Free Republic

‘Mokita’ is a word from New Guinea that means a truth everyone knows but nobody speaks about directly. It’s like an elephant in the room. It can be applied to many issues, but one area where it can no longer be applied is in connection with the disastrous financial position public employee unions have placed the rest of us. Many cities and states are facing unprecedented budget shortfalls in the aftermath of the collapse of the housing bubble.

Nearly all of the state's building and engineering inspectors - including those who check boilers, air tanks and amusement park rides - were suspended Monday for refusing to carry cell phones with global positioning system tracking capabilities. Public Safety Commissioner Thomas Gatzunis suspended 20 of the state's 24 inspectors after he said they refused to carry the phones, despite an agreement with the inspectors union requiring them to carry them. Carrying the GPS tracking phones helps officials keep track of the inspectors and can save them the trouble of calling in their location. Gatzunis called the refusal to carry the...