On Wisconsin

The confrontation in Wisconsin between the state's elected officials and the union bosses (together with the ugly and threatening mobs they have been able to bring forth) is over a very basic and important issue.

Wisconsin, like the federal government and many of the other states and local governmental units, is broke. There is no money in the coffers and no way to meet continuing obligations going forward. The most significant factors that created the situation have been public employees and their unions. Those on the government payrolls receive exorbitant pay and lavish pension and other benefits. Wisconsin officials are trying to get those things under control in an effort to put the state's finances back onto a sound footing.

The unions have responded and are continuing to respond in their usual thuggish fashion, committed to not yielding one iota of future benefits they were able to get politicians beholden to the labor bosses to promise to them. Such incestuous relationships have brought many of the nation's governmental units to the brink of ruin . . . and the unions respond by demanding ever increasing taxes to keep their gravy train going. 

The outcome will determine whether those in government work for the public or if they have succeeded in transforming themselves into overlords who hold in thrall every individual and enterprise in a subservient private sector.