Collective Bargaining and the Bottom Line: Q&A with Heritage Foundation’s James Sherk
Faced with an $8 billion budget deficit, Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) is on the verge of signing a bill that would prevent state employees from using collective bargaining to negotiate their health and pension benefits. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) has pushed a similar bill, which has drawn national attention, spawned weeks of protests, and sent Democratic lawmakers fleeing the state as a way to stall its passage.
Two other GOP governors facing major budget crises – New Jersey’s Chris Christie and Michigan’s Rick Snyder – have made it clear that they don’t see restricting bargaining rights as the key to more austerity. Texas, North Carolina, and Louisiana face major budget deficits, and in those states public employees don’t have collective bargaining rights.
To what extent is collective bargaining to blame for out-of-control state spending? Is clamping down on the ability of public-employee unions to negotiate an important tactic for closing what may grow to a combined $125 billion gap in state budgets next fiscal year?
Reason.tv’s Nick Gillespie sat down with the Heritage Foundation’s James Sherk to talk about what collective bargaining means to the bottom line of