Rethinking Gov't Employee Unions

Since the topic of state-employed, union-member compensation and benefits are front and center these days, here in NJ and elsewhere, I thought I'd link to this excellent excerpt from and email posted by Misch over here.

"It is the purest definition of a corrupt process to force membership in any group hired by government and then, in any way, manner, shape or form, use involuntarily collected funds of that group to influence a political process that literally picks the taxpayer's pocket.

I am not writing this as an indictment of the great majority of fine educators. I am, however, writing this as an absolute indictment of the political, self-aggrandizing corruption and whining of those who do, indeed, disgrace the profession. We need to drop most of the pretense of bigger paychecks and benefits "for the children"."

I have a ton of respect for teachers.  I hate to see any contract, originally agreed to by both sides, overturmed.  The other option is really bad at some junctures, this being one of them.