The Deficit Commission is leaving out a major problem: the unbridled growth of government and the interlocked unbridled growth of public sector unions. As I said in a previous post, I do not believe the public sector unions have a legitimate right to exist.
Part of the problem is the following vicious cycle:
- Unions collect dues.
- From the dues, they support the election of sympathetic politicians.
- Those politicians provide the unions with giveaways, waivers, and exceptions. For example, creating huge projects to benefit the unions; to make special waivers for them in legislation (as in “Cadillac insurance waiver”); and special bailouts for union workers.
- With the prosperity of the unions, especially for public sector employees who now average double the economic benefits of private sector workers, they have more funds to support more sympathetic politicians.
And on, and on, ad infinitum.