As we tramp forth into 2010, America’s great divide widens.
A recent Rasmussen poll shows a stark difference. Government workers see the economy getting better, while those in the private sector see it getting worse.
Different perspective or different reality?
Well, during this economic downturn, 6 percent of those in the private sector have lost their jobs, while public sector employment has dipped only 1 percent.
Stuart Varney with Fox Business News says, “If you’re a government worker, you don’t lose your job. You have a very rich and generous pension. You have a very generous health care plan.… You’re protected from the real economy.”
He also points out that, “[T]he three wealthiest counties in America … are all suburbs of Washington, DC … full of very well paid government employees and lobbyists. They are the beneficiaries of a great deal of taxpayer largesse.”
In a column for the Washington Examiner, Michael Barone notes that unions overwhelmingly support Democrats, contributing $400 million in the last cycle. Union members account for only 7.6 percent of the private sector, but a whopping 40 percent of public employees.
This leads Barone to conclude that there is a partisan interest in protecting public sector jobs. He writes, “In effect, some significant proportion of the stimulus package can be regarded as taxpayer funding of the Democratic Party.”
Whatever happened to “we’re all in this together”?
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
8 replies on “That Other America”
Nothing has happened to “We are all in this together.” It is just “We AREN’T in this together.” There is another adage that goes along with this. “Recession is when you are out of work. Depression is when I am out of work.” Those with jobs for the most part, just aren’t touched to the same degree.
When (not if) do you believe the war between the Civil Servant
“haves” and the Private Sector taxpaying “have-nots” will begin ?
This one will make all previous financil tsunamis pale in comparison.
I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.
Ayn Rand
The government worker, education, and public safety, industrial complex is creating a two-tiered society in several ways. It destroys the sense of commonwealth, while practically ensuring only public union advocates or denizens of public sector have the leisure to serve on City councils and other local bodies.
It’s startling to see how many local municipality boards and councils are made up of public sector types who only know that way of thinking.
Public employee pensions will shorlty bankrupt most small cities.
see
http://www.pensiontsunami.com
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Yeah that’s what I’m tlkiang about baby – nice work!