I’m a little disturbed by the Dick Morris poll which shows that the US public agrees with Gov. Walker on every point EXCEPT for collective bargaining by government unions.
By 10 points the people polled believe that the unions should have collective bargaining on pensions and benefits as well as salary.
To me, what that means on the surface is that they are taking the position of the vanished senators who say they will take pay cuts but not give up full bargaining rights.
Yes, on the surface, because the question is framed as coolective bargaining “rights.” But ask them if government employees should be able to bargain with other government employees as to how much they will charge the taxpayers for their services, and I think the answer will be different. IMHO....
Yes, that statistic fron Morris’ survey was disturbing. I assume it reflects the general public’s complete ignorance of the implications of public sector unions’ keeping bargaining rights for all issues (benefits and working conditions). Does the public realize that states and localities are going bankrupt thanks to the friendly contracts negotiated with these unions over the past several years (decades)? Does the public realize how uneven those negotiations are (negotiating with the people who got you elected)? Does the public really understand how ridiculous the benefit package these unions already have is? Does the public realize that these rights were first given by executive order (President Kennedy in 1962). I realize that Wisconsin’s was by legislative act, so now it needs to be overturned by legislation — but that’s what Scott Walker was elected to do: get his state back on the road to fiscal sanity and balance. This is the only way. I’ll bet the public is unaware of how serious this really is.