The Texas Tribune has launched all kinds of databases that make information finding for the average citizen much, much easier. One of those is a database that shows the pay for 480,000 or so public employees in Texas.
Editor-in-Chief Evan Smith writes today that it’s catching some heat. Most people who find themselves in the database are unhappy about their inclusion. They want out. The Tribune is saying no.
And before anyone asks how a Tribune employee would feel about having their salary known by anyone with a basic understanding of Internet searches, Smith points out they released that information already.
14 comments
And besides, we, the loving public, do not pay the salaries of the Tribune employees therefore we have no right to that information. We taxpayers have an absolute right to see the salaries of public employees. Comes with the territory.
As a municipal employee for the City of Fort Worth, my name and 2009 salary are listed. As a public employee, I do not mind, as my salary is paid for by the taxpayers of the city of Fort Worth and they have a right to know how their money is being spent.
As a state employee, I’m looking at it and I don’t mind. Besides, it’s the clunkiest thing I’ve seen on the Internet since the Morning News website. Can I get a witness?
The database is incomplete — it does not list the salaries paid to all the UT football players!
Dang, JS! You got a problem with how your tax dollars are spent? I don’t blame you. We spent all that money on Colt McCoy, the media tells us he’s the greatest quarterback since, uh, Vince Young. And he doesn’t even get drafted in the first round? Where are the T-baggers when you need ‘em?
“Where are the T-baggers when you need ‘em?”
On Cedar Springs. The Tea Partiers on the other hand…
One thing I love about Texas is that we don’t succomb to the pressures of political correctness. For example, the position of “Mental Retardation Asst I” pays a median salary of $20,532.
I don’t know about you, but I think Gov. Perry is severely underpaying his assistants.
If I decide to move from the public to private sectors, it is good to know there is a place where my future employeer can go and see my current salary. That will make salary negotiations so much better for me. You are the best Texas Tribune. Just kidding, you suck.
@Bill, look on the bright side — you can use the database to demonstrate that you are underpaid and deserve at least a raise that takes you up to the median for your position.
I certainly don’t mind my salary being listed as public information. What I do mind is my name being listed along side of it. This information should not be put up to be available to anyone in the world. Yes, it should be available to US taxpayers but individuals should have to request the information from the government directly. The info should not be presented to anyone worldwide to use in a potentially unlawful manner.
Beyond all of this however, after reading all of the salaries of my co-workers (I’m a teacher), I find that I am appalled to the knowledge that some of my full time co-workers at my school are being paid below the national poverty level. This is unconscionable.
The State and school district should be embarrassed that this info is becoming known.
Sincerely,
Mr. Man
Here’s the problem that you “taxpayers”, the Tribune, and that bonehead, Evan Smith have overlooked. Although the State Agencies includes the University of Texas, everyone fails to realize that there are self-funded entities within that hallowed institution that must operate just like a business…no help from the President, little is any support from the legislature, yet they post all these salaries. So, here’s the rub, since the State, by its very nature (supposedly safer from layoffs – not true BTW), does, in fact pay employees significantly less than the private sector for the same work. Now this has several faults, not the least of which is retaining deadwood and hiring less than the most qualified individuals. But the problem lies in both retention of talent and fair market equity. Evan, you made it impossible for my organization to recover from historic salary inequities that we have been resolving over time (no help with ongoing salary freezes). Now my organization has suffered key losses since we are unable to turn back the clock before Evan sent the entire staff the salary roster. In short, layoffs ensured and Evan Smith and the F***ING tribune have created life changing (and potentially life-ending) consequences for some really good, decent and hard working Texans that busted their humps to make this a better place to live.
Sorry to have to ramble to try and wrap my mind around all that, but the Tribune was only looking for a way to get it’s name out there and didn’t consider those their careless self-righteous act would hurt when they decided to take the leg work out of getting public information through individual requests as it should have remained. Small minds with the ability to destroy lives…sounds like the justice system only in the hands of privateers. God help us all.
This helped me to know that I was being underpaid than my coworkers doing the same job in the same capacity. Thanks.
Actually, since the Tribune is a non-profit we, the taxpayers, have every right to know the salaries of its staff.
I don’t mind my salary being posted but it is so incomplete. Why is my salary posted, as I work for the school system, but a fellow teacher in another ISD is not? We are both government workers? Just asking.