Stop union backsliding

By Mountain Democrat
From page A4 | 3 Comments

Ooh I love to dance a little sidestep, now they see me now they don’t -
I’ve come and gone and, ooh I love to sweep around the wide step,
cut a little swathe and lead the people on.

— As sung and danced by the late Charles Durning as the governor in the movie “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas”

We are just into the second month of the new pension reform rules affecting new hires by state and local government and already the unions are trying to “dance a little sidestep.”

There is always some Democrat in the Legislature who is sure to “cut a little swathe and lead the people on.” Yes there is always some Democrat who wants to help a union be exempted from the rules. The unions trying to “sweep around the wide step” are regional transportation unions, claiming some bogus protection of federal Labor Department rules that they claim require negotiation.

There is nothing to negotiate. The Legislature passed a law and the governor signed it. They set the pension laws. That Democrat carrying buckets of water for the union should dump them in the Sacramento River and just back off. Gov. Jerry Brown should issue a warning right now that there will be no exemptions and any attempts to make exceptions will be vetoed.

Mountain Democrat

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Discussion | 3 comments

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cookie65February 22, 2013 - 8:10 am
Since the left is constantly whining about fairness, let's make it "fair". Lets require the public sector pay for the lifetime pensions and healthcare for the private sector. The public sector unions are criminal on so many fronts it is hard to keep up. First of all they negotiate the greatest compensation for the least productivity. They require multiple people to do the same job as one person in the private sector. They are a channel of money directly from the taxpayer to the democrats thru union dues to politicians that the taxpayers do not support finacially or otherwise. If the republicans were doing what the dems get away with were public sector unions are concerned, public sector unions would be outlawed overnight. You know how to tell when a dem or a union boss is lying? Check to see if they have a pulse.
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cookie65February 22, 2013 - 9:25 am
State Controller John Chiang released a new report Thursday showing that California taxpayers are on the hook for an estimated $63.8 billion over 30 years. The unfunded liability as of June grew from $62.1 billion a year earlier.
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Phil VeerkampFebruary 23, 2013 - 8:03 am
There was a very informative podcast last night on CalPERS history and the evolution of its crushing California debt obligations. At the bottom of the page on the left is an audio link. The relevant audio begins ~19 minutes in. Allow the clip to load and move slider to ~19.LINK - CalPERS history - DISCLOSURE – I am a retired CalPERS benefit recipient. I WILL NOT VOLUNTAIRILY REBATE MY LOOT. But I will peacefully yield to realistic reform.
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