Wisconsin We Hear Your Cries, Who Cares?

 For many who don't know the advent of unions was due to the dangerous conditions, poor wages and treatment of migrant workers in mines, fields as chminey sweeps etc. The impact of unionization on the improvement of workers conditions can be demonstrated by the vast improvements to workers conditions. However 100 years later it can be easily argued that Unions have a different role in many states within this country. What began as an effort to collectively unite workers in a fight for fair working conditions has become a powerful entity capable of crippling legislative process and government budgets. Let me be very clear, in no way do I mean to insult the unions as I believe in what they stand for, just not necessarily the manipulative tactics it has come to rely on to get its way. In California the unions are quite unique in the fact that they donate millions and millions of dollars to directly influence elections and protect their ever increasing rights, benefits and pay scales. Anyone who has to deal with a city or government employee can probably attest to the negative experience most public interactions involve, and for those parents out there still reeling from the shock that school districts in the Inland Empire have cut the busing system completely (this means for all those non-parents out there that sports at most junior highs have been cancelled or restricted to PE play) all I can say is where do all my tax dollars go? (Fun fact: if you make more than $46,700 a year but less than $250,000 chances are you are in the highest paying tax bracket in the nation.)

 In California we have the one of the highest tax rates in the nation, with little compensation or justification. The roads suck, the teachers are the highest paid in the nation, the students arguably the stupidest, county and local governments are barely functioning the DMV is closed like 6 times a month, yet government workers, teachers and many other union protected peoples insist on raises, free or close to free healthcare for life, up to 6 weeks vacation and the ability to never get fired. Hmmm. This doesn't sound like the Unions from the early 20th century it seems more like the mafia centered on protecting its own interests. The rights of teachers, fire fighters etc. must be protected obviously but not at the expense of schools shutting down because their checking account is being hit like everyone else's. In California 80% of the school budget goes to paying the teachers and other "administrative costs", the teachers have argued and fought successfully that we must continue chipping away at the less than 20% left for students. This is not calculus people this is Greed 101. This isn't a rant out to get the teachers, its a wake up call and lesson in basic math. If a company only has $100 and its paying its employees $80 a month, it cant fire anyone, it cant lay them off without a strike yet its forced to increase productivity (the ever increasing class sizes) what is going to happen? The business is going to close or the product (the students) are sub par. Thus California's ranking at 44th for reading/math proficiency.

Lets roll on over to Wisconsin. Where teachers, fire fighters and the like are marching all over the capital demanding the Governor not take their "collective bargaining rights" away. At first glance yes it seems like mean old Republican Walker is snatching the rights of the little people away. But if those rights include the ability to shut down schools, fire departments and government services because a select group of people doesn't get their way financially SOMETHING must be done. I'm sorry Wisconsin, the very conservative, "small government", Bible thumping right wing jokes you elected into office are turning on you. I'm sorry that you did not realize that the very people you elected to save you are now blaming you for the fiscal budget issues of the state, the recession and everything else that contributed to the deficit in your state. Corporate America makes politicians people they have no interest in the poor. Stopping greed corruption, the power and influence of big business, limiting their own payrolls and staffs? Not even on the table. Perhaps when you go to the polls next time, you will keep this painful lesson in mind.
In short the recession was not the fault of the unions, though they most certainly did not help, the recession was caused by big banks, and capitalistic greed. Don't get upset when the holier than thou officials elected to office (who profit more than anyone from big banks and wall street) take the fiscal fall out, out on the unions, the unemployed and anyone else that didn't financially contribute to their positions.

Nina Davis