My letter to the editor was published today

Letter to editor from last week:
Unions' partners
June 12, 2012 12:14 am

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Now that Wisconsin voters have shown the rest of America how the unions have financially raped taxpayers for years, let us be sure to also remember their partners -- the locally elected officials of every borough, township, city and village in the United States who sat on the councils and school boards and voted for and signed whatever the unions wanted and got.

Kudos to those politicians who tried to hold the line but were outnumbered.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/opinion/letters/unions-partners-639984/#ixzz1yAVRoebm

AND MY RESPONSE TODAY:

Unions not at fault
June 18, 2012 12:04 am

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I am responding to Joann Prion's June 12 letter, "Unions' Partners." Her words that unions have raped the taxpayers for years is totally off base and out of touch with reality.

Within the state of Wisconsin, the money that Gov. Scott Walker took from union members was the amount of money that he awarded in tax breaks to big business. It is politicians who have assaulted and abused taxpayers, not unions.

Unions, specifically those representing public-sector workers, are reasonable. I have never seen a union advocate for tax increases so their members could have pay increases.

It is politicians like Gov. Tom Corbett who attack citizens. Gov. Corbett's refusal to allow local government to tax Marcellus Shale takes money away from the community for schools and infrastructure. Don't blame unions for this.

Gov. Corbett is giving Shell Oil a billion-dollar tax break. This is money that could be used for the benefit of communities. Who is going to pay for the added traffic and added pollution that this development will produce? Don't blame it on the unions.

Why are people so afraid of putting the blame right square where it belongs? Why have unions suddenly become the scapegoat for the bad that is happening?

Praise unions for the work they have done, and the work they will achieve. Don't spout what you hear on right-wing radio. It is false.


Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/opinion/letters/unions-not-at-fault-640825/#ixzz1yAVxq3G9