Organized Labor: The state that led the way in giving labor push-button power to organize against private-sector taxpayers now stands — if you can call it standing — as a cautionary tale. The public should be forewarned for what might happen far more broadly if unions get their way in Congress.
Jobs are fleeing the Golden State, where unemployment has spiked well above 10%. Taxes are soaring, and a new budget shortfall of $8 billion, following the $42 billion gap that was patched up primarily with tax increases and borrowed money.
But California is still not a bad place to be — that is, as long as you have a secure job (which most are) on the public payroll.
According to the latest salary survey by the American Federation of Teachers, California teachers are the highest paid in the nation.
California also has America's highest-paid prison guards. A state agency's study last year found that the maximum pay of California's guards was 40% higher than that of the highest-paid guards in 10 other states and the federal government.
Private-sector workers and business owners in California get the worst of all deals. They pay some of the highest taxes in the country and get no more than mediocre public services.
It's not just the unions that have pulled the state into the ditch. Voters share the blame for ill-advised decisions at the ballot box, such as approving too much debt and imposing budget rules that keep tax revenues from going where they are needed most.
But public-union muscle has undeniably led the way in tilting the balance of power toward a self-serving, unaccountable governing class...
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