"....going after..."
The only ones who think the governor is "going after" anyone are those people who either belong to unions or are receiving public pensions...and that's all-told less than 12% of workers in the USA.
As to your "....leave it at that....," I agree. So where are the Democrats? Oh, wait, they're busy in Grayslake, Illinois subverting democracy.
You asked me before (yesterday, in fact) and I told you yes, I am a state employee, but I am not yet eligible for retire...not even close. So, all the concerns over retirement pensions don't affect me nearly as much as it does someone who is tenured and a year or two from retiring. I still have nearly 12 yrs left before retirement and atleast 2 yrs before I reach tenure status. But the landscape for public employee retirement plans were changing in my state a few years ago. As such, the only retirement plan I pay into is my 401(k) same as most other state employees who were hired about the same timeframe as myself (or private sector employee for that matter).
I also informed you I don't belong to any union or state employee association of any kind (although I have been courted by my peers on numerous occasions). I've merely declined (mostly for economic reasons of my own), but I respect the right of those who are members to voice their concerns via unions/employee associations representation. My concern over the situation in Wis., OH, MI and IN is that these states seem to be hell bent on taking away the negotiating rights of state employees, thereby either limiting or effectively silencing their voice as a collective group at the state legislative level. In my view, that's the equivalent of usurping one's right to freedom of speech which is a right I'd think most Conservatives would viamently defend if they truly support the Constitutional rights of all citizens in this country.
On the other hand, I'm also see that the window of communications between public employees and their state representatives isn't completely closed. One can still write, call, email or schedule a visit to contact their state representatives to have their grievences heard. Howoever, it would take a massive letter writing/email/robo-call campaign before such grievences are heard by public workers "collectively". It's still possible in those states where union representation has not been completely silenced, but for those who no longer have a voice where do they turn now to have their unified voices heard?
As I've stated to Rev and others on the matter, I believe that GOP governors as using public worker's unions, salaries, health care benefits and pensions as easy targets to exploit when instead they should be looking at those real issues that got their fiscal houses in such disarray in the first place, i.e., pay raises for politicians where state employee raises and new hiring have been frozen (is it right for state legislators to vote themselves pay raises knowing full well their state budgets are running deficits?), improving their own benefit packages while cutting everyone elses, continuing to finance building projects using municiple bonds when you haven't paid off the previous bond loan, basing state budgets on future projections instead of 5-yr averages to include paying for those things that are mandated to fund by law? How can cuts in teacher salaries and benefits be justified when states have not addressed their real deficit problems? And what I've outlined are just the tip of the ice burg! We haven't even gotten to some of the waste that takes places or stupid decisions that are made that don't produce revenue, i.e., allowing a business to form in a state but NOT have to pay taxes for 10-15-20+ yrs? I understand the need to attrack business/jobs to a state, but good Lord!! Yet it happens all the time and yet the first people who are immediately affected by spending cuts and downsizing are public servants. It would seem WE pay the price for the mistakes of the legislature!
rof
