Let Them Eat Cheese

Let Madison Burn.

As Gov. Scott Walker attempts to pass budget cutting legislation which forces unions to share in the cost of their benefits, the teachers' union has led protests in the state capitol. Nobody from the right is going to complain about protesting; the Tea Party has used it as an effective tool in the vocalization of their concerns. But when the President's organizing apparatus (Organizing for America) takes the lead in busing protesters in, when schools have to close due to an illegal strike, and politicians' families have to flee their homes because protesters are on their front lawn, something is amiss.

The debate over union entitlements and contracts is old and not going to be rehashed here. The debate about how to balance budgets is just starting, and is being hashed out in state capitals across the US. A significant portion of budget shortfalls come from unfunded public employee pension liabilities - totaling a trillion dollars for all 50 states. As witnessed with the automotive industry, paying retirees nearly full wages is unsustainable. Gov. Walker's bill asks unions to contribute towards their pensions and health care costs as well as takes away collective bargaining rights over benefits, but keeps the right to bargain over salaries. In exchange, there are no lay-offs. Millions of unemployed Americans would jump at this opportunity.

And yet, the teachers walk out on it. After years of claiming they're "putting the children first," their own childish actions have temporarily closed 15 school districts. How does this help the children? Did a weekend or evening protest not suffice? Have Wisconsinites been watching too much news coverage of Cairo in their post-football withdrawal?

In a period that demands consequential leadership, Wisconsin Democrats have not only fled town, but supposedly fled the state. While governors from both parties are making the tough decisions to balance budgets (and being reward in the court of public opinion), those who have enjoyed decades of job security and pay increases based only on the number of years they have sat behind a desk feel under assault - the President's words.

What these unions need to remember is they are comprised of public employees. The governors and state congressmen they are protesting against are also public employees. The only difference is, the public got to hire their politicians. The American public who have put in extra hours and job insecurity during the recession will not put up with the historical indulgence of unions nor their government shut-downs.