First Against the Wall When the Revolution Comes

2Jan/1114

First Against the Wall When the Revolution Comes

Funny how those attempting to foment class wars in the U.S. never seem to understand what the likely sides will be. Let's look at a recent "battle" in this war...the war that's becoming the one between public union employees and everybody else.

While "the facts" are still a bit hazy, the PR in NY is becoming that the Sanitation Union bosses in NYC thought they'd be able to swing things to their side by having a job slowdown during a large snowstorm to show the supposed consequences of budget cuts. Easy to blame the out-of-touch rich mayor Bloomberg, esp. when he says dumbass stuff trying to downplay the severity of the problem.

But then the leaks began.

And it didn't even require leaks, because non-union members could observe for themselves the plows just driving by certain neighborhoods with the blades up, could see the operators at sleep in their trucks or just farting around, or just getting plowed themselves. Even with such an easy job in front of them, at least the way they were being allowed to do it, why did so many call in sick?

You know there are going to be lawsuits, especially given the people ending up dead due to the impassible roads. Of course, it's likely going to be the city to get sued, and not the unions -- as the city has a lot more money than the unions for right now. And given the trajectory of events, it's likely that the unions aren't going to be on the rise. Turnabout is fair play as Bloomberg promises investigations... and given that the new gov of NY was a prosecutor.... a few show trials would be fun, no? A bit of criminal conspiracy? Esp. with dead babies coming into call?

Whoever thought this was going to be a great way to flex the muscles of the union was an idiot. Even if the secrecy of union orders were kept, much of the bad actions were there for a snowbound populace to see. You guys must really be stupid not to think that people who had nothing better to do wouldn't be videotaping what was going on. And for this to be somewhat okay would be to require only some mildly bad things to happen, not people dying.

Wealth - any income that is at least one hundred dollars more a year than the income of one's wife's sister's husband.
H. L. Mencken

Those eaten by envy tend to be those not envying the George Clooneys or Steve Jobs or LeBron Jameses of the world.... not even envying the Paris Hiltons. It's the co-worker who gets the raise while you don't; it's the relative with the nicer car. It's having to deal with having less than the people you know in your own, personal circle. Especially when you think you see that there's nothing particularly special in that person's accomplishments compared to yours.... but usually it does even out, so it's not so bad. Or the difference is marginal.

The problem is that with public employees, many of the jobs are being done in the private market, and people are beginning to see how huge the gulf in pay, benefits, and performance expectations are between the public and private sectors. These really are your next-door neighbors.

The awareness may not have been high before, but as public finances really are going into the insupportable range, and again, a lot of that is due to demographic issues, there are going to be a lot more stories about how different the public employees are compared to the rest of us.... but not that they deserve any of this differential treatment. And the public unions expecting to have people on their side in their fight to hang onto their perks will find themselves under seige, as opposed to the supposed "rich" who can pay for an infinite amount of these goodies. People will question whether they should be allowed to unionize at all.

Watch out for the pitchforks. And hold onto your pensions, guys... if you can keep them.

Meep

Meep is a member of the Irish Catholic mafia, having a suspiciously high number of green-eyed, red-haired friends. While she doesn’t have red hair herself [except when she goes into the sun (rare for any vampire)], she does have green eyes. She’s a raving Papist and is a life actuary on the side [i.e., she counts dead people]. An amateur pain-in-the-ass [willing to go pro!], she likes covering retirement, mortality, math, and education issues.

Tagged as: new york city, public finance, public unions Leave a comment

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Catherine
January 2nd, 2011 - 16:25

Public employees often are not allowed to unionize in the South. That’s quite legal — you can’t forbid someone from joining a union, but you can forbid the government from working with a lobbyist or collective bargaining agent.

Let that happen and watch the public employees’ children end up on food stamps. I’m not saying they should be paid better but when your salary is based on the whim of the “less taxes, more services” taxpayers, it’s not unreasonable to think a little protection is needed.

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- Meep
  January 2nd, 2011 - 16:34
  
  I have no protection whatsoever other than the usual state and federal workers laws.
  
  And yet, I see no bargain basement actuaries. And unlike other countries, there are precious few laws in the U.S. requiring particular certifications for actuaries except for very specific situations — most of the work I do doesn’t actually require a person with my certifications. This is true for most of us back office people, like accountants, for example. And yet, we’re paid pretty well even though we have no unions.
  
  No one is required to work for the state. No free person is required to work for a particular employer. If they do not like the pay and benefits on offer they can go get a job elsewhere.
  
  And if it’s tough to find another job? Hey! Welcome to the private sector, comrade!
  
