Some Facts About Government Unions

Charen's question is:  Who wins in the WI battle?

NOT the taxpayer.

The taxpayers are the ones left holding the bag when elected officials team up with public-sector unions. Middle-class taxpayers, only 65 percent of whom have access to retirement plans, are picking up the tab for the 90 percent of government employees who do. Nearly 70 percent of lower-wage government workers receive health benefits, compared with only 38 percent of private-sector workers.

That's the real issue for many.  The taxpaying public is funding bennies FAR more lavish that those they get themselves.  And, because their company doesn't have the money, can't give them - at least, not at that level.

Businesses are limited by their budget, determined by the profit that's available after returning dividends to their investors - some of them the institutions that form unions.

Government, on the other hand, is limited by the money available in the form of taxes.  Without raising taxes, there just IS no money.

That's not a limitation for the public unions.  According to them, we just have to squeeze a little harder.  On the taxpayer.

The notion of tightening their own belts never seems to occur to them.

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