The Showdown Over Public Union Power

WSJ ^ | 2/22/11 | STEVEN MALANGA

[harpu]

Government workers have taken to the streets in Madison, Wis., to battle a series of reforms proposed by Gov. Scott Walker that include allowing workers to opt out of paying dues to unions. Everywhere that this "opt out" idea has been proposed, unions have battled it vigorously because the money they collect from dues is at the heart of their power.

Unions use that money not only to run their daily operations but to wage political campaigns in state capitals and city halls. Indeed, public-sector unions especially have become the nation's most aggressive advocates for higher taxes and spending. They sponsor tax-raising ballot initiatives and pay for advertising and lobbying campaigns to pressure politicians into voting for them. And they mount multimillion dollar campaigns to defeat efforts by governors and taxpayer groups to roll back taxes.

Also in 2010, teachers unions and public-safety unions in Arizona were influential players in the successful ballot campaign to increase the state's sales tax to 6.6% from 5.6% to raise an additional $1 billion. Some state business groups also supported the tax increase in the vain hope that the legislature would roll back business and investment taxes. The public unions, by contrast, wanted the tax hike precisely to avoid government spending cuts.

...snip...

If Gov. Walker succeeds in Wisconsin, it's likely that other reformers will follow his lead and explore ways to restrict public-sector unions' use of members' dues. Tax advocates in California, for instance, have proposed an initiative that would require a government union to gain the approval of individual members in order to divert dues into political campaigns. Such measures would give opponents around the country a new playbook to follow in countering the rich resources and deep influence of public unions over taxes and spending.

[harpu]

"At last, politicians and voters are fighting back against the most potent lobby for government spending and ever-higher taxes."

[ComputerGuy]

Semper Fi, Doc

[ChocChipCookie]

I hated that Arizona law. It set up the same conflict we see in Wisconsin between teachers, scared to death of losing any income and benefits, against people like us who had seen a 50% drop in our own income with no bailout in sight. I couldn’t believe the propaganda and the ferocity with which those teachers fought for passage.

[filbert]

I think we will look back in history at things like the Arizona tax increase as being examples of “winning the battle, losing the war.”

The unions depend, in the final analysis, on the sympathetic support—or at least the apathetic disinterest—of the public at large.

They have not only squandered much of that apathy or sympathy, they have actively and aggressively positioned themselves to be directly and blatantly opposed to the interests of the public at large.

Dumb. Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb.

[upcountryhorseman]

Teachers should never have been unionized! Aren’t they
supposed to be professionals? They should have professional
associations like lawyers.