Posts Tagged: public employees

Wisconsin v. Walker

The big news from Wisconsin yesterday was that the state supreme court upheld the law taking away most collective bargaining rights for state public employees who are neither police nor fire fighters. This is obviously a huge, though expected, victory for Gov. Scott Walker and the state Republican party. One thing to note, though, is that Walker’s anti-government employee agenda has recently met resistance among even Republicans in the state legislature. The legislature rejected a plan to significantly roll back the number of state employees who work on behalf of food stamp and Medicaid recipients. The main result of the anti-public employee union bill may be a backlash on other Walker policies as well.

Scott Walker’s union dismemberment plan

Scott Walker

New Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, is using his state’s budget deficit to strike a huge blow against public employee unions, report the New York Times’ Steve Greenhouse and Monica Davey. Walker proposed “sweeping” anti-union measures that the Wisconsin state legislature, which just assumed Republican control, will likely approve. Some address short and long-term budget problems such as a plan to make unionized state employees contribute more to their pensions. Others, however, simply limit labor’s collective bargaining power. (more…)

Blaming public employees for getting what we all want

Gutting the pensions of public employees has become something of an Internet meme in California, where tired talking points about coddled public sector employees appear in comments following almost every story about the state’s budget problems. Meanwhile, John Fensterwald of Thoughts On Public Education writes that reeling in benefits to public employees — especially teachers — may prove more complicated and save less money than those demanding reform imagine. (more…)

The Home of Government Reform: New Jersey!

Most news from outside New Jersey about that state’s 8.7 million residents doesn’t get beyond old jokes, real housewives and the return of “The Jersey Shore.” But news from inside the Garden State can be hard-hitting and frank about the problems Jersey politicians and citizens must solve together — including the need to cut pay for police and consolidate police and emergency services.  (more…)