I’m often perplexed when certain pundits and people in the press say that public service workers are overpaid and responsible for state and local budget shortfalls. If you happen to know any teachers, nurses or sanitation workers, you know how ridiculous this accusation is because you know they don’t do their jobs for the money.
Don’t get me wrong. There are indeed some overpaid “government workers;” it’s just not who you’ve been told. To meet them, check out the Center for Media and Democracy’s new report, “EXPOSED: America’s Highest Paid Government Workers.” You’ll find the names and salaries of six corporate executives who together have raked in over $100 million in compensation from taxpayers by taking over public services.
You’ll meet Ron Packard, America’s highest paid “teacher.” Until very recently, Packard was the CEO of K12 Inc., an online education company that raked in $720 million last year alone by replacing public schools and teachers with virtual ones. Packard himself made more than $19 million between 2009 and 2013, much of it from taxpayers.
So take a few minutes to read CMD’s report. You’ll never look at real public service workers the same way again.