The Tyranny of the Labor Unions

New York Governor David Paterson supports a proposal to set a property tax cap for New Yorkers, limiting it to 4% a year. (In my opinion, that's still too high, but you have to start somewhere.) 71% of New Yorkers are in favor of the proposal. It sounds like a no-brainer to me. If 71% of the people want it, get it done.

Well, hold on a minute. Accrding to the Newsday article Union foes killing property tax cap in NY legislature, the powerful labor and teachers unions aren't about to let this happen. The unions argue that it will hurt the kids. If we don't keep taxing the hell out of every New York homeowner, the kids will suffer.

But Paterson's commission found 71 percent of a district's budget goes to salaries and benefits, mostly for unionized workers, and that despite record state aid _ nearly $1.8 billion this year alone _ property taxes continue to rise. They are now the country's highest at 79 percent above the national average.

Lawmakers facing an election year have little interest in crossing Albany's powerful labor groups, which spend millions of dollars a year in campaign contributions, political support and lobbying. And neither Republican Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno nor Sheldon Silver, the Democratic speaker in the Assembly, has supported Paterson's plan.

Heaven forbid we should ask the union members to pay a larger share of their health insurance and retirement costs, like the rest of us do. If you're an aspiring teacher or government employee you should definitely move to New York. You'll enjoy better benefits than your friends and neighbors and here's the best part-it's your friends and neighbors who will pay for it.