PrintApril 23, 2010
A tale of two cities - Public Sector union follies
On April 10th, The Public Sector Follies opened in London. A boisterous cast of more than 10,000 public servants and their fellow travelers, led by a brass band marched through the center of the city chanting "no ifs, no buts, no public sector cuts," and carrying signs bearing such inspirational slogans as "PROTECT OUR WELFARE STATE AND PUBLIC SERVICES."
With the British economy staggering under the weight of the Labour Party's failed socialist programs, the public sector employees and their unions are inexplicably pressing for further government expansion. The UK Daily Mail reports that Dave Prentis, the General Secretary of Unison stated.
"A better future means an end to privatization and new investment in services that are publicly owned, publicly provided, and publicly accountable."
Sometimes you just have to laugh. The delusional public sector employees in Great Britain are not only protesting desperately needed budget cuts, but they are fighting for even more of the sort of socialist expansion that has helped to wreck the British economy in the first place.
Jerry Nelson, of the GMB union, said: "A decent society is one that recognizes and invests in pensions, health care and education, but this is clearly now under threat."
[...]
"When Labour came to power in 1997, 36.6p in every pound was invested in the public services, and 13 years later it is now 41.5p. We need to protect this investment. The only way to do that is by returning a Labour Government.
I told myself that could never happen here in America. Not even the most delusional school teacher or rabid public sector union zombie could ignore the burgeoning economic crisis and the growing tea party movement to stage a protest in favor of higher taxes and more government control. No way, not even in the age of Obama!
On April 21st, the road show production of The Public Sector Follies opened in Springfield, Illinois. A cast of 10,000 to 15,000 menacing public servants marched on Lincoln's home town to demand more blood be squeezed from the already anemic citizens of their state. The angry mob chanted the union mantra "raise my taxes, raise my taxes," in an attempt to bully the legislature into raising the taxes of others. The Chicago Tribune reported.
The vibe was the exact opposite of what you'd find at a tea party rally. But the loud chants barely resonated inside the Capitol, where lawmakers are trying to exit Springfield in a couple of weeks without voting for a tax increase that could jeopardize their re-election chances in little more than six months.
"If you try to leave town without doing your job, we're going to chase you," warned union leader Harry Bayer...
From London to Springfield, the public sector employees (who are supposed to be our servants) and their unions ride on the backs of their overtaxed neighbors, blame them for the mess that they and their liberal government cronies have created and demand that they pay even more taxes to sustain the bloodletting. Who works for whom?
Phil Boehmke
