They teach you in journalism school to never report on an event you
have not covered. But please just this once.
The governor in Wisconsin has a $137 million deficit and he chooses
to eliminate that by wiping out collective bargaining. He's got a 140
page bill to do it.
Now that sounds like a ton of money, but fact is Michigan has been
pecking away at the deficit here in $137 million chucks for years..
The point being if you want to cut other state services it is
relatively easy to unearth the money without using a mammoth bill and
by leaving collective bargaining alone.
In fact one Wisconsin resident appears on the Internet with his own
solution. He is a self-described non union and non teacher but
confesses to being sympathetic to the movement.
"Write a check for $32," he offers a one sentence solution vs. a
140 page bill.
He says if every resident in the cheese state did it, the deficit
would be resolved pronto without all the acrimony. He even volunteers
to write another $32 check if someone can't.
Now the same thing could be done in Michigan. The governor is
asking state employees to cough up $180 million in new concessions on
top of the $700 million they already choked on under the previous
administration.
Write a check for 60 bucks and that goal is reached, too.
But that is way too simple isn't it?