[scarmig]

You've got to be willing to bite the bullet though with that philosophy:

Almost the entirety of the BART management's public argument has been "BART workers get paid so much and get more benefits than you do!" And you've got to equally condemn that, because the level of healthcare you personally receive has no bearing on what BART workers should.

Back in reality, yes, the cost of living in an area does matter, and if BART workers got paid 2x the median salary, they'd be being paid too much.

[cjensen]

You're mistaken -- that was not a condemnation of the employees. Just observing the erroneous reasoning about the problem -- which as you say, also applies to management -- which I hope people can take to heart in their own business.

I don't know enough about BART to have an opinion. I would observe that, given the liberal situation in the BART counties, that employees have probably been treated as well as possible. I also understand that management intends to break that cycle in this round. Right, wrong? That's a lifetime of understanding I lack in order to have an opinion.