The Ongoing Debate over Public Unions

Peggy Noonan on what’s going on in the debate about Public Unions

When you step back and try to get a sense of the larger picture in the battle between the states and their public employee unions, two elements emerge. ONE SEEMS SMALL BUT COULD PROVE DECISIVE, AND THE OTHER IS BIG AND, IF I'M SEEING IT RIGHT, CARRIES SIGNIFICANT IMPLICATIONS.

The seemingly small thing is that the battles in the states, while summoning emotions from all sides, are not at their heart emotional. YES, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE WAVING PLACARDS, BUT IT'S ALSO TRUE THAT SUDDENLY EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT NUMBERS; the numbers are being reported in the press and dissected on talk radio. This state has a $5 billion deficit; that state has projected deficits in the tens of millions. One estimate of New Jersey's bill for health and pension benefits for state workers over the next 30 years is an astounding $100 billion—money the state literally does not have and cannot get. THE VERY FORCE OF THE MATH HAS THE HEARTENING EFFECT OF SQUEEZING IDEOLOGY RIGHT OUT OF THE STORY. It doesn't matter if you're a liberal or a conservative, it's all about the numbers, and numbers are sobering things….

….The big thing that is new has to do with the atmospherics of the drama….

….THE TEACHERS UNION WENT TO WAR. They said, "Christie is trying to kill the unions," so they tried to kill him politically. THEY SPENT MILLIONS ON ADS TRYING TO TAKE HIM DOWN.

And it backfired. THEY DIDN'T KILL HIM, THEY MADE HIM. Chris Christie is a national figure now because THE TEACHERS UNION DECIDED, in an epic political drama in which arithmetic is the predominant fact, TO IGNORE THE MATH. They also decided to play the wrong role in the drama. They decided to play the role of Johnny Friendly, on whom more in a moment.

IF THE UNION LEADERS HAD BEEN SMART—IF THEY'D HAD A HEART!—they would have held a private meeting and said, "Look, the party's over. We've done great the past 20 years, but now taxpayers are starting to resent us, and they have reason. They're losing their benefits and footing the bill for our gold-plated plans, they don't have job security and we do, taxes are high. WE HAVE TO BACK OFF."…..

http://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html


I don’t always agree with Peggy Noonan, but I always love the way she writes. This is an outstanding look at the politics of what is going on today. Noonan insightfully compares the teacher’s union to Johnny Friendly the union leader from On the Waterfront. This is a must read.

Greenspan Says Government ‘Activism’ Hampering U.S. Recovery

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said A SURGE IN U.S. GOVERNMENT “ACTIVISM,” INCLUDING FISCAL STIMULUS, HOUSING SUBSIDIES AND NEW REGULATIONS, IS HOLDING BACK THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY.

Increased bond issuance by the Treasury Department crowds out borrowers with the weakest credit ratings, Greenspan said in an article in International Finance, published on the Web today. AT LEAST HALF OF THE SHORTFALL IN COMPANIES’ CAPITAL SPENDING “CAN BE EXPLAINED BY THE SHOCK OF VASTLY GREATER GOVERNMENT- CREATED UNCERTAINTIES EMBEDDED IN THE COMPETITIVE, REGULATORY AND FINANCIAL ENVIRONMENTS” since the failure of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (LEHMQ) in 2008, Greenspan said.

Greenspan’s conclusions fit with his long-held free-market ideology and may aid Republican lawmakers who argue that cutting federal spending now will help spur job growth. Critics including members of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission have said Greenspan’s failure to regulate the mortgage market last decade helped fuel the housing bubble whose bursting precipitated the financial crisis

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-03/greenspan-says-surge-in-government-activism-is-hampering-u-s-recovery.html


Simple economics which the left doesn’t seem to have an idea about.



While Obama seeks new ideas, his bureaucrats stifle them

Nearly a year ago, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and his health care policy team came up with a SIMPLE WAY TO SAVE THE STATE'S MEDICAID PROGRAM A LOT OF MONEY. WHY NOT HAVE MEDICAID RECIPIENTS AND APPLICANTS HANDLE THEIR PAPERWORK ONLINE? Using e-mail and a special Web site rather than paper, Herbert calculated, would save Utah about $6.3 million a year. "IT SEEMED LIKE A NO-BRAINER TO US," SAYS THE GOVERNOR.

The problem was, going paperless required a rules waiver from the Department of Health and Human Services. And that's where the idea ran into a brick wall.

"We tried for eight months to get the waiver," says Herbert. HHS delayed and delayed and delayed -- and then finally said no. "The denial we got back from the secretary of HHS was by e-mail, of all things," Herbert says, pausing a second for the listener to take it in. "The irony is rich."

http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/2011/03/while-obama-seeks-new-ideas-his-bureaucrats-stifle-them#ixzz1FdagCB7k

Bureaucracy is not intelligent and fast moving. This should not surprise anyone.


Democrats and Unions In Bed Together? Of course.

Here’s a video from a TV station in Wisconsin that found why collective bargaining with public unions is a corrupt practice when you have Democratic politicians involved in it.

http://powip.com/2011/03/madison-mayor-colluded-with-unions/


THE LOAN ARRANGER

I was looking for some information for my post Bussing In Outside Agitators and came across this bit: Deadbeat Union's $90 Million Debt from 21 May 2010. Interesting.

IN 2007, THE SEIU OWED BANK OF AMERICA NEARLY $95 MILLION.


BY THE END OF 2008, SEIU OWED MORE THAN $156 MILLION IN TOTAL OUTSTANDING LIABILITIES. Only six years prior, its liabilities were $8 Million. And we're not even addressing their debts to other banks, like $15 Million with Amalgamated Bank.

Go to the article for links.

No wonder this is do or die for the public sector unions. It is another f*n economic bubble. I guess we can add "public sector union union bubble" to its corollary "the lower education bubble".

NO WONDER THE LEFTIES HAVE BEEN ON ABOUT "SUSTAINABLE" FOR YEARS. NOTHING THEY HAVE BEEN DOING IS SUSTAINABLE.

Think about what it means for the unions if they can no longer service their debt or get shares of the company handed to them to collateralize their debt? Kaput. That's what.

http://www.classicalvalues.com/archives/2011/03/the_loan_arrang.html


Interesting and devastating for the Democrats. If their meal ticket is out of money, it will be interesting to see what they try to do to bail them out (and in turn get them into good enough shape to continue to fund democratic campaigns). And just when they need to do this, we have the Republicans swept into power in the House and across the country in state houses.


History of Public Sector Unions and Collective Bargaining

The image is inescapable. The Boston Police Strike of 1919, the ultimate vision

of public employee strikes. Stores looted, people robbed, mobs running loose,
and a governor tersely stating: “There is no right to strike against the public
safety by anybody, anytime.” Massachusetts Governor Calvin Coolidge fired all
striking police officers and called in the National Guard to restore order.

http://www.davidpietrusza.com/nys-public-unions.html


With all the misinformation out there this is a valuable read to see what the history actually is.



If you see a Democrat Senator from Wisconsin, please call the police

One of the reasons Wisconsin Republican senators voted to place warrants on what are now called the fugitive Democratic senators is THAT AT LEAST SOME OF THOSE DEMOCRATS -- the same ones who vowed to stay out of state until they prevail in the controversy over Gov. Scott Walker's budget proposal -- HAVE IN FACT BEEN RETURNING TO WISCONSIN FOR PERSONAL VISITS.

"We know that certain senators have been coming back on the weekends and spending time with their families or coming back at night," Republican Sen. Randy Hopper told me Thursday night. In an interview with Fox News' Greta van Susteren, Majority Leader Sen. Scott Fitzgerald said much the same thing. "THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT THE DEMOCRATIC SENATORS HAVE BEEN SNEAKING BACK AND FORTH," FITZGERALD TOLD FOX, "and some being as bold as to stay overnight in their own homes."

After Thursday's action in the Senate, coming back to Wisconsin will be considerably riskier for the 14 Democratic fugitives. "THEY WILL NOW HAVE WARRANTS ON THEM THAT IF THEY COME BACK INTO THE STATE AT ALL, LAW ENFORCEMENT WILL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DETAIN THEM," says Hopper

http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/03/wisconsin-gop-fugitive-dems-are-making-secret-visits-home#ixzz1FdxLCIrP

This will be interesting. Will unionized police officers enforce the warrant or will they turn a blind eye?


Global Warming Alarmists Flip-Flop On Snowfall

Sitting in on a March 1 Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) press conference regarding global warming and heavy snowfalls, I COULDN’T HELP FEELING LIKE THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE QUESTIONING MAFIA CAPO FRANK PENTANGELI IN GODFATHER II. The chairman, listening incredulously as Pentangeli contradicts a sworn written statement he had earlier given to the committee, waves the written statement in the air and protests, “We have a sworn affidavit — we have it — your sworn affidavit…. Do you deny that confession, and do you realize what will happen as a result of your denial?”

