Don't Let The Union Horse out of The Barn

The following is a copy of a letter I sent to the "Priest River Times" in response to a well written article (local Coeur 'd Alene reporter with an Associated Press contributor) on major school reform moving through the legislature in Idaho. This is a microcosm of Wisconsin. The Schools Superintendent has received threats and enjoyed vandalism. Idaho is a right-to-work state which means one cannot be forced to join a union. My reply to the article tries to make the case that teachers and their sympathizers are NOT victims and that collective bargaining MIGHT be okay so long as there is competition in the education business to control costs and insist on performance, analogous to the world economy having a moderating effect on USA union greed.

The letter:

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Excellent article in the March 2nd edition about school reform. Let the melodrama begin. Idaho is a right-to-work state which means the IEA's statement claiming that the Republicans "defy Idahoans" is trash. Teachers, essentially a monopoly, should be allowed collective bargaining only when we have a wide range of charter and private schools, state funded, to provide competition to the union teachers, hopefully keeping costs and performance controlled. Broadsword and Keough don't surprise me but "slapping" teachers? Cut the melodrama and let reform begin. And, anyone threatening Luna or any other public official with whom they don't agree should spend time in jail. I sure would not tolerate it. Count on that.

We witness the hatred in Wisconsin, New Jersey and Ohio (and Boise) that develops when the public sector thinks it has the power to rape the taxpayer. Washington, where I live, is strangled by the unions, much to the delight of the Dem controlled legislature and governor’s office, which receive forced contributions from employees who do not always agree with union fear-mongering. There is little strife in Washington but the peace comes as quite a cost.

Idaho schools are better than Washington schools in part because the districts are smaller and the parents, teachers and administrations share a sense of community that does not exist in the large cities. However, once the horse is out of the barn, meaning the IEA can strangle the local schools, that is EXACTLY what it will do. Union greed knows no limits.

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