Wisconsin Public Unions vs Taxpayers -- Dispatches from the Front

Reports from the front on the battle in Wisconsin between over-compensated public union workers and the over-extended taxpayers who foot the bill:

Howler.  A New York Times article (link) proclaims that a new Rasmussen poll on the dispute may be biased (presumably against the union side).  Yes, that New York Times, the apotheosis of bias, accusing someone else of it.  Well, I guess if anyone can recognize tripe it would be a tripe peddler, although Rasmussen is about the most trusted name in polling.  The only dupes likely to relish this serving of offal are the dwindling number of readers the New York Times has left.

The difference between lightning and a lightning bug.  Supporters of the union side are want to blur any distinction (link) between public and private unions -- hence the railing against "corporate power" and "big money." In fact, the differences between public and private are fundamental, significant, and in the Wisconsin dispute, dispositive (as the lawyers say).

Hmmm -- So that's why all those protesting teachers don't understand that they're grossly over-compensated:  "Only 39% of the 8th graders in Wisconsin public schools are proficient or better in mathematics, according to the U.S. Department of Education, despite the fact that Wisconsin spends more per pupil in its public schools than any other state in the Midwest." (link)

Uh-oh.  The unions have lost liberal Richard Cohen writing in the liberal Washington Post (link):  "It was one thing when unions went after giant corporations run by guys who played golf at restricted clubs. But when it comes to government workers, we are the boss and we pay the bill. To quote what Sam Spade told the woman he loved in the "The Maltese Falcon," "I won't play the sap for you." When it comes to public-sector unions, my sentiments exactly."

Welcome to the future -- a preview of medical care if the Democrats have their way:  At least three faculty physicians from the University of Wisconsin Family Medicine Department are filmed proudly handing out confirmation of illness statements to union protesters so they could obtain excused absences from their teaching duties, all proving too much even for a big liberal writing in the liberal Atlantic (link).  Hey, who says we need to do a careful interview and physical examination of the patient to make a diagnosis?  That old school stuff discriminates against doctors who can't do physical exams, or don't know how, to say nothing about how needing a doctor's statement discriminates against those who aren't actually sick.  Medical ethics is a retro-capitalist construct.  No doubt the UW Dept of Family Medicine is a hotbed of support for Obamacare. 

So that's why our school maintainence bill is so high.  Wisconsin unionized teachers drop their garbage where they stand (link).  Overheard by a mind reader: "hell, cleaning up after myself isn't in my union job description, and after all, I'm creating jobs for unionized clean up workers." 

But didn't Obama say all that violent rhetoric was off limits?  So much for the liberals' new age of civility -- (link).

Who are these guys?  Unions to bus in outside agitators to join Wisconsin protests (link).  Boy, that side really knows how to community organize.
 
John M Greco 

Related Post:
Wisconsin = Ground Zero in the Escalating Struggle Between Hard-Pressed Taxpayers & Coddled Public Workers