Comments | talk_politics: Are Public Unions Necessary?

a_new_machine in talk_politics

Are Public Unions Necessary?

Feb 17, 2011 09:41

Wisconsin is raising hell in its attempts to balance a budget that's heavily weighed down by union-bargained benefits for public employees. Of course, they're taking the "nuke it from orbit" approach and removing collective bargaining rights from public employees ( Read more... )

unions, wisconsin

Comments 136

underlankers February 17 2011, 22:27:46 UTC

My thoughts are that we could save 100 billion dollars by cutting every dime sent to GOP districts from the Federal government. I live in one so I'd be affected by this. My next thought is that the Blue States pay more into the United States than they take from it, the heartland....does not in the least do any of it. If people in the Blue States were so inclined they could leave the Red States in the lurch simply by refusing to foot the bills for the whiney ungrateful nephews who scream bloody murder at people who keep them in the black ( ... )

a_new_machine February 17 2011, 22:31:03 UTC

Off-target as always, considering most of this post is discussing union members employed by state and local governments.

underlankers February 17 2011, 22:32:19 UTC

Not really, given the rationale for *why* this particular Republican is gutting the Unions.

farchivist February 18 2011, 01:48:10 UTC

What I find amusing is that the Wisconsin governor is promising not to lay off anyone if he gets this way. I'm sure nobody is buying that malarkey. If I were Governor, this is what I'd be doing once I got my way:

1) Fire everyone who had protested due to being "troublemakers" and "working against the best interests of the state of Wisconsin and its citizenry".
2) Institute a 30% mandatory pay cut for all remaining public sector employees. Designate their pension and health insurance plans as 'legacy' and not available for new employees.
3) Hire replacements for the people I fired at half the salary of what the positions were previously. Minimal health benefits possible, preferably with $5-10K deductible mandatory. No pension or 401K.
4) Any who complains will be painted as "liberal big government" while my cuts will be lauded as "essential to maintaining the balanced budget of the state".

anfalicious February 18 2011, 16:12:11 UTC

Yes, because if you work for the government, you never have to fight for a safe workplace, or the conditions under which you work and you never need protection from bad management...