The legislature of Illinois, the outgoing legislature of Illinois, just passed a 66% increase in taxes "across the board," effecting everyone in the state, every business. The state carries a 15 billion dollar deficit and owes another 8 billion to social service agencies, doctors, dentists. The state's bond holders have growing concerns, as well.
One Democrat lawmaker described her vote for this unpopular solution as having to make a choice between " bad and worse." No state Republican voted for the bill.
Understand that Illinois is reported to owe 300 billion in unfunded retirement debt, that 94% of all state worker are represented by a public union. California has a very similar set of numbers, owing 500 billion in unfunded liabilities for its various state sponsored unions (SEIU and others). Neither state legislature is willing to deal with the union's contribution to the deficit issues.
The choice between "bad and worse" is wrong headed, even false, when one realizes that union legacy programs are completely out of hand and unrealistic - and they are considered "off limits" when we all talk of balancing our states' budgets. I live in California and coach in the Middle School system. I am witnessing, first hand, the financial disaster caused by the blind selfishness of the state's unions and their legacy programs.
Last year, Obama spoke often of the teaching jobs his financial plan saved. Not here in California. My particular school district has one high school, one middle school and two elementary schools. Each year for the past four consecutive years, our district has had to make "major cuts." Next year, we are hearing that one of the two elementary schools will close, those students will be sent to a single existing campus and the 7th/8th class of students will be housed on the high school campus. Nearly a third of our teaching staff will be laid off and our sports programs will need to be run out of an after-school "club" presence.
Our teachers are overwhelmingly Democrat. None are happy with what this Administration has done with regard to the current financial distress. This is an evolving story that will not be reported. Understand that if Obama does not deal with this problem, it will effect his chances for re-election. Many in the teaching community are unhappy with Obama and his failed Stimulus. And he will not be able to simply talk his way out of this issue.
In what appears to be an unrelated story from early in 2009 is the accounting of the destruction of teacher and police union retirement funds tied to the General Motors' government structured bankruptcy. These funds were protected by law in the event of a company wide bankruptcy. Obama had those protections taken down in order to funnel billions of dollars into the AFL-CIO auto workers union and its broken legacy program. As a result, the teacher and police retirement funds lost 60 cents on the dollar while the auto union made out like a bandit, and we do mean "bandit." Anyone think the members of these Democrat sponsored retirement funds are happy with Obama? Many of these folks live in the greater Northeast -- you know, Scott Brown's congressional region. I must say that his victory was not that much of a surprise to me.
Point of post: There is a climate of discontent within the Democrat constituency that is not being reported. We have given the reader three such incidences in this post. This undercurrent of discontent may very will be the critical factor in the coming 2012 presidential elections. Time will tell . . . . . . . . . and we will follow this story throughout the election cycle.
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