by Hillary Pennington
I won't lie to you, I hate unions. While there once was a place for them to protect the basic rights of human beings in abhorable working conditions, I now view them more like mobsters; intimidating, selfish, and willing to squeeze out every cent they can get.
Actually, if you think about it, they operate much like a socialist society; everyone gets the same, except the elite few at the top who skim off the very people they are trying to "protect."
I know, I'm a terrible person. How can I hate unions? Well, when they pull stunts like they did in Baltimore County this week, I raise my, "see I told you so card." Here I am, actually proud of Kamenetz for taking a stand and doing what the County should have done years ago, and the Unions are acting like it's the end of the world.
We're not talking about cutting off arms or severing legs. We're talking about cutting a benefit (that no one else gets, might I add) from an already antiquated pension system that is draining taxpayers and leaving them for dead (or at least broke).
We're talking about a law that would end the practice of counting overtime hours towards , who all belong to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union. (snore)
Let's talk a bit about the AFSCME. This union has over 1.4 million members, all of which pay their dues in lieu of protection (sounding more and more like mobsters, aren't they?). The president of the AFSCME is one, Gerald McEntee, a man who makes $480,000 a year. He is also VP of the AFL-CIO, writes for the Huffington Post, and a member of the Democrat Party National Committee.
Did you know that the AFSCME union donates more to political campaigns than any other union in the US, over $38 million since 1990? Did you also know that they donate almost exclusively to the Democrat Party?
But Hillary, that's because the Democrats care about the workers, where the Republicans are just a bunch of rich snobs, you know, the 1%. So McEntee, who pulls a salary of nearly half a million a year from just the one of his many jobs, is part of the 99%? He's one of us? Fighting for the little guy?
Please...these guys are thugs, bullies, mobsters. And I'm appalled that the Baltimore County Council could be intimidated by such tactics. It's not like Kamenetz was asking to strip pensions completely. In the wake of the state's decision to push 50% of pension payments onto the counties, something has to give.
Most people in private industry don't even get pensions anymore. This is by far an antiquated benefit, that if you ask me, should move into the realm of 401Ks. Is it fair to ask taxpayers to fund not only their own retirement plans but the plans of county and state employees as well? We already are required to pay into Social Security, something we will never see the benefits of. We're all tightening our belts in this struggling economy, why can't county employees do the same? Can you answer that for me, Mr. McEntee?
I have to give mad props though to Democat Council Members, Cathy Bevins and John Olszewski, for having the guts to stand up to the unions, to not cave under intimidation. Councilman Huff, as always, you stand true to your beliefs as a conservative.
As for the rest of the council, well, let's just hope once the bill arises again (and it will), that they think more about their constituents' pockets than their own.
For more news and updates on local politics, find Purple Elephant Politics on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, @ElephantConsult. Check out our radio show, PEP Talk Radio, for your weekly political entertainment. Also, visit our website for information about membership. Thanks for reading!
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