While today may be a federal holiday we're still working away. Unfortunately, in Wisconsin, it doesn't look like they'll be working anytime soon.
In case you haven't heard, the Middle East isn't the only place where unrest is rocking political and social stability. The unrest continues in Wisconsin - and strangely enough, in the Badger State, much like in many Middle Eastern countries, the reason for the work stoppage boils down to a small group of people who have an inflated sense of entitlement.
Specifically, the governor of Wisconsin remains defiant in the face of overwhelming protests against his draconian - and unconstitutional - attack on labor.
However, we feel it is important to point out that not every state-level Republican in Wisconsin agrees with the governor.
In fact, over the weekend, Wisconsin Senate Republicans came up with a compromise plan of their own. While their plan is still extremely flawed and unacceptable due to the elimination of collective bargaining rights of many state workers, it is at least a compromise, which is far more than their arrogant governor is willing to allow. The unions have already publicly said - even before the governor began his current line of attack - that they are willing to work to change their agreements in order to help their state's budget issues.
We have said it in these pages for several years now and will continue to say it likely until we are all dead and gone: the soul of effective government is compromise.
Governors - any governor of any American state - are NOT dictators. They do not EVER have the right to say, "This is what I want to happen. This is what we'll do - period." Governors have both rights AND responsibilities. Dictating what will occur without allowing for debate falls into neither of those categories.
Every governor - including the current delusional one in Wisconsin - has the responsibility of working for the best interests of ALL people in the state, INCLUDING union members. They, as governors, may disagree with unions. That has nothing to do with their obligation to protect the interests of the people, which in this case means standing with the unions.
Taking away the rights of collective bargaining is NOT in the best interests of union members or the citizens of the state of Wisconsin.
Are unions flawed? Yes. So are government structures and corporations. If we're going to agree to eliminate one, we need to be willing to eliminate them all.
However, that is not the most appropriate action.
The correct action in all three cases is to work to improve each - unions, corporations, and governments - while eliminating the worst parts of each.
The key is to keep working.
The lazy thing to do is to dictate to everyone what will happen - and to pompously expect them to obey.
