Unions Killing Local Government

[Stephen Frank]

The politics of big government, tax and spend, is now pushing local governments toward bankruptcy.

In fact, it has been the ownership of local government by unions, causing the excessive spending and taxation, that is causing the rush to bankruptcy.

City after city have given sweetheart contracts, wages and benefits to those who paid for the election of the city council or school board--the unions. Just as Obama is giving national unions car companies, tens of billions in bailouts, killing non union members work opportunities, on a local level, fiscal experts will tell you that the unions are the prime cause of the fiscal meltdown of local government.

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[kjl]

It all comes down to the quality of the work produced for the wages given, and whether the employer can afford the employee at that wage. Unions served a purpose and that was to recognize the superior quality of their members work over those in the general public. When the work produced is not superior there is no need to recognize the members as any different than the rest of the public at large. If the union members work is not superior to the public at large, then the union is nothing more than a gang of individuals using bully tactics to get what they want. On the other hand, the employees need to have the respect of the employer and a decent wage, a safe work environment and produce safe quality products and services the public deserve.
When either the employer or the employee/union become overbearing the public is the loser in the end.

[DerailAmnesty.com]

In fact, it has been the ownership of local government by unions, causing the excessive spending and taxation, that is causing the rush to bankruptcy.

City after city have given sweetheart contracts, wages and benefits to those who paid for the election of the city council or school board--the unions.


Los Angeles is on the far end of the curve for this type of behavior.

Actually, we're seeing an interesting byproduct of participatory democracy. When government is large and impacts far more aspects of everyday life and business than our founding fathers intended, it makes good financial sense for constituents to attempt to buy/influence politicians who control so much of their lives.

This is something that political theoreticians/thinkers didn't imagine or predict hundreds of years ago. Sort of like capitalism. We didn't anticipate it would ultimately play a role in our breeding ourselves out of existence. In financially developed countries (France, the U.S., Japan, etc.), it makes good fiscal sense to have few or no children. That's what educated people do. Therefore, our populations start to shrink because we've failed to crank out kids at sustenance levels (2.1 children per couple), and the vacuum is filled by the Have Nots and largely unskilled (in this country, illegals from Latin America, in Europe, recently transplanted Muslims) who produce children like they were coming off an assembly line.

[ilbegone]

What sort of wages are normaly paid by local government?

Oh, rock bottom. So, what sort of incentive is there for someone to go to work for the average municipality?

1) Steady paycheck, benefits, and a retirement.

Here is a partial list of the most likely candidates:

1) Someone who's never lived or worked outside of the city limits. Probably has never been out of the county. Belongs to one of the old families who are usually inter-related and well established in the community.

2) A relative of one of the local power brokers. Sometimes hired to repay a back door favor.

3) Someone who knows how to play the resume/interview game and is looking for a cush job. Knows how to work the big fish in the small pond.

4) Beneficiary of an artificial, politically correct or legally required quota.

How does local government normaly get revenue?

1) property taxes.

2) sales taxes.

How do politicians stay in office?

1) Spend every last dollar of revenue in such a manner as to ingratiate themselves to the prevailing voting populace as well as the politically connected. Paving the right streets, so to speak. Most politicians have no qualms about spending money which is not their own.



So, The building boom is on, property values soar, commerce is brisk, a cascade of revenue comes in, the booty is divvied up. Everyone parties like it's never going to end.

Then the building boom implodes. Employment nosedives. Property values drop like a Warner Brothers anvil. Money ceases to circulate. Government revenues plummet. The party is over, everyone is surprised - couldn't see it coming. Then the tap dancing and finger pointing begins.

Union or non - union; city, county, or even state with income tax revenue; that's how it works. The retirement issues are only a selective part of the picture.

[ilbegone]

Well, Mr. Franks,

Do you hang around to participate in the discussion or are you just a prolific spammer?

Apologies to the board for my previous no judgment proclamations concerning this post.

[AyatollahGondola]

The posts from Stephen are fed into this forum automatically. If you visit the website via the link, you can leave commentary on that particular subject.

[ilbegone]

The posts from Stephen are fed into this forum automatically. If you visit the website via the link, you can leave commentary on that particular subject.

I understand the first, but I wish Mr. Franks would personally contribute to the discussion here and make his case for his views. It seems to me not much different from leaving a bunch of printed advertisement coupons under everyone's windshield outside of the supermarket.

And I must admit that is not a much different view on my part from those who would like to see more bodies at rallies.

[ilbegone]

As a further thought, perhaps Mr Franks could have a section dedicated to his blog, so that other commentary concerning news outside of the bee isn't trampled over.

I have also thought that maybe there could be a section devoted to light stuff, jokes, stories, funny videos, observations, etc.

[AyatollahGondola]

As a further thought, perhaps Mr Franks could have a section dedicated to his blog, so that other commentary concerning news outside of the bee isn't trampled over.

I have also thought that maybe there could be a section devoted to light stuff, jokes, stories, funny videos, observations, etc.

I thought we did have that in the socializing section. Or did you mean something else?