Day by Day Cartoon by Chris Muir

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Freedom of association

It's ironic - here in Wisconsin we have a law "stripping" public unions of much of their power to blackmail and extort pay increases and benefits from the taxpayers. This law is, of course, being contested by the people who would have to live within the budgets the people of Wisconsin can afford, otherwise.

I just heard one sound bite of a union member telling us that the Constitution prohibits laws that affect "freedom of association" - so membership in unions should be protected.

OK, I'll accept that anyone has a right to associate with anyone they choose. Allowing that association the power to command the people to pay them does not seem to be mentioned anywhere in the Constitution that I can find.

As much as I abhor what FDR did to our country with his "New Deal", he at least had the intelligence to prohibit public unions - so there was no extortion until Wisconsin led the way with allowing public unions in the late '50's.

It's also ironic that the same people who are screaming for the "right to associate" as they will are likely also those who support things like the new push for "ENDA" in CONgress - a law that will further prohibit people from associating as they desire.

1 comment:

  1. Okay...let them associate; just pass a state law stripping cities from ability of negotiating with unions.

    Associate all you want but you'll be paid, hired, fired, disciplined and promoted based on merit only, eh

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