Comments on: Dr. Lopez Misdiagnoses Unions

By: David

David — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 06:09:11 +0000

The state and federal budget crisis was not caused by union contracts. It was caused by the massive recession that we are all still struggling to survive. There are other factors too — such as politicians of both parties voting for tax cuts while raising expenditures. But the single most important factor is the recession.

By: John Seiler

John Seiler — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 22:07:22 +0000

Corporate power is a major danger. All government subsidies to corporations should be ended.

But even there, the danger is less than with public employee unions. If Archer-Daniels-Midlands doesn’t get its ethanol subsidies, we’re all better off. But if fireman go on strike, your house could burn down without them coming to put it out.

In any case, the whole system is so out of whack — not just high government-employee salaries, but subsidies to corporations and other special interests — that governments at all levels are bankrupt. More cuts will be made almost everywhere.

By: ExPFC Wintergreen

ExPFC Wintergreen — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 22:02:21 +0000

Dave in #1 ‘forgets’ that public employee unions have enormous power that private sector unions do not have, simply because they work for government, which is essentially a monopoly. When even giant unions like UAW go on strike, their employers can obviously just hire replacement workers. Even if the company wants to give in to union demands, it can only go so far because competing companies will put them out of business if costs of propduction are too high. Private sector union officials understand this concept well, and concessions are made when that happens (i.e., United Airlines).

Government unions can force elected officials to raise taxes and pass union-favorable pension and workplace laws to meet the demands made by union officials. Huge difference, and helps explain why the focus of the media is on private sector unions.

By: David from Oceanside

David from Oceanside — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:57:55 +0000

America has become a corporatist/fascist union which is in many ways run by the corporations for the benefit of the corporations. An example of this is Obama’s selection of Monsanto shill Tom Vilsack as Agriculture Secretary. A deeper look into the massive federal bureaucracy finds defense, agriculture, and banking lobbyists/executives moving in and out of government.

That point conceded, how and why is that a defense of a system in which the taxpayer is harmed through violent enforcement, for paying the costs of the rent seeking of public employee unions and self seeking power hungry politicians?

By: David

David — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 10:02:04 +0000

Since you believe that it’s wrong for public employees to negotiate with people they played a role in electing, I’m sure you would agree that all corporations and businesses should also be banned from negotiating with the government, because they also are permitted to play a role in electing the public officials who determine whether they will receive government contracts. Right? It’s only logical. Everyone should simply have to take whatever the government decides to give them, without any ability to even discuss the price they would like for their goods and services. Right? Otherwise I might think you are actually advocating taking away the rights of people (union members) just because you disagree with them politically about some things.