"Pigs at the Trough"

Wisconsin, home of the Superbowl champion Green Bay Packers, their "cheesehead fans", and good cheese, must also be known for their pork products as there sure seem to be a lot of news about their "pigs at the trough".

What would you do if you were elected governor of a state that is faced with multi-billion dollar state government budget deficits? What does anyone do when they are faced with more outgo than income and you are required to balance the books? The solution always has to be raise income and/or reduce expenses.

For the government to raise income it must raise fees and/or taxes. For the government to reduce spending it must cut employment,eliminate or reduce services, and/or reduce employee benefits. A government could also sell assets it may possess such as land, buildings, equipment. In a capitalist system, capital is allocated towards the most effective use of land,labor, and equipment.

In nature there are some plants,animals, and microorganisms that are known as "parasites" that rely on their "host" for their existence. Sometimes these parasites provide a service to the host in return and sometimes these parasites get too prevalent on their host and end up killing the host and thus themselves as well.

Now, as far as unions and government workers are concerned. Why do we need unionized government workers? Why is it justified that unionized government workers feel that they are entitled to benefits and retirement packages that far exceed the "private sector" who has to pay for these government benefits?

The people of Wisconsin on November 2, 2010 elected a governor and legislature to try to bring some fiscal sanity to their state. Do these government workers (parasites) want tax increases to pay for their bloated benefits (pigs at the trough)? Already a lot of the Milwaukee breweries, American motors (formerly of Kenosha) among others are out of business or have left this state. By raising taxes you will kill further businesses (host) who will look to other states or other countries where the business climate and tax rates are more favorable.

Are the Democrats and the unions acting responsibly in trying to get the state spending under control by filling the capital building, threatening the safety of elected officials and their families, and in the case of the Democratic legislators; fleeing the state so they won't have to vote on any responsible solutions to the state budget shortfall?

Our community organizer/agitator-in-chief, I mean President Obama thinks that the Wisconsin government workers are being treated unfairly. What do you think? First of all, President Obama appears clueless about anything resembling basic economics. He considers that his federal budget is making progress towards reducing federal deficits if he raises 2 trillion dollars in additional taxes above the present levels and raises spending (I mean "investments to win the future") by 1 trillion dollars per year while still showing about a trillion dollars per year budget shortfall. Why meddle in the affairs of Wisconsin or any other state as president? Hey, maybe you should run for governor of some state instead of being president.

Government workers are not forced to work for the government. There is no "draft" amongst the general populace to fill these government and teacher positions. A government employee can always quit their job and either start a business or work in the dreaded "private sector" if they are unwilling to get their benefits and salaries more in line with the people who pay these salaries and benefits. There is something to be said for "a deal is a deal" but in the private sector many people have had to take pay cuts and/or pay a higher share of their health and retirement benefits.

In the end these governmental "pigs at the trough" will have to realize that the gravy train is coming to a halt. Governments will have to start to become more fiscally responsible by either reducing employment, wages and benefits, cutting services and/or selling assets to balance their books.