“Public employees unions are not what’s wrong with the budget. The problem with the budget is that Arnold borrowed money year after year with the GOAL of running up a debt/deficit to crash the government. He created a “crisis.” Then he uses that as an excuse to cut everything the Republicans hate, like education, retirement, healthcare, etc.”

Now this is what I call a conspiracy theory.

“Sorry, but that’s just wrong. It’s right wing propaganda, which is all you hear anymore on the news and on the radio. I guess you think it’s better to have a bunch of people making ten dolars an hour with no retirement benefits or healthcare. That’s third world!”

I took my first econ class fresh out of the Army way back in ’82. Before there was right wing radio or cable news.

My first job paid me just $1.00 a day. I was 8 years old. My benefit package included something to eat and occasionally some used Hot Wheels, usually with the wheels missing.

People who make $10.00 need to better themselves.

Remember somewhere our union’s sewing,
our wages going to feed the kids, and run the house.

We work hard, but who’s complaining?
Thanks to the I.L.G. we’re paying our way!

So always look for the union label,
it says we’re able to make it in the U.S.A.!

Sorry, but that’s just wrong. It’s right wing propaganda, which is all you hear anymore on the news and on the radio. I guess you think it’s better to have a bunch of people making ten dolars an hour with no retirement benefits or healthcare. That’s third world!

Public employees unions are not what’s wrong with the budget. The problem with the budget is that Arnold borrowed money year after year with the GOAL of running up a debt/deficit to crash the government. He created a “crisis.” Then he uses that as an excuse to cut everything the Republicans hate, like education, retirement, healthcare, etc.

Read “The Shock Doctrine” by Naomi Klein and you will understand why this budget crisis never seems to go away no matter how much we cut or raise taxes.

No matter how much we cut or tax, as long as Arnold or any Republican is in charge there will be be a non-stop budget “crisis.”

Public service employee unions appear to have a sense of entitlement that they use to justify their part in bankrupting city and state coffers.

The politicos, who, in cases like these take the place of private management, sign contracts with unions based not in increases in output but on what they think people “Should” be making instead. It’s just a matter of time before the city or state that gets itself into these contracts winds up bankrupt.

Those public service employees that do receive 100% of their pay on retirement are living comfy at the expense of some unemployed poor slob that cannot find a job because the budget is maxed out and there is no money left over to hire him/her.

Putting those that create employment before the firing squad has been done before. Most systems where this was done have reverted back to markets with the exceptions of countries like No. Korea and Cuba. Two countries not known for their rip roaring GDP’s.

Politicos are generous with taxpayer bucks because it’s not their money. That’s why these union contracts were signed in the first place. But come hard times they wont accept responsibility for the mess they helped create. Business persons are much more prudent and would never pay anyone full wages w/benefits upon retirement. Also, it’s not enough to blame the retirees, workers that make above market wages thanks to union contracts are doing so at the expense of the unemployed. You wont see the unions championing their cause, however, because the unemployed do not pay union dues.

Now in the case of these corps. that do pay what appears to be exorbitant amounts of money to their CEO’s (golden parachutes), I would suggest that they earned it by creating wealth through growing output and, hence, GDP. When compared to the wealth they create these so called golden parachutes add up to just a tiny percentage.

That’s hard to do. Few people can accomplish this which adds to their worth as CEO’s.

On the issue of taxes, Corporations do not pay taxes. Consumers do. Corporations merely collect the money. This represents an additional cost to businesses which, in turn, further raise the prices of goods and services on consumers which leads to less consumption, which leads to less demand for labor, which means fewer workers can afford houses, insurance(s) and educations for their children.

Focusing on what a politico drives and who pays for it is petty and it steals the focus away from the real issue(s); for example, having the highest paid teachers in the world and the worst test scores and drop out rates.

Faulting the people that create employment while championing the organizations that create UN-employment reminds me of my grandmother’s old saying: “Por tarugo no estudio.”

Lastly, a politico’s race, religion or “Latino” (whatever that is), has nothing to do with anything. Unless you are suggesting that they have greater propensities for abusing the public trust. If so, pony up.