If instead of the Wisconsin Senators leaving the state to avoid voting on Governor Walker’s bill, everybody else (aside from the teachers’ unions of course) left Wisconsin permanently, would the public employees still have a right to their salaries and retirement benefits?
Follow the money (let’s see if I have this straight):
1. Taxes are removed from my paycheck. If I do not file a return I go to jail.
2. These taxes pay pubic sector employees’ salaries and benefits.
3. If you want to be a public employee in my state, union membership is compulsory, and are union dues are withheld from your salary.
4. The union sends a chunk of these dues to legislators to support their (re)election (98% or so to Dems).
5. Legislators then “bargain” with unions over how much they are compensated, and how (see #2 above for the source of these funds).
Hey lookie there! We have “Public Campaign Financing” after all! (for Democrats).
Wintercow and jb, great posts.
On Wisconsin, from Wisconsin!
