Wisconsin had to abolish the public sector employees' right to collective bargaining ( and really to unionization) because the State couldn't afford it. And could do that in a bill not requiring a 20 member quorum because it had no fiscal implications.

I see. 

And the voters should see.

Whatever the tactical argument until now for the Administration to stay on the side lines and let the democratic senators carry the ball, now it's time, more than time, for Obama to say Which Side We Are On.

Musee des Beaux Arts

In the discussion of  "overpaid"  Public Service workers, some one compared them with young lawyers carrying a  heavy debt load acquired on the way to passing the bar. And wondered whether those lawyers might resent the PS workers.  Or vice versa (I  wondered).

Let us assume that Joe Taxclerk might be fairly confident that some day he'll reach $60K/year. And young Sally Lawyer might hope to reach that - but can't be as sure as Joe.

There's a political one. We have to stop electing supply side republicans.

http://delong.typepad.com/sdj/2011/03/political-illusions.html

That's my position. To which no doubt a popular response will  be: who cares?

Probably law schools expend millions of class hours exploring the criteria for any "right" even to  be worth considering for elevation to that level ... I say "probably" not actually knowing never having eased my anatomy into a seat in a law school ampitheatre.  So I'll happily  stipulate the subject is above my grade of pay. Before  proceeding  to discuss it.

Excerpts from one day's copy of the FT

"Europe looks depressing. When you go to Asia ...they are always talking abut how they can make more money.......... Jurisdictions that are planning to require their banks to.......guard against another crisis ..will see higher risk activities migrate elsewhere. CEO of UBS

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Polls seem to show that the unions are winning the PR war over collective bargaining by public service employees. No thanks to the media.

Joe Lunchpail probably dislikes Obama and thinks the Government's spending too much  on Welfare. But he knows how things work on the shop floor. Where the boss says the day ends when he says it ends, And only pays as much as he's forced to by the law or the contract.

As to the law, Joe may not follow politics that closely but he knows what the Republicans think about regulation. 

But seriously, how bad are the regulations here in the U.S?  Does anybody really know?  Is it a case of any regulation being a bad regulation?

 

Well yes as far as Industry is concerned. 

Unless they're universal.

From Donna Dubinsky in the NY Times on Feb 20

Money Won’t Buy You Health Insurance: THIS isn’t the story of a poor family ,,,,,,,,,, Unlike many others, my family can afford medical care...... this is a story about how broken the market for health insurance is,.....................................

... on the social security trust fund.

What it isn't: a lot of cash.

What it is: two columns of numbers.

ain't happening. 

Brad DeLong, boringly providing facts to the masses (i.e. people like me) provides Paul Krugman providing a couple of paragraphs (go ahead, you can read them) that demonstrate we aren't suffering from structural unemployment which has to be tolerated until every first grader has learned Chinese. Or something.

We're just suffering from ............ unemployment. 

Cmaukonen today
Those that are struggling to make it are not going to listen to some ones ideas if these ideas come from people who ................................... pull in 6 figure salaries and justify to the nines their right to do so

And rightly so

I'd be hypocritical if I did not comment that most of those I know earning a 6 figure salaries are justified to claim it's justified..

John Quiggen today in Brad deLong's blog

for ruining my day. Read it and weep.

http://delong.typepad.com/sdj/2011/01/aaron-carroll-on-being-a-doctor.html