Tax slave revolt against union tyranny spreads

by CalWatchdog Staff | September 18, 2012 8:26 am

[1]Sept. 18, 2012

By John Seiler

The problem with public-employee unions getting collective bargaining is that they then sit on both sides of the negotiating table. “This is our opportunity to elect our own bosses,” as union leader Ronda Walen put it in an election two years ago[2].

If you elect your “own boss,” then it’s not surprising that your “boss” — you — is over-generous with pay and benefits because other people — the taxpayers — pick up the bill.

As public coffers dive down in bankruptcy, people around the country are reacting.

In Wisconsin, Republican Gov. Scott Walker pushed through reforms that limited government-union power. A state judge just struck down[3] the reforms, but there will be appeals.

In California, we have on the November ballot Proposition 32[4], the “Paycheck Protection Initiative,” which would ban unions heisting money directly from members’ paychecks.

Also, in Michigan, voters will need to reject Proposal 2[5], the so-called “Protect our Jobs Amendment.” The unions are pushing it because it would, among other things, “Invalidate existing or future state or local laws that limit the ability to join unions and bargain collectively, and to negotiate and enforce collective bargaining agreements, including employees’ financial support of their labor unions. Laws may be enacted to prohibit public employees from striking.”

Basically, it would ban the Michigan Legislature from itself passing something like Walker’s reforms. Initiatives still could do so by effectively repealing Proposal 2, should it pass.

Michigan is a heavily unionized state. But its unions, unlike in most places, largely are in the private sector, especially the United Auto Workers union. The problem is not private-sector unions. If you don’t like the UAW, you don’t have to buy GM, Ford or Chrysler cars. You can buy something else.

But with government unions, you have no choice — except to move. Otherwise, if you stay put and subject yourself to their tyrannies, you become their tax slave.

Of course, the limit eventually is reached when the tax slaves’ backs start breaking from the immense load placed upon thems, which is where we are now, especially on the public pension issue.

The government-worker unions can elect their “own bosses” all they want to, but now, like in “Spartacus” (1960 movie picture above), the tax slaves are revolting.

Source URL: https://calwatchdog.com/2012/09/18/tax-slave-revolt-against-union-tyranny-spreads/

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