On the Right to Collective Bargaining

I have never been a great supporter of labor unions in this modern times.  I have always viewed unions as a movement whose time has gone.  But the crisis in Wisconsin has changed my mind. A contract is betwen two parties. In the case of a labor contract, the employer and the employees, usually hourly employees whose individual bargaining powers are very limited. The employers can always dictate the level of compensation they want to pay these low level employees and in most cases tend to offer the lowest benefit package possible. The applicants on the receiveing end have very little choice. They need to put food on the table. They are vulnerable. Unions gave them a fighting chance.However, both parties have to come to an agreement before any contract can emerge. This brings up the issue of union bursting in public employees workforce. Who are these employees that the Republicans want to restrain? These employees do not have any bargaining power because of low level skill set. The exception are the teachers union members. These people provide vital services to ALL of the people of  their respective states. If they do not have a union to help in the labor negotiations, then who decides on the benefit package. You guessed it: politicians with their eye on the next election. Running a campaign on lowered taxes, lowered size of government is a guaranteed winner. The proportion of the public employees who need unions relative to the labor force in each state is in a decidedly minority.  Thus, we come to a situation where the majority benefits at the expense of the most vulnerable. Just like the corporate world where the managements focus on shareholders' wealth trumps the welfare of the low level employees.
To deny the employees the right to negotiate is unAmerican. This is the problem with the current political climate. NO NEGOTIATION. MY WAY OR NO WAY. PEOPLE PLEASE WAKE UP. LIFE IS NOTHING WITHOUT COMPROMISE.  What is happening in Wisconsin is a DICTATORSHIP IN THE MAKING.

Wisconsin Stand-off

It is ironic that politicians tend to choose the side of an issue depending on its effect on the desired/preferred stand. The governor of Wisconsin is claiming that he is following in the footsteps of Reagan. This is purely a mis-representation of the facts. The air traffic controllers, because of the nature of their vocation were legally barred from going on strike. The actions of President Reagan was to enforce the law that was already in the books. When the striking air traffic controllers refused to obey the law, they were fired.  It was not union bursting.
If Wisconsin wants to follow in the footsteps of Reagan, they have to show that the teachers union is on strike against the law. If he shows that, then he is free to fire them for breaking the law. The governor of Wisconsin just wants to burst the union under the guise of budget deficit. What happened to other state employee unions in his state? 

BUDGET CUTS

It is sad that the political parties do not seem to get it. The question is: Should government be responsible for education? My answer is a resounding NO!!. Education is an investment in ones skill sets aimed at improving earning potential and hence a higher standard of living. Individuals when they pay for their education are apt to value it. A lot of the students who benefit from the free education programs could careless about education,They see it as four plus years of socializing rather than skill acquisition.  As much as I dislike the TEA organization for their double standard, I believe that government should get out of the education business. I will go one step further, government should GET OUT of subsidizing any form of consumption of any good or service.  When governments pursue programs to support small businesses, they are directly subsidizing the consumers of the products or services made by this entrepreneurs.
If you have a viable idea, the market forces should evaluate and support it, NOT tax payers.
To my Republican "friends", STOP THE DOUBLE STANDARD. And to my democrat "friend", STOP SPOON FEEDING ME.
IF BOTH PARTIES LISTEN, THE BUDGET DEFICIT AND EXCESS TAXATION WILL BE A THING OF THE PAST.

Democracy

I was listening to the senoir senator from SC today and boy wht a mess this country is in. Nobody believes in truth of what is right and wrong.  It is all a matter of "poitical correctness". People focus so much on what is the "right thing to say rather than what is right." Rather than admitting that what is happening in Wisconson is inappropriate, he hides behind political campaign promises. What the senator did is exeecebats the weakness of democracy based on the will of the majority. It assumes that the MAJORITY IS ALWAYS RIGHT.  What a scary thought. It assumes that the majority is well informed of the ramifications of the actions and positions taken by politician's whose primary concern is re-election. I am still patiently awaiting the day when an elected official will say the RIGHT THING and not the RIGHT THING TO SAY.

Role of Government

Taxed Enough Already, that's the buzz phrase. The debate should not be about taxes, but about the role of government. What should the society pay for using tax dollars? If we reduce the things that government needs to provide, we will reduce the need for taxes. So , all my anti-tax crusaders, please leave taxes alone, focus on what needs to be paid for with tax dollars. In the process, be objective about it.  Let us not play the game of "heads I win, tails you lose". Here are a few example:
Health care and insurance. Your health, my health is no one else's concern. Goverment should stay out of it.
Providing for me and my family for their existence is not the responsibility of the government. So please stop using tax dollars to feed people
Charitable organizations should be funded with donations from people who believe in their cause. As a result, charitable contributions should not be subsidized with tax dollars. Eliminate its tax deductible status.
It is my responsibility to provide shelter for my family. Government should not be encouraging me to borrow money to buy a home. Does anyone really think that the deductibility of mortgage interest is benefiting the home buyers, think again. Lenders know that mortgage interest payments are tax deductible, as a result, they will find a way(s) to extract that benefit through high before tax rates. Tax payers are willing to accept higher mortgage rates because their focus is on the after tax rate. Thus eliminating the deductibility of mortgage interest payment is not going to affect homeownership, rather it will affect the interst rates financial institutions charge to extend mortgage loans.
All interstate highways should be privatized, that way those who reap the benefit of the highways will bear the costs through tolls etc.
THIS WILL REDUCE THE SIZE AND ROLE OF GOVERNMENT