REAL NEWS GOVERNMENT UNIONS TRADE THEIR VOTES TO POLITICIANS FOR CRIPPLING BENEFITS. <[email protected]> (Common sense, politically incorrect newsletter to 14,941 subscribers) GOVERNMENT UNIONS TRADE THEIR VOTES TO POLITICIANS FOR CRIPPLING BENEFITS. A look at how public sector unions are crippling state budgets and exploiting tax payers. Beware police, firemen and educators endorsements. By Jeffrey Torres, political science author One of the most pressing issues in America today: "Are public sector unions crippling state budgets?" To make matters worse, in this time of economic upheaval, public sector unions are demanding more benefits, such as higher pensions and better health coverage, at the expense of overburdened tax payers. Government employees do not innovate or create wealth, so how can so many politicians justify such lavish benefits to public sector unions that the private sector can only dream of? Politicians simply cannot make a rational statement about public sector unions and their bloated benefits. However, politicians are experts at rationalization and will tell you that government employees are hard working, decent Americans, while completely avoiding the question on public sector unions and their benefits. President Obama, in an interview with Charles Benson from an NBC affiliate in Milwaukee, had this to say, "Some of what I've heard coming out of Wisconsin, where you're just making it harder for public employees to collectively bargain, generally seems like more of an assault on unions. I think it's very important for us to understand that public employees, they're our neighbors, they're our friends." Government employees are our neighbors, and some may be our friends, but is anyone actually arguing for picking up your neighbors' health insurance premiums and pension contributions while they contribute a less percentage of what you are required to pay? So, how bad is the situation? Dennis Cauchon of USA TODAY said that according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, average federal salary for 2008 was $67,691, while average private sector salary was only $60,046, which is a $7,645 difference. Federal employees are typically paid more than private sector employees. While the average federal salary has typically been increasing year to year, the benefits granted to them remains incredibly high. Government health care plans, pension and other federal benefits amount to roughly $40,785 per worker a year, while private sector benefits are at a meager $9,882 per worker a year. Individual state benefits vary, but the majority give roughly the same amount of benefits that federal employees receive. You may be wondering how public service unions can get away with this. It is no surprise that public service unions receive a large amount of benefits in exchange for votes and political contributions. For example, Wisconsin currently allows union dues to be collected through payroll taxes. These unions strong arm you to resign if you do not join their union. Speaking of strong arming, ever wonder why we have secret ballot elections? We do this so organizations such as the Republican party, Democrat party or other political groups do not single you out and coerce you into voting for a particular candidate or referendum. Public service unions seem to despise this concept, which is not a surprise, given that the structure of these unions typically has a top to bottom command structure in which the union bosses make most of the decisions. These practices are tolerated by politicians, because it helps guarantee them votes and contributions come election time. Worst of all, tax payers are generally not represented in the negotiations with public sector unions. Tax payers ultimately foot the bill for the generous benefits given to unions, so where are our interests represented during these negotiations. The sad fact is that we rarely have a say with regards to unions and our tax dollars. Who can we turn to if not the politicians we elect to represent our interests as tax payers? Luckily, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. We can get public sector unions back to where they do not drive the state and even federal deficit spiraling out of control. Wisconsin's Governor Walker is a rare example of an elected official acting on behalf of tax payers and those who elected him to public office to do his job and solve the problem at its root. Will Governor Walker's charge inspire others to take action against out of control government spending? If you are genuinely interested in creating a better future for our children, then you will do all you can to join the charge for fiscal responsibility. --------------------------------------------------------- --REAL NEWS Editor [email protected] Contact Your Govt http://www.usa.gov/Contact.shtml Is the Constitution the Supreme Law of the Land or not? I GUESS THE SCOTUS HAS ANWERED THAT QUESTION Patriot Freedom http://www.patriotfreedom.org/battlefield.php If a link above does not work, cut-and-paste to your browser. Please be aware that Barack Hussein Obama’s grandfather was a highly respected witch doctor with the Luo tribe. His white grandmother was VP at the Bank of Hawaii and she worked with and for Peter Geithner on other projects, Peter is the father of Timothy Geithner, Obama's choice of Treasurer of the US. We the People http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVAhr4hZDJE This email is archived at http://groups.google.com/group/richsrants?hl=en I'M MAD, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANY MORE http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/bprelutsky/2009/07/05/im-mad-as-hell/ . -- To join RichsRants, send email to: [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/richsrants?hl=en
