Interesting article on unions and pensions

Will, Interesting article here, partly on recents trends in union-busting, but also on public employee pensions.  Proposes, in the final paragraphs, that perhaps pensions should be put to a vote, just like bonds. http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/mayjune_2011/features/the_fallacy_of_union_busting029139.php I’m not certain this would work well, because the public tends to have anti-Keynesian impulses (“I’m cutting back, so should the …

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Off Topic – How’d the national debt get so huge?

Interesting study – see the original document (quick read, 8 pages, simple-to-understand, good graphics) at: http://www.pewtrusts.org/uploadedFiles/wwwpewtrustsorg/Fact_Sheets/Economic_Policy/drivers_federal_debt_since_2001.pdf How’d the national debt get so huge? In 2001, the Congressional Budget Office forecast that the nation’s publicly-held debt would be eliminated by 2006, and a surplus of $2.3 trillion would have accumulated by now. Instead, the federal government is now …

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Two Approaches to Traffic Safety (or Revenue Generation — take your pick)

[from the NMA newsletter] This is a tale of two cities and how they approach their traffic safety responsibilities. As the newsletter title intimates, Roseville (California) and Chevy Chase Village (Maryland) represent a contrast of law enforcement philosophies. Let’s start with Roseville. Former Sacramento City Manager Ray Kerridge moved into that same role with Roseville …

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healthcare vote

We send our elected representatives to the State House to make hard decisions.  They are usually not popular with everyone.  Representative Brownsberger has listened to all sides of this issue and made the best choice possible.  Saying no is the hardest thing any of us has to do.  Will, your experience in town government shows …

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