Mitch Daniels: Public-Sector Unions Shouldn't Exist

[Galraedia]

Source: Huffington Post

WASHINGTON -- Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) criticized public-sector unions on Sunday, saying they should be eliminated entirely.

"There's, I think, a fundamental problem with government becoming its own special interest group," he told Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday." "Ultimately, there is not really bargaining in those situations because government sits on both sides of the table."

Wallace then asked whether Daniels would like to see public-sector unions disappear entirely.

"I think government works better without them, I really do," Daniels replied.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/10/mitch-daniels-unions-public-sector-unions_n_1584396.html?ref=politics

[xxqqqzme]

1. Running hard for that VP spot,

I see.

[yurbud]

22. Isn't he half-Arab? That would be no problem with Dem voters, but for righties

that would be like voting for a half gay atheist black guy.

[Politicalboi]

2. Like someone else posted

Lawmakers should get their benefits cuts too. Fuck these morons. I am so sick of them.

[boppers]

23. Like the school teachers?

It's amazing how being "overpaid" makes for a target group.

[bluestateguy]

3. And I'd like to see term limits that would force career politicians to go away and get real jobs

So there you have it.

[rayofreason]

4. I'll second that! n/t

[alp227]

13. But won't LOBBYISTS exploit term limits?

Example: "Ask your doctor's lobbyist if term limits are right for you" by Brian Dickerson, Detroit Free Press, 3/12/10:

"Term limits were sold to voters on the notion that they would sever close ties with lobbyists and cause legislators to be more independent," Prof. Majorie Sarbaugh-Thompson says. "In reality, we found them to have the opposite impact."

Sarbaugh-Thompson led a team of political scientists who interviewed more than 400 Michigan legislators who served between 1994-2004. They found that term-limited legislators spend more money running for office -- but that political donors increasingly wait until elections are over and committee assignments have been handed out to decide which candidates deserve their cash.

[bluestateguy]

15. Term limits will cut down on the arrogance that pervade the state and federal capitals

Less of an entitlement mentality that can take over the culture of Washington D.C., or Sacramento, or Lansing, etc.

Lobbying reform is a separate, albeit still serious, issue.

[BiggJawn]

5. IBM fiasco, Toll Road, the Bush "Economic Miracle"...

All courtesy of "Our Bitch Mitch".

Do you think Bubba will ever learn that just because some clown was a CEO doesn't mean he/she's fit for public office?

"Aww, we needs to run this country like a business!"... Didn't they try that over in Spain and Greece?

[nineteen50]

6. And congress should not get a pension

and special medical care. They should get Social Security and medicare only at 65. They should never receive a rise unless the minimum wage increases and they need to work 40 hours a week with 2 weeks off in the summer.

[DallasNE]

7. Mitch Daniels Makes No Sense

Why does he think that government sits on both sides of the table when it comes to negotiating a labor agreement. That leads him to then claim that government becomes its own special interest group. Granted, public workers can't strike so a different mechanism is set up to handle disputes but that doesn't change the fundamental difference between management and labor.

All of which means that if government works better without unions then the private sector would work better without unions and that is the hidden message Daniels is sending out. Can abolition of child labor laws be far behind? When you start down this slippery slope where does it all end? And how does he have standing on this anyway. After all, he was the chief architect of the disasterous massive budget deficits run up by George W. Bush.

[backtomn]

16. FDR Agreed

So did George Meaney, head of the AFL/CIO. Public unions suck up all the oxygen in the debate, to the detriment of private sector unions. I haven't seen many people fighting for them lately. At there should be room at the table for them too.

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/02/18/the-first-blow-against-public-employees/fdr-warned-us-about-public-sector-unions

[DallasNE]

19. What Garbage

A Heritage Foundation opinion piece that paraphrases what FDR and George Meaney said. At least with FDR his complaint was about government workers striking against the taxpayers. One problem, government workers cannot strike -- just ask the Air Traffic Controllers what happens when they try. So the point is moot anyway.

The same arguments listed in this hit piece could be leveled against all unions, for that matter. Besides, if there is a valid point against the union contract, just take it out in the next go-around. It is a negotiation, after all.

[Sadie5]

8. Mitch the bitch

will probably not run for VP because of his baggage, his wife in particular. Another poster thought he might be running for VP but I doubt he will take the chance. But I might be wrong. Just that he was a Bush adviser is enough to kill any chance he has at VP. At least i hope so because he has tried to destroy unions in Indiana.

[yardwork]

9. He's in a public sector union. It's called Congress. Most powerful union in the country.

Mitch Daniels and his fellow Congress Critters get lifelong benefits the rest of us can only dream of.

[Capt.Rocky300]

11. Ummmm.....

He's governor of Indiana. Before that he was head of Bush's OMB. He's one of the main guys who got us into the budget mess as I recall. Didn't he do a gig at faux news as well?

[yardwork]

21. Oops. Sorry. Wrong Mitch. I was thinking of McConnell. Thank you for the correction.

My point still stands. Public servants - including governors - get a lot of wonderful benefits.

[citysyde]

10. Anyone Indiana elected in the last 30 years is not...

fit to be second in line to the Presidency.

Simple as that.

[nanabugg]

12. Well how much more do you have to hear from the RWingers to know that they don't give a crap

about anyone other than the 1%? If the folks with the money would pay decent salaries and benefits to workers there would be no need for unions. If CEO could run a fair business with equal opportunity and pay and other benefits who would even need a union? But we all know that the greedy will not be able to make the obscene profits they are making if the profits had to be shared more with the workers. I guess no one in the last 30 years has had time to read a history book about how and why unions were started?

[valerief]

14. Isn't Congress a union of sorts? nt

[boppers]

24. How is that relevant? eom

[valerief]

30. I can't ask a question? nt

[boppers]

32. Well, I don't see what Congress has to do with this.

Did you confuse this Mitch with another one?

[valerief]

33. So I CAN ask a question. nt

[Brigid]

17. Guess what, Mitch . . .

Government works better without you. You'll be looking for a new job soon enough.

[justgamma]

18. Only the Cons think that American workers

are a "special interest" group. In reality, they should be a group that all politicians are interested in.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

20. what a twit

[Omaha Steve]

25. Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R)....

Shouldn't Exist!

[GrantDem]

26. Merely confirming what we knew all along.

A millionaire/billionaire right winger that hates unions and doesn't give a shit about working families.

[47of74]

27. Who can be the biggest asshole?

That's the current contest all the Republican governors are having.

[yellowcanine]

28. There is a fundamental problem with governors not understanding that teachers aren't part of the

government. Just sayin.

[Do it Right]

29. I think that before this is all over

there is going to be a lot of bloodshed in this country. These republicans are so INSANE that they will see this country in total ruins as they do the bidding for their corporate lovers......and the ignorant voters that continue to vote against themselves because of their insane hatredfor themselves and others that aren't like them. AMERICA IS IN TROUBLE....ONLY AMERICANS CAN MAKE IT RIGHT....not these insane morons that stay in office by the insane that keeps them there.

[LeftishBrit]

31. LeftishBrit: Stupid ultra-right-wing politicians shouldn't exist.

I think government works better without them. I really do.

[bobthedrummer]

34. A general strike would be a gamechanger, heh? kick-forget about "right to work" meme n/t

[JoePhilly]

35. Let the voters vote on whether Mitch gets a pension after office.