sparky - the money isn't really theirs to give away - it's the taxpayer's money.

Instead of giving city workers merit pay,maybe they should use the money for the food banks and the shelters. They need the money more then the city workers. The city workers already earn a descent wage.

RWT - your calculations pan-out. But your conclusion is incorrect. The 25% tax bracket is based on taxable income, not on earnings. Someone making $34,500 (from your example) would not be in a 25% bracket after exemptions, deductions, etc.

feduptaxpayer and the rest of you people that only complain really is strange to me. Maybe you should better yourself and and find a job that has benefits. When you take away from others we only drag the whole group down to the bottom. Which is the way the teaparty and Repubicans what this county to be. A race to the bottom. If you worry about what others have look at Congress and ask them why they have better benefits. First take that away.

RWT FIRST said, "A single taxpayer with taxable income of $34,500 & a married couple with $69,000 will hit the 25% tax bracket for federal tax alone."
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THEN RWT said, "Eat chips poobah. If a married couple filing jointly exceed a taxable income of $69,000 the rate goes to 25%. It's in your link and this one too. Are you missing something?"
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Notice how RWT has cleverly slipped the word EXCEED in their second comment? But it still doesn't help your case it all. The savings aren't the absolute tax rate, but the difference between their tax rate now and the tax rate when they retire and start taking distributions. Remember that ONLY the dollars from 69,001 to 139,350 are taxed at 25%. The dollars from 0 to 17,000 are taxed at 10% and from 17,001 to 69,000 at 15%. Nice try, no cigar this time. And we're still waiting for you to provide the source you used to determine the incomes of city workers and their spouses.

Eat chips poobah. If a married couple filing jointly exceed a taxable income of $69,000 the rate goes to 25%. It's in your link and this one too. Are you missing something?
http://www.savingtoinvest.com/2010/04/20...

This is a completely asinine decision! Unbelievably stupid. Unfortunately, people who would actually come up with this idea of paying them the pension contributions and similiar ideas are absolutely hopeless to any kind of rational thinking. They MUST be voted out. Even then, they wouldn't get it but it's the only way of stopping this kind of misuse of taxpayer money.

RWT, said, "A single taxpayer with taxable income of $34,500 & a married couple with $69,000 will hit the 25% tax bracket for federal tax alone."
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WRONG! The incomes you listed are in the 15% tax bracket, NOT the 25% bracket. The IRS can help you understand the graduated tax brackets, RWT. If you want a simple summary of the tax brackets, go to http://www.mydollarplan.com/tax-brackets... and scroll down to the 2011 table.
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Also, please cite your source of income of city workers and their spouses that you used to determine the tax bracket they are in.

dc510190, the city has no classes, teachers, or sports. The school district does. You are, I hope, aware that these are separate entities with separate budgets.

What is the REAL cost of the pension contribution that public employees are asked to pay? Folks, because pension contributions are for retirement, this money is not taxed by the Feds or by the State. At a 30% tax rate (see following paragraph), that's about a 1.8% savings of the total 5.8% contribution. If the workers elect to stop paying union dues it will save them another 2%. In a nutshell their 5.8% gross contribution has a 2% net effect on their take home pay. So the city council now wants to 'reimburse' them 5.8% when they're really out only 2%, giving them a net 3.8% bonus over their gross pension contribution.
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Numbers don’t lie folks.
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A single taxpayer with taxable income of $34,500 & a married couple with $69,000 will hit the 25% tax bracket for federal tax alone. Add the state tax rate of about 5% to the federal tax rate of 25% (or more) and it puts total tax savings on the 5.8% pension contribution over 30% for most, if not all, public workers. 30% of the 5.8% total pension contribution is about 1.8%.

The city is broke, cutting teachers, classes, and sports, but we are ok with giving merit raises. what a joke most companies in this day and age are not getting raises and having to pay for Ins. and put into healthcare. This town will not learn instead of giving more to the employees we should be cutting the expenses. Most industries are seeing the same types of economic downturns and the only area that seems to put blinders on and keep giving is the government sector.

Mr. Liebert, you have with this type of language confirmed my initial thoughts about you. You're way too young with NO significant REAL work experience to be in the position you are in--of making decisions on behalf of the city folks. It is truly embarrassing to have you as a council member.

Start outsourcing public services like road construction, landscaping, grounds keeping, snow removal, and trash collection.

Hey, I know. Let's take it out of the surplus we are going to have on the wheel tax. We all know what a horrible job the city of Janesville does on patching up our streets. There's sure to be some extra money left over. I"m sure you realize, this will have to go to non union employees though, as we all know they make enough already.

I work in the private sector. I pay 100% of my retirement. My out of pocket expense for health went up 35% in March. All you public employees are paid by us the taxpayers. It is time your cadillac contracts meet the real world. What a bunch of cry baby losers. Wah - Wah - Wah. L

Don't forget the teachers have to contribute towards their pensions too. Does that mean they will get their money back as well ? What's good for the goose should be good for the gander !

I have worked the last 3 years without a raise or a bonus. I pay part of my pension and insurance also. Gas,groceries,utilities,taxes and every thing else has gone up, while my paycheck keeps getting smaller. But then again I work in the private sector. Don't feel sorry for me as I will make it, always have. This is such a big joke. Man up you big babies and pay your fair share like the rest of us has to. I can' wait until election time.

When will the city wake up and realize we are all struggling and we need a break. Most of us have had to take cutbacks in our pay. Myself about 25% what makes you people so freakin special?

If you are upset with the way Mr. Liebert is speaking and if you are tired of the City Council being Unprofessional, I urge everyone to send them an email and let them know how we collectively feel. This has gone on long enough!!!