house. We talked about the situation and he became upset that I still had my little house while he did not! He cried “foul” that “his tax dollars” padded my pockets while he had to work for all his money. “I didn’t work for my money?”, I thought.
The TV ads for Walker asked that public employees pay for the health care and retirement, just like everyone else. I have paid for my healthcare. Even with a lower income than most private professionals, I still paid a percentage every check and also co-pays for prescriptions. Nothing was ever “free”. I am not even in a union anymore. Collective bargaining does not affect my directly, but it does affect the good people that I work with.
So me and Kevin are still friends, but the relationship is a lot more stressed than it used to be. He is farther right than before, and I am a lot more moderate. While I never spoke out about his empire 5 years ago, he sure is vocal about my perceived one now. I try to explain that all I have, or shall I say, all that I do not have, is because of my frugality towards my retirement. It has been the only thing that I worked for since I was 22. Even when I was dirt broke, I put money into my Roth and deferred compensation accounts to accompany my retirement. My goal, long before marriage and children, was to retire and make up for the things in life I knew I would miss while working. In addition, I wanted to spoil my grandkids while not being a financial burden on my own children or on the taxpayers in the form of Medicaid.
And now, that dream is in serious jeopardy. Less retirement now. Longer years of work next year, and a possible raid on my retirement fund in the future. Protected status will surely be dissolved as well, so a 65 year old police officer or fireman may be a common thing.
I guess it is my fault. I decided to get into public service for its nobility in helping my fellow man. I wanted to serve my community without great reward, while just getting by. I never expected to get rich, only retire five years before most. Kevin has gotten a tax break from Walker to expand his business and the corporations that he buys his plumbing materials through has gotten even more money. As for me and my family, there will be no new car from that Bergstrom dealership. There will not be that vacation this summer to support Wisconsin tourism. But most importantly, that new house I was planning on building this summer is not going to happen.
And guess who was going to do the plumbing?
I guess I should have been a plumber after all.
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