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A unionized public employee, a Tea Bagger, and a CEO are seated at a table. In the center of the table is a plate holding a dozen cookies. The CEO reaches across and takes eleven cookies. He looks at the Tea Bagger and says, "Watch out for that union guy, he's going to want part of your cookie".
I think this old thing is meaningless. Even if we do get public unions under control, it will not solve the budget problem the country is facing. The states can cut their budget to 10% of their current level and it still does not mean a damn thing if the federal level double or triple their budget every year.
A unionized public employee, a Tea Bagger, and a CEO are seated at a table. In the center of the table is a plate holding a dozen cookies. The CEO reaches across and takes eleven cookies. He looks at the Tea Bagger and says, "Watch out for that union guy, he's going to want part of your cookie".
Sorry, I do not drink Kool Aid, why are you posting this?
Yes, they are. But they can also be incredibly deceptive when not all of the facts are considered. Your statement, as well as the Professor's (who himself is part of a collective bargaining unit and is tenured) is not entirely true. The cost for the lower-cost (to the government) collective bargaining health insurance is not set by collective bargaining. It is set by the very powerful insurance companies who bid for state and local contracts.
As an example, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oregon was shut out of the bargaining process because they demanded far too much money for the state's contracts (several different bargaining units). In other words, they refused to bargain with both the state and the unions. The loss of those contracts cost BC over 33% of their business. After that contract loss, their rates for individual plans skyrocketed; they're going to make their money up somehow.
The middle class and the working class include those who are Union members. These are working people. Most on this forum cite extreme cases and abuses of the system, where a person makes a lot of money in retirement. 50 or 60K a year in retirement is a lot when you live in a small town, but it's not if you're in a high-cost city.
There are flaws in every system. The idea should be to right what's wrong, not try to obliterate the retirements and benefits (benefits: dental care) of American's working class.
Last year our financial mess was the fault of Wall Street and financial managers. Now, it's magically shifted to the Unions and collective bargaining. You are sorely mistaken if you believe that occurred naturally. It is a planned, coordinated political attack by the real power elite, the money brokers. Not the working class of this country.
Speaking of demagoguery: The professor worked for three Republican governors of the State of Massachusetts. Do you wonder if he has a state pension, benefits from that service? Or if he partakes in 'perks' from his "endowed chair"? I'm not attacking the source, but his stance in blaming unions seems suspect to me.
Collective bargaining in a monopoly situation in government.
A private sector union doing this would close the business down and cause their own demise.
Exactly right..........If I don't like the fact that, in the price of every new GM car is 1300 dollars for union members health care, I can choose not to buy a new car, which I do. But when those benefits are paid for with my tax dollars that are taken from me, it becomes a problem. The Gravy Train is coming to halt!
The problem here is many posters are capable of thinking for themselves and cutting through the Republican rhetoric....we all heard Walker's phone call and know what his true intent is(well I knew without the phone call). Would you like to hear what he's really trying to accomplish>>>>> To break the unions in Wisconsin.....hoping the trend will spread to other states and fuel his political ambitions by furthering the Republican AGENDA!
So if public sector unions are the reason for economic problems in states that have them, then why do four of the major right to work states--TX, GA, VA and NC, have some of the biggest deficits in the country--a cumulative total of over 200 billion dollars? The truth is that that unions aren't responsible for this mess--although public employees are going to have to bear the brunt of efforts to fix state budgets through pays cuts and cuts in benefits. We barely escaped from a depression in this country, and we're still in a major recession. How about blaming the people who actually deserve the blame--bankers and wall street who took risks with our money (and who are still making millions of dollars and bonuses). I'm not a democrat--I'm a republican small business owner--and I'm tired of efforts by big business and the far right to try to put the blame for this mess on the backs of the middle class.
I see now that the far righties have reverted to attack and label the messenger mode, it always happens when they have no argument left. They throw their own under the bus the second one dares disagree with their warped mind set, since after all the far right sees the world in black and white with no colors or shades of grey allowed. Keep up the good work, you always know you are doing good when they start attacking you personally.
Casper
For god's sake, will you people lighten up. It's just a joke and befits this thread. Is it untrue?
As I said, last few years this financial mess was the fault of the banking industry and big business - now it's the fault of the unions. Is it that all of a sudden people came to a realization that the evil unions started it and it's all their fault? If you believe that you should try reading more "facts" that you are so interested in. There're always two sides and often many more to an issue.
And all the "facts" I got on the author of the OP's link were from conservative web-sites. Are they lying?
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