by JB WilliamsAs Democrat New York Governor David Patterson sought to feather the nests of his closest aides and allies with lavish pay increases topping 29%, he was pushing for a furlough of 100,000 state employees in an emergency effort to keep New York state from bellying up under the weight of excessive government waste in one of the highest taxed states in the country.
NYDailyNews:
A federal judge in Albany on Wednesday temporarily halted Gov. Paterson's plan to furlough 100,000 state workers, saying employees could face "irreparable harm" from a 20% pay cut.Of course Government Employee Labor Unions were furious, taking to the streets of New York like Greek union thugs, threatening to make the streets of New York look like the streets of Athens if someone didn’t step in and stop Patterson from putting 100,000 state workers on the unemployment line.
The Legislature reluctantly backed Paterson's furlough plan Monday, rather than risk a government shutdown.
In rides the knight in shining armor on silver steed, a federal court judge who immediately issues a stay blocking New York from laying off 100,000 workers on the basis of – “it wasn’t collectively bargained” – which means, the labor union objects… and on that basis alone, one man stopped the state of New York, its elected Governor and the state legislature from balancing their own budget before going belly up. End analysis? – Where did states rights go?
Where will that federal judge be when New York payroll checks bounce?
Meanwhile, one must ask, since government jobs are taxpayer funded, why do we even have public sector labor unions which can hold taxpayers hostage under thug collective bargaining rules, perpetually increasing the cost of government to the detriment of every taxpayer, until we hit the bottom of the resource well?
Many other US cities and states are in the same position as New York. Since we now think federal legal precedent is the new supreme law of our land, this judge single handedly established that no city or state has the right to self-govern, unless they clear it with labor union thugs first.
6 Bloviations:
Paterson(correct spelling) is a lame duck. I don't think he gives a damn who he pisses off. It is in incredibly bad taste and unethical to do this, but it is NY. Unlike the mid-west where propriety is feigned, at least in NY they do it out in the open for the world to see.
As to your rhetorical question about unions, their power comes from the contracts they have, written by lawyers and supported by lawyers (judges). What NY and other states need to do is push this up the food chain to SCOTUS.
Unions are the scum of the earth.
As always the solution is a simple one, but no one has the balls to do it.
DON'T RE-NEW THE UNION CONTRACTS.
There, problem solved. Let them walk off the job. There are 100 unemployed people willing to take each of their jobs.
Never compromise. Not even in the face of Armageddon.
In any deal, you should be willing and ready to walk away. The vast majority of people do not have that instinct. Once they become invested in a process, emotions take over and rationality leaves the room. Ask any car salesman or even observe eBay.
The problem is that civil servants have more rights to a job than the average bear. Even the private sector union idiots have the Wagner Act.
In the end, the following will be required..
1) Entitlements will have to convert to defined contribution instead of defined benefits.
2) Social security, medicare, etcetera will have to convert to it's actual value, not defined benefit.
3) Cost of living increases have to go as well.
If all that happens we'll not have an abrupt chaos-based reset. Otherwise we will go through an abrupt, painful, and probably deadly reset that will cost lives, life savings, and very possibly our liberty.
Another anonymous. Jeez. #2 sounds specious to me. Overall, taking what you are saying, I would derive that socialism doesn't work. Defined contribution? How about indentured servitude, peonage and slavery. How about employment at will and right to work? There you go now. Everyone has a right to get on the starting line, after that it's up to each individual.
What is interesting to me is how the so-called "small government" Republicans do all in their power to protect Big Brother spending programs that employ the government union workers who fund the Democrats with campaign money.
A crazy fringe person might conclude that the Republicans and Democrats are simply one party playing the voters for fools.
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