Here's my proposed argument against Proposition B...
Feedback/suggestions welcome as always on this and the Prop. A argument, bearing in mind that both are tightly written and I've used literally every last word available (the word count on both is 302, because they count "San Francisco" as one word).
Love & Liberty,
((( starchild )))
Are there too few people in the world? Is that why San Francisco taxpayers must reward those who follow the admonition to “be fruitful and multiply” by extending special employment benefits to people with children, as Proposition B would do?
To put it bluntly, why should parents be treated differently than other employees? Is it fair to give them a special privilege to which people who are gay for instance, or single, and don’t plan on having children, do not have access?
If new parents want to take some time off from their jobs to care for their young ones, fine with us. But why should everyone else be forced to subsidize them to stay home?
Few people in the voluntary sector get the kind of generous parental leave benefits that Prop. B would bestow upon government employees.
And even though they supposedly work for us, members of what mayor Ed Lee likes to call the “city family” already receive far more money on average than the rest of us.
Even five years ago in 2010, one out of every three San Francisco city government employees was getting paid over $100,000 a year, according to the Chronicle (http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/1-in-3-San-Francisco-employees-earned-100-000-3191191.php).
And unlike most people employed outside of government, city employees who screw up – especially members of the SFPD, it seems – are routinely put on “administrative leave” (which in plain English means getting a paid vacation). Now that is the leave policy that needs reforming!
The Controller’s statement says this measure could cost taxpayers over $1 million a year, and that does not count the costs of reduced productivity. And of course as government salaries continue to rise, the financial burden will likely further increase over time.
Let’s treat people without kids fairly and equally.
Vote NO on Proposition B!
Libertarian Party of San Francisco