Published: March 15 2011 02:50 | Last updated: March 15 2011 02:50
From Mr Lawrence S. Schneiderman.
Sir, I must point out that efforts by Governor Scott Walker and the Republican state legislature of Wisconsin are to curtail the power of public employee unions, and not unions in general. Hence, Richard McGregor’s report “Republicans boosted by Wisconsin vote” (March 11) is not a full account of the issue.
The privilege for public sector employees to unionise is a recent phenomenon. It is not a historic birthright, as the unions would wish you to believe. It is Wisconsin’s taxpayers who employ these union members – not some fat cat, private jet, country club, cigar-chomping businessman.
Public sector workers are thriving because of the power their well-organised unions exercise. Their real bosses, aka taxpayers, have no voice other than electing public officials who represent their interests and not special interests. That was exactly what has been going on in Wisconsin. The people elected a Republican governor, state senate and assembly to put a stop to the Democrats in their special relations with the public sector unions, and their catastrophic addiction to spending.
Yet more disturbing is the picture that accompanied the article – a union protester in front of our state capitol waving the American flag upside down. According to Title 4, United States Code, Chapter 1: “The flag should never be displayed with the union down.” Apparently, democracy and the will of the people is a “bridge too far” for America’s public sector unions.
Lawrence S. Schneiderman,
Milwaukee, WI, US
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