HT to the OC Register’s ace reporter Mary Ann Millbourn for breaking this story on how three OC state legislators are jumping on the Wisconsin governor’s bandwagon to stimie the collective bargaining rights of public employee unions. The worst of the lot is a proposed bill by State Rep. Allen Mansoor (AB961) that would outright ban collective bargaining by public employee unions over pension benefits.
State Senators Tom Harmon and Mimi Walters are also proposing two other bills targeting state employee pensions; Harmon’s bill exposes anyone making more than $100K (I’m fine with this) while Walters wants to move to the 401K styled plan which doesn’t pack the protections for contributed funds the current plan has, but seems to be more to the right wings liking.
Mansoor’s bill has zero chance of making it out of the lower house of the California Legislature let alone the Senate or Governor Brown’s desk. He’s offering this bill to pander to the hardcore right wing branch of the Tea Party set.
I am super glad these are on the table! I think it should expose anyone making above median average in California, including the cost of the benefits!
There are ordinary public pensions and excessive public pensions.
The i’s were dotted and the t’s were crossed for the ordinary pensions and the excessive pension were buried under the paper work right out in the open.
The excessive public (the part above ordinary) pensions is the product of a conspiracy to defraud the public treasuries.
The product of a crime does not transfer ownership of money or assets.
When the public union management, and the legislators, and the top city, county and state management conspirer together to hide the excessive benefits they are taking, and then inviting the police and fire to share in the spoils as a way to hide the excesses. Then there are more than one type to blame and hold accountable.
To blame the unions, without holding the others involved accountable. What is with that?
All 3+ legs of the criminal conspiracy needs to be taken down AND the product of the conspiracy, the excessive benefits and pay, returned to the treasuries.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt was against collective bargaining for public unions.
That’s right, – BIG GOVERNMENT – FDR was against collective bargaining for government employee unions.
FDR:
“All Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service. It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations when applied to public personnel management. The very nature and purposes of Government make it impossible for administrative officials to represent fully or to bind the employer in mutual discussions with Government employee organizations. The employer is the whole people, who speak by means of laws enacted by their representatives in Congress. Accordingly, administrative officials and employees alike are governed and guided, and in many instances restricted, by laws which establish policies, procedures, or rules in personnel matters.”
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=15445
If you want to reform the process, it should be through collective bargaining.
This is how the scam works:
You see, the Unions collect Millions of $$ by force from their members. Then they give it to Democrats to get them elected. Then when the “collective bargaining†comes along the Democrat they got elected by buying them the election sit across from them and “negotiates†a deal with the Union that will be funding their re-election.
Democratic politicians don’t think of themselves as “management.†They don’t respond to union demands for more money by saying, “Are you kidding me?†They say, “Great — get me a raise too!â€
This is called Corruption, in case you hadn’t noticed.
What about big business that back Republicans. They seek to limit union influence. Be honest about that involvement please
You are wrong Cook. The “excessive” or illegal pensions are NOT negotiated by unions. The exectutives and managers that receive the six figure pensions are NOT represented and those are the ones that are buried. All of the negotiated public employee contracts are open to public scrutiny. Look at the Rizzos and executives in government for the true waste. Listen to the unions when they expose the disparate benefits received by the executives.
The union rank and file are little people too.
The upper union management, just as bad as the other thieves.
Perhaps Mansoor could offer a bill that says if you are convicted of a felony while on taxpayer time, you forfeit your county pension; Call it the Carona Bill and make it retroactive.
How amazingly sad any legislator can be so ignorant as to not recognize the need for collective bargaining. The idea that these pensions make ordinary workers rich is laughable. This lack of human decency on this bill to eliminate collective bargaining is reprehensible for all the right reasons. Too many to list. Pander to the right wing and tea party who are apparently unwilling to see this does not serve to solve problems but to exacerbate them. Enough opression. People sacrificed much to achieve these goals.
How amazingly sad any legislator can be so ignorant as to not recognize the need for collective bargaining. The idea that these pensions make ordinary workers rich is laughable. This lack of human decency on this bill to eliminate collective bargaining is reprehensible for all the right reasons. Too many to list. Pander to the right wing and tea party who are apparently unwilling to see this does not serve to solve problems but to exacerbate them. Enough! People sacrificed much to achieve these goals.