Abandoning Wisconsin's Unions

Wisconsin's public employee unions are being abandoned by the media. Not the Glenn Beck/Rush Limbaugh media, instead liberals like Time Magazine's Joe Klein and The Washington Post's Charles Lane have dumped their support for the unions and their methods.

Klein kind of summed up the irony of the moments:

I mean, Isn't it, well, a bit ironic that the protesters in Madison, blocking the state senate chamber, are chanting "Freedom, Democracy, Union" while trying to prevent a vote?

After the Tuscon incident of only a few weeks ago we were all worried about civility in politics. Suddenly Madison has opened some left leaning journalists eyes, showing them their own group is as uncivil as any. John Jagler on Twitter points out that staffers at the capital in Madison have been told not to wear ties to work, evidently to avoid them being used to to assault them.

Lane points out the hypocrisy of the left coming out so quickly:

This is hypocrisy on an epic scale. I can't think of a more overwhelming refutation of the claim that incivility is the unique province of the American right -- as opposed to what it really is and always has been: a two-way street with both right and left lanes. No wonder so many Americans in the broad center of the political spectrum are turned off by both parties and their sanctimonious "bases."

Both at different points call out the Ed Schultz/Rachel Madow wing of the left for spewing false information, having it proven false, and refusing to acknowledge it.

President Obama, during the health care reform debate last year reminded us, as do Klein and Lane, elections have consequences. Though listening to the President this week you'd think he doesn't agree with that idea anymore; or at least the consequences when they aren't the one's he'd like.

The New York Times points out, it's not just Wisconsin going after public sector unions; though Walker is going farther than others. California and New York, led by liberal icons Jerry Brown and Andrew Cuomo are both attempting to reign in their unions lavish pay and benefits packages also, looking at 8 and 10% pay and benefit cuts. They didn't really mention Chris Christie in New Jersey, who's also gone after the pay and benefits packages, in a much more vocal way.

While the Times isn't quite as blunt as Klein and Lane, read the undercurrent of their article and you see little sympathy for the union's position.

Back to the President's (earlier) thought that elections have consequences. The whole reason Wisconsin flipped both chambers of their legislature and the Governor's office was simple, the people are tired of living in a tax hell. A big chunk of that hell is the personal income tax, which is still higher than neighboring Illinois' after a 66% increase in the Land of Lincoln.

The people saw that the only job growth in their state was in government employment, and realized it's an unsustainable model. Many probably looked at their neighbors to the south and saw that kind of dysfunction heading their way if something wasn't done, soon.

If more recent (than 2 months ago) evidence is needed, again, look to Illinois who did increase taxes considerably, but still has to borrow nearly $9 billion to pay it's past due bills because they didn't do anything about their spending when they jacked up taxes.

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This Is Not A Referendum!

Do as the MSM and White House are doing, and say to yourself over and over "the election results in Virginia and New Jersey are not a referendum on Barack Obama or the Democrats". Just keep saying it, at some point you'll believe it, they do.

The truth is Barack Obama & Company spent a lot of time in New Jersey trying to save John Corzine from his record. Tim Kaine, the head of the DNC is the outgoing governor of Virginia, and the GOP took his seat, and a few others in the state. The NY Times and Washington Post will undoubtedly repeat the party line that these aren't referendums on the Democrats, they are.

The party line is that the "Obama coalition" didn't show up to vote in those elections. The young, and people of color chose to stay home, even though Obama showed up five times in New Jersey to beg to come out and vote and make a difference. That is somewhat of a referendum on President Obama's staying power. He's not as new and cool as he was last year.

Add to that fact that the ballots were pretty much stuffed with white guys who are career politicians, and you have a recipe for not getting out the youth vote, or the minority vote. This is something that the Democrats will have to keep in mind for the 2010 mid-term elections.

New York's 23rd Congressional District did go to the Democrats. I'm not sure that is a true indicator of anything though, since the "GOP" candidate dropped out Saturday and endorsed the Democratic candidate, leaving Doug Hoffman of the Conservative Party out on his own. The State GOP can blame themselves for that loss, though. They put up a candidate as a Republican who's farther left than many Democrats, and wonder why she didn't poll well and couldn't raise money.

Another interesting tidbit, Maine it was thought, would be one of the first states to pass a Gay Marriage ballot referendum, and instead it wend down. This didn't surprise me. Maine has an independent streak as a state, but generally runs a little bit to the right. They elect moderate republicans to the Senate all the time. So the idea that this didn't fly up there shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, except the folks that thought the 2008 elections mean the entire country shifted to the left.

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Higher Insurance Rates, Coming Soon!