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  - Meep
    January 2nd, 2011 - 16:38
    
    (and yes, I know you also work for a private employer)
    
    By the way, remember the govt shutdown due to Newt Gingrich’s snitfit in the 90s? That’s when I decided I did not want to work for the government. I do not want my salary/benefits dependent on any politician.
    
    It’s not wise for a family/individual to get wedded too much to a single employer, in my opinion, unless that employer is themselves.
    
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jefferson101
January 2nd, 2011 - 21:03

I’m not sure that I’d support banning public-employee Unions. There are just as many psychotic slave-drivers running things in the public sector as there are in the private sector.

OTOH, I would cheerfully support banning any Political activity by any public sector Union. That would pretty much serve the same end, and it’d be a whole lot more supportive of those folks who feel they need an additional layer of protection against an abusive management.

Yeah, I know…..That’s some kind of Un-Constitutional violation of someone’s rights, but so are a good portion of the Firearm laws in this country. I’ll start getting worked up about their right to freedom of speech when they start worrying about my right to ‘…keep and bear Arms.”

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- Meep
  January 2nd, 2011 - 21:56
  
  Public employee unions didn’t really exist until the 1960s. Were public employees that downtrodden before then?
  
  I have a compromise position: public employees covered by the same employment laws as private employees. Unionization needs to be imposed in same methods, too — certification, etc.
  
  Too often the governments exclude themselves from stuff like safety and overtime regs. So let’s put that back in there. Anything that’s imposed on private employers also needs to be imposed on public ones…. =especially= Congress.
  
  Most of the “rights” that unions were supposed to protect are now protected by a variety of state and federal laws in the private sector. Seems fair that public employees should have those same protections.
  
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Tom Bennett
January 2nd, 2011 - 22:30

Dan:

Subsequent to Illinois Governor Quinn’s Pension legislation, Chicago is projecting a 60% increase to property tax levy. By the time pension remedies are made for other city workers (i.e., public school teachers) Chicago taxpayers wil be looking at a 100% increase to property tax levy.

The above-matter is THE reason why every-American should be HIGHLY cynical and opposed to Obama Gangster Politics Tax Policies.

This is also called….”The Chicago’s Political Cosa Nostra’s Corruption Tax.”

While I’m disappointed with Gov. Quinn’s unprecedented increase, the reality is same increase is the “economic consequence” to Mayor Daley’s diverting of taxpayer funds away from teachers, CFD and CPD pensions for past 20-yrs. In fact, Daley hasn’t contributed to City Teacher pensions for past 10-yrs.

Where did Daley divert same taxpayer funds to?

Daley used same funds to financially reward his cronies thru “pinstripe patronage” amongst real estate developers and construction firmsm.

Obama Gangster Politics combined with social entitlements
results in both Tyranny & Socialism.

Again, the current “state-of-play” in both the City of
Chicago and State of Illinois is a “highly relevant,
Present-day Case Study” related to the Socialist/Communist
Manifestations of flawed, consolidated-power that is
not “kept-in-check.”. To be perfectly candid, Chicago’s
City Council, Chicago’s Mainstream Media and State of
Illinois Policy-Makers have been “asleep-at-the-swith”
For past 20+ years…..now same Political Cosa Nostra
Wants to MARGINALIZE (and co-opt) our US Congress and
US Senate the way Rich Daley & Company have silenced and marginalized opposition as well as consolidated Power within the City of Chicago’s legislative branch.

Wake-up and smell-the-coffee America.

Best,

TRB 312.636.3662

————–

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-31/illinois-governor-quinn-signs-pension-bill-that-chicago-mayor-daley-fought.html

Chicago’s Daley Says Pension-Overhaul Law Will Bring Record Tax Increase

By Tim Jones – Dec 30, 2010 11:01 PM GMT-0600

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley accused his fellow Democrat, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, of imposing “the largest property-tax increase in the history” of the city by signing a pension-overhaul bill into law.

Quinn’s action places “a tremendous burden on Chicago taxpayers” to bolster the pension funds of public-safety employees, Daley said yesterday in a statement.

“The governor took away the opportunity to fix the legislation before he signed it,” Daley said. “The direct result of the governor’s actions will be a massive property-tax hike for Chicago residents of at least $550 million, or about a 60 percent increase in our current property-tax levy.”

Under the law Quinn signed yesterday, the city’s combined annual contribution for police and firefighter pensions will rise from a projected $309 million in 2015 to about $856 million over the next 25 years, according to the city. The law, which applies to all public-safety workers in Illinois, is meant to protect their retirement benefits by requiring municipalities to boost funding of the plans that cover them, Quinn said.