THE UN INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) THIRD ASSESSMENT REPORT was as straightforward as Frank Pentangeli’s earlier confession that he had killed on behalf of Michael Corleone. “MILDER WINTER TEMPERATURES WILL DECREASE HEAVY SNOWSTORMS,” IPCC REPORTED.

That was in 2001. Now, however, with an unprecedented number of major winter snowstorms hitting the northeastern U.S. during the past two winters, THE ALARMISTS ARE CLAMMING UP AND CHANGING THEIR TUNE FASTER THAN TOM HAGEN CAN FLY IN VINCENZO PENTANGELI FROM ITALY TO AID HIS BROTHER IN HIS TIME OF TROUBLE

.

http://blogs.forbes.com/jamestaylor/2011/03/02/global-warming-alarmists-flip-flop-on-snowfall/


We all know now that what the climate scientist meant to say was that if we had fewer heavy snowstorms or more heavy snowstorms it means that global warming is happening. They are sounding more like Bernie Madoff rather than actual scientists.



Krauthammer: The incomprehensibility of the Left

Voices around the world, from Europe to America to Libya, are calling for U.S. intervention to help bring down Moammar Gaddafi. YET FOR BRINGING DOWN SADDAM HUSSEIN, THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN DENOUNCED VARIOUSLY FOR AGGRESSION, DECEPTION, ARROGANCE AND IMPERIALISM.

A STRANGE MORAL INVERSION, considering that Hussein's evil was an order of magnitude beyond Gaddafi's. Gaddafi is a capricious killer; Hussein was systematic. Gaddafi was too unstable and crazy to begin to match the Baathist apparatus: a comprehensive national system of terror, torture and mass murder, gassing entire villages to create what author Kanan Makiya called a "Republic of Fear."

Moreover, THAT SYSTEMIZED BRUTALITY MADE HUSSEIN IMMOVABLE in a way that Gaddafi is not. BARELY ARMED LIBYANS HAVE ALREADY SEIZED HALF THE COUNTRY ON THEIR OWN. Yet in Iraq, there was no chance of putting an end to the regime without the terrible swift sword (it took all of three weeks) of the United States.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/03/AR2011030304239.html



Judge to Obama: Appeal the ruling or stop implementation

Roger Vinson, the U.S. federal judge who ruled Obamacare unconstitutional in its entirety, has ruled again on the health-care law. ON THURSDAY, JUDGE VINSON ISSUED A STAY ON HIS EARLIER RULING THAT THE LAW COULD NOT BE ENFORCED. In doing so, he sent a clear message to the Obama administration: Appeal my decision to a higher court or stop implementing the law.

When Judge Vinson ruled on Jan. 31 that the health-care law was unconstitutional, the administration followed up by filing a motion for clarification rather than filing an official appeal. Vinson’s ruling criticized the administration for that action.

“During the four-plus weeks since entry of my order, the defendants have seemingly continued to move forward and implement the act,” Vinson wrote. “While I believe that my order was as clear and unambiguous as it could be, it is possible that the defendants may have perhaps been confused or misunderstood its import.”

Now, VINSON HAS GIVEN THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AN ULTIMATUM TO EITHER STOP IMPLEMENTING THE LAW, OR APPEAL IT — presumably to the Supreme Court. It is unclear what will happen if the administration ignores that order.

http://dailycaller.com/2011/03/03/judge-who-declared-obamacare-unconstitutional-sends-message-to-white-house-with-second-ruling/#ixzz1FeY6O2HE


It appears the Obama Administrations decision to pretend Judge Vinson didn’t rule on Obamacare is now at an end. In fact, it appears it was a stalling tactic. Time to put up (appeal it) or shut up (stop implementing it).



NASA Satellite Rocket Launch Fails, Lands In Ocean

A rocket carrying an Earth-observation satellite plummeted into the Pacific Ocean after a failed launch attempt Friday, the second-straight blow to NASA’s weakened environmental monitoring program.

The Taurus XL rocket carrying NASA’s Glory satellite lifted off early Friday morning from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, but fell to the sea several minutes later. The same thing happened to another climate-monitoring satellite two years ago with the same type of rocket.

During a news conference Friday, officials explained that a protective shell atop the rocket did not separate from the satellite as it should have about three minutes after launch. That left the Glory spacecraft without the velocity to reach orbit.

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2011/03/04/nasa-rocket-probably-in-ocean-after-failed-launch/


This story is almost prophetic. As AGW is crashing and burning in the science, so too is the satellite that NASA was planning on using to monitor global warming. Seems appropriate.