Jon StewÂart had to do it. He had to conÂnect the dots. We’re going after the pubÂlic serÂvants tryÂing to do some good. But how about the non-conÂtributÂing bankers who kept their perÂsonÂal gravy train rolling at taxÂpayÂer expense? Or the hedge fund manÂagers who pay draÂmatÂiÂcalÂly lowÂer taxÂes than almost anyÂone readÂing this site? 15%?? And let’s not forÂget that some of our our largest corÂpoÂraÂtions – includÂing GE and Exxon — have recentÂly paid no US income tax? UltiÂmateÂly, this all gets down to who funds your next elecÂtion. Banks and corÂpoÂraÂtions do. Kids and pubÂlic serÂvants don’t. David Brooks makes that point rather well. I’m all for sacÂriÂfice, but let’s make it fair and shared. Or is that idea too “socialÂist” (or what we quaintÂly used to call “demoÂcÂraÂtÂic”)?
RelatÂed Note:
Michael Moore Tells WisÂconÂsin TeachÂers “AmerÂiÂca is NOT Broke”
Jon StewÂart said the “Bush” tax cuts for the rich ???? Last time I checked ObaÂma was PresÂiÂdent. He should have said the “ObaÂma” tax cuts for the rich. It was funÂny too that Michael Moore through ObaÂma under the bus as well. Bush — ObaÂma, whats the difÂferÂence. Take away a few libÂerÂals and they are all the same.
Ummm. What?
It is difÂfiÂcult to underÂstand the comÂplaint that sacÂriÂfice is not “fair or shared” givÂen that the top 5% of earnÂers in this counÂtry pay approxÂiÂmateÂly 60% of all fedÂerÂal income taxÂes.
The arguÂment that pubÂlic serÂvants are being tarÂgetÂed is inacÂcuÂrate. PubÂlic employÂee unions and colÂlecÂtive barÂgainÂing are the issues. There is a big difÂferÂence. PosiÂtions takÂen by these unions are not necÂesÂsarÂiÂly repÂreÂsenÂtaÂtive of the opinÂions of indiÂvidÂual pubÂlic employÂees.
While the left, as it always does, tries to stiÂfle debate by resortÂing the rhetoric of class warÂfare, there are imporÂtant pubÂlic polÂiÂcy conÂsidÂerÂaÂtions when it comes to colÂlecÂtive barÂgainÂing by pubÂlic employÂees. FDR — hardÂly a right-winger — put it this way: “a strike of pubÂlic employÂees manÂiÂfests nothÂing less than an intent on their part to obstruct the operÂaÂtions of govÂernÂment until their demands are satÂisÂfied. Such action lookÂing toward the paralÂyÂsis of govÂernÂment by those who have sworn to supÂport it is unthinkÂable and intolÂerÂaÂble.” (quotÂed in D. DeSalÂvo, “The TrouÂble with PubÂlic SecÂtor Unions”, NationÂal Affairs, Fall 2010 at http://www.nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/the-trouble-with-public-sector-unions).
What is also left out of Mr. StewÂart’s comÂmenÂtary is any symÂpaÂthy for the the averÂage taxÂpayÂer. MilÂwauÂkee pubÂlic school teachÂers are curÂrentÂly paid, on averÂage, $101,000 in salary and benÂeÂfits. This figÂure sigÂnifÂiÂcantÂly exceeds mediÂan income in WisÂconÂsin. This burÂden is borne entireÂly by taxÂpayÂers who are themÂselves often strugÂgling to supÂport their own famÂiÂlies. Of course, these facts do not fit neatÂly into the rich v. poor archeÂtype fosÂtered by the likes of StewÂart.
They can’t take bonusÂes from bankers who failed, because that would cause an exoÂdus of talÂentÂed peoÂple? So, what kind of teachÂers do you think the US need to become comÂpetÂiÂtive again?
Umm, John LinÂcoln… they are called the bush cuts because they were passed under bush, with an autoÂmatÂic time limÂit.
That said, while this makes for amusÂing TV, it’s hardÂly takÂing any of the issues seriÂousÂly. I don’t honÂestÂly see what funcÂtion pubÂlic-secÂtor unions serve, and so restrictÂing their powÂers strikes me as a good thing. And all the eviÂdence I’ve read points to pubÂlic-secÂtor employÂees being overÂpaid (espeÂcialÂly in terms of penÂsion promisÂes) comÂpared to the priÂvate secÂtor.
TeachÂers and friends rememÂber the HarÂris years? Well they’re back in Wisconsin.…It’s scary!
I laughed at this
espeÂcialÂly the last part
but Hanoch’s comÂments are interÂestÂing
though perÂhaps the wealthy could pay still more (by could, i supÂpose i mean should)
they have in the past (though this in itself is not realÂly an arguÂment)
On the othÂer hand, priÂma facia, the talÂent arguÂment seems to me to apply excelÂlentÂly to teachÂers…
it’s a difÂfiÂcult conÂcept to quanÂtiÂfy howÂevÂer
Jon was right on, of course.
I do not know how anyÂbody can reaÂsonÂably defend corÂpoÂraÂtions. They are not even perÂsons and they are lazy and they live off the welÂfare proÂvidÂed by the reliÂgious Koch BrothÂers. Many of them are citÂiÂzens of the CayÂman Islands, havÂing renounced AmerÂiÂca to avoid payÂing their fair share of taxÂes in the counÂtry of their birth.
PriÂvaÂtiÂzaÂtion must me notÂed here. It is a favorite techÂnique of corÂpoÂraÂtions. They took over our prison sysÂtem and destroyed it and made us the laughÂing stock of the civÂiÂlized world. HalÂliburÂton, VP Cheney’s budÂdies priÂvaÂtized many of our milÂiÂtary funcÂtions and they promptÂly forÂgot to feed our troops in Iraq. (Just tryÂing to save a buck, I guess) But the MilÂiÂtary IndusÂtriÂal ComÂplex is the most wasteÂful of our tax monÂey as the expend obscene amounts by Defense DepartÂment funds by bureauÂcrats who work for our litÂtle old fedÂerÂal govÂernÂment, They even design planes that nobody wants as they spend taxÂpayÂer monÂey like it is going out of style. (Which it is)
But most perÂtiÂnent to eduÂcaÂtion is the corÂpoÂrate hirÂing of scabs at the UniÂverÂsiÂty and ColÂlege levÂel. They are called AdjuÂtants. They get paid a minÂiÂmum wage and they need anothÂer part time job to feed their famÂiÂly. But the corÂpoÂrate colÂlege ceo saved a buck even though adjuÂtants are not qualÂiÂfied to teach. It should be notÂed that Bank of AmerÂiÂca is not qualÂiÂfied to run a bank either. They had to defraud peoÂple out of home ownÂerÂship. Oh, well.
FinalÂly, peoÂple who “behave as a union” but who do not feel the need to tell the radÂiÂcal repubÂliÂcans in our midst that they “supÂport but do not join” the unions are growÂing like wildÂfire. They are availÂable by unions when needÂed. MeanÂwhile, unions have entered into agreeÂments with many socialÂly benÂeÂfiÂcial orgaÂniÂzaÂtions. This, my friends, is a masÂsive revÂoÂluÂtion. Saul AlinÂsky recÂomÂmendÂed that approach bv the way. The averÂage AmerÂiÂcan workÂer overÂwhelmÂingÂly believes in union behavÂior and they supÂport unions finanÂcialÂly even though they see no need to offiÂcialÂly join the union.
One last point. The achieveÂment of stuÂdents in PubÂlic schools which are staffed by union memÂbers exceed the achieveÂment at non union schools.
Is there anyÂthing more un-modÂerÂate as the comÂments of the union haters above?