Why do people spend so much time trying to avoid the obvious? In a recent column in the Journal Sentinal, Patrick McIlheran points out that Milwaukee County government is burdened with legacy costs, spending three times as much on health care for retirees than it does on the parks.
This has obvious implications for county government today. But. over at the folkbum blog, a blogger known as capper wants to deny that. The health care benefit was discontinued for all employees hired after 1995. It's the fault of doctors and hospitals because capper, having apparently freed himself in Plato's cave, just knows that they charge "too much."
If you max out your credit cards, Christmas won't be very extravagant. That the credit card companies have cut you off or charge you too much interest will not be of immediate help.
I've said it before and I will say it again. County politicians and public employee unions destroyed Milwaukee county government. We will see more of this in the future with other governmental bodies as current bills for lavish pension and retirement come due. No matter how you feel about the proper role of government, this is a fact that needs to be faced.
10 comments:
Of course, Capper's complaint (that it's the greedy hospitals, docs, insurers...) leads ineluctably to the only solution Capper can offer: price controls.
This current Milwaukee County employee has a solution:
Privatize!!!
How odd to see "fact" and "folkblum" in the same sentence.
Liberals like capper and Jay will never admit government failure. They have constituencies to demogogue to. To say that Democratic power brokers screwed the very constituents that they "care" about is not an option.
They people and programs they support screw the people they purport to care about, but they are too invested in liberal ideology to see themselves for what they are. Socialists.
test
The combined Milwaukee County taxing entities (schools, cities, county, MATC) wages and pension benefits are sustainable only IF a greater percentage of median household income is taken by force, specifically tax increses.
In recent decades global competition has essentially capped total private sector worker compensation. The public sector politicians, unions, and employees know it, but they don't care. They continue to demand, and receive, yearly compensation increases.
The result is an endless transfer of wealth from the private sector to the public sector. This fact will not change unless the Milwaukee County private sector taxpayers rise up and demand change.
Facts are ignorred all the time...you of all people should know that...
Hey anonymous
You're right, facts are ignored all the time, but property tax bills aren't.
Increasing property tax bills for those homeowners with low household incomes to pay retirement benefits for government workers is wrong.
That method of increasing government revenue can best be described as "trickle up" economics. That "widens" the gap between rich and poor, a recipe for disaster.
Hi Russ -
You're absolutely right but who cares...people are for using, abusing, robbing and discarding...isn't that the picture you get of things today?
While I agree that greedy politicians and greedy public sector employees are the number one problem in Wisconsin, the reason why is obvious.
Most private sector taxpayers are busy earning a living for themselves and their families. They are not taking the time to fight the "thieves" that make up our public sector in Wisconsin. They've got to get off the couch and clearly state they are not going to take it any longer.
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