The Wall Street Journal once again points out the failure of a state (New York) to insure more people, give great choice in policies, and cut insurance costs through mandates and controls.

The insurance companies released their report saying that prices will go up about 20% if the Baucus Bill passes. But the WSJ article points out that New York's rates have doubled since the state decided that they should mandate coverage types, rates, etc.

So, since it's failed in New York the obvious thing to do is have the whole country try it, right?

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Good Reading on Insurance Reform

The Wall Street Journal does what most local papers and other national media outlet's haven't been concerning President Obama's newest phrase "Health Insurance Reform"; they point out the facts, in two different editorials.

The first "The Truth About Health Insurance" points out something I did a few days ago, the reforms wanted by the administration won't save you money, they'll just drive your insurer out of business and cost you MORE!

They point out that New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts all have both guaranteed issue insurance laws (you have to sell a policy to anyone, even with pre-existing conditions) and Community Based Ratings (can't use a pre-existing condition to set premiums). Not surprisingly, those are the three most expensive states to by individual health insurance in. In fact, rates are two to three times higher than the rest of the country.

Evidently "fairness" only works one way in those states. It's more fair to require no wait insurance for the folks who get sick and need it now. Unfortunately the rest of the insured end up paying for them to be covered.

The second piece you should read is by John Mackey, CEO and co-founder of Whole Foods. They've reformed their insurance program, and save both the company and employees money. "The Whole Foods Alternative to ObamaCare" lays out how they've done it, and why even their Canadian and British employees, with goverment provided health care want into the system.

The biggest reform they enacted? They turned employees into true consumers of health care. They actually shop around for services and treatments instead of just going to whatever doctor or clinic someone recommends.

They use a high deductible ($2500) policy paid for by the company and a Health Savings Acount, with another $1800 from company. The HSA rolls over each year, so if it's not spent, they don't lose the cash, and can save for a catastrophic event.

What they've found is the employees don't use the HSA money up every year to cover the deductibles, they instead do spend out of pocket for smaller expenses, and end up shopping and saving themselves money.

Mackey has some other great ideas on how to actually bend the curve down, as the President would like to do, but the CBO has pointed out, ObamaCare won't. Check out his ideas.

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Harold Has The Right Question

Over the last few days we've been inundated with the news that New York's Democratic Governor, Eliot Spitzer was hooking up with high end call girls that charge $5,500 per HOUR.

For a long time I railed against Spitzer when he was New York's Attorney General, and looked for ways to destroy Wall St. companies. Most of the time it was in the name of protecting the "little guy", but usally came of as him being a self righteous prick, who felt guilty about his own silver spoon upbringing.

It was kind of proven out by the fact that the few companies who challenged him in court all won. Most didn't challenge him, not because they were guilty, but because they (unlike governments) do cost benefit analysis as a matter or course, and decided that it was easier and cheaper to settle that have their name drug through the mud for months or years.

So now Spitzer, who as DA in Manhattan used to round up and bust prostitution rings, is caught using one. Evidently Wall St. companies weren't the only one's he liked to screw.

Harold Myerson, over at the Washington Post, has a great question, what makes a hooker worth $5500 an hour? I've asked a few folks that question over the last few days, and no one can think of a reason to pay that kind of money for a hour of what a hooker does.

Myerson, though, has the answer. It's not that what she does is worth that kind of cash, it's that guys like Spitzer can afford that kind of cash, and you, Mr. Little Guy he's been protecting can't.

You see, Spitzer is a hypocrite. For year's he's been telling us that the little guy is who he's out to protect. Having based his political career on that premise, he can't buy a lot of things other rich guys do. He's look like a self righteous snob. So no Ferrari for Eliot, no private plane, though he did have a nice place in Manhattan (payed for with Daddy's money). The rest of the toys rich guys got would make him look two faced. So, instead, he flaunted his money with hookers the little guy couldn't pay for. No uptown street walkers for Eliot, he had to have the "good stuff".

Myerson points out that Spitzer was also looking for the one thing that a $300 an hour hooker couldn't give him, discretion. At $5500 an hour you better be quiet. But this brought out another of his flaws, hubris.

Spitzer like a lot of folks in his position in life feel they are the smartest guys on the block, or in the world. He didn't get caught because of buying the hookers. He got caught because of odd ways he was transferring money to accounts around the country. The Feds thought he was being blackmailed and were looking in to it, only to find the truth was it wasn't him who was being "screwed".

Mr. Spitzer, I hope you enjoy your future life in obscurity. I'm not sure why you haven't resigned yet, other than that little hubris issue of yours. It's time to sign the papers, and head out of Albany, and the headlines. Though I'm sure when the divorce comes up you'll be back in the news.

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