In an era of economic distress – high unemployment, perennial state budget deficits, soaring property taxes – it is not only appropriate, but necessary, for state and local go
vernment to acknowledge the economic realities facing its taxpayers, and to control spending accordingly. Considering that approximately half of the $2.2 trillion that state and local governments spend annually in the U.S. is for public employee compensation, taking compensation “off the table” is simply not an option.