The legislation requires Chicago to fund its public-safety pensions at 90 percent of projected obligations within 25 years. That is “a higher ratio and shorter timeframe than every other municipality in the state and the state’s own employee pension system,” according to the statement from Daley’s office.

The mayor of the third most-populous U.S. city said he’ll push for changes, including increased payments by employees. He said worker contributions haven’t risen in more than 34 years.

Any changes to the law would have to pass in the General Assembly’s new legislative session, which begins Jan. 12, said Ashley Cross, a spokeswoman for Quinn, and John Patterson, a spokesman for Senate President John Cullerton.

“If there is new legislation proposed, we’ll take a look at it,” Cross said in an interview yesterday.

The law sets a maximum pension payment to a worker at 75 percent of the individual’s average salary, and caps annual cost-of-living raises at 3 percent or half of the “urban consumer price index,” whichever is less.

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- Meep
  January 3rd, 2011 - 11:55
  
  Thanks for the link.
  
  Do not worry — there’s going to be a =lot= of Chicago posts this year. Even ignoring the upcoming election.
  
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Beck
January 3rd, 2011 - 01:36

That is the best intra-blog-post linking I’ve ever come across Dan. Every one of those links had heft. Job well done.

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Beck
January 3rd, 2011 - 01:36

*Meep, not Dan.

Oops.

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- Meep
  January 3rd, 2011 - 08:57
  
  Thanks, Beck.
  
  And yeah, I tend to do the retirement/public finance gig. Dan does give me links to use [and I used some from his prior post], but I tend to wait til I have about a dozen links and then….
  
  =splooge=
  
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enoch_root
January 3rd, 2011 - 09:05

Brother Fishman has a vision – a law that would mandate that bureaucrats’ pay/compensation/including_pensions/including_days_off be tied to private sector scales.

I like that idea. Then, we can ALL sacrifice equally and ALL benefit equally with marketplace realities. And, well, this should appeal to socialists… so, what’s the holdup?

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Tom Bennett
January 3rd, 2011 - 14:00

@Meep. I can only hope that “informative blogger
posts” and “alternative media coverage” of the
City of Chicago/State of IL Political Cosa Nostra will
result in accountability via Congressman Issa’s
platform. Absent Obama/Chicago Political Cosa Nostra
being held accountable via both Congressional Democrats
and Republicans – same hyper-corrupt influences will
continue to dominate/destroy America the way Chicago
and State of Illinois has been destroyed.

Chicago is a world-class and beautiful City….yes.

However, the “irresponsible deficit-spending” policies
employed by Daley’s Iron Fist Management Style for past 20+ years
Will “destroy” Chicago’s standing, unless, thoughtful
and meaningful, capitalist/free-markets policy is developed in
Washington DC and Springfield.

Presumably, most Americans do not fully-understand the
toxic politics and lack-of-democracy that has led to the
City of Chicago & State of Illinois dire balance sheet.

TRB

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- Meep
  January 3rd, 2011 - 17:53
  
  This is my opinion, Tom:
  
  Why did Daley run away? Because the money well has gone dry, and he knows it. He’s got to know it better than anyone else.
  
  Anyone running for the mayoral position in Chi-town seriously is an idiot. They are going to be left holding the bag.
  
  There may be some backroom attempts to bailout the city, but it’s not going to last very long. Even if Obama can cover them for the next 2-6 years, it’s not going to fix the gaping hole in the city’s finances.
  
  Happy New Year!
  
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Tom Bennett
January 3rd, 2011 - 23:40

Wow.

The Drudge Report just posted the following link
related to State of Illinois Pending Fiscal Meltdown.

Bloomberg: Illinois has Days to Plug $13,000,000,000
Deficit That Took Years to Produce

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-03/illinois-must-plug-13-billion-deficit-in-days-that-took-years-to-produce.html

——-

So the $13Billion Question is WHY WOULD ILLINOIS Taxpayers
and/or FEDERAL TAXPAYERS Agree to Further Tax Increases?

Clearly, our 10-figure deficit demonstrates the lack
of Fidicuary Responsibility to State of Illinois
Taxpayers. Keep in mind…a good portion of same
deficit was “rung-up” while State Senator Obama was
supporting post-birth abortions in the Illinois Senate.

Why on God’s Green Earth should we “trust” Chicago’s
Political Cosa Nostra Brain Trust in Washington DC?

Rich Daley is “bailing” on City of Chicago after
“diverting” (aka – stealing) pension funds from
Chicago’s Police, Fire and Teacher’s.

Daley has literally “stole” hundreds of millions (and
potentially billions) of dollars during his 21-yr reign.

Am I the only Chicagoan and American that clearly
calls Daley’s behavior what it is….Fraud & Tyranny.

Unreal.

TRB

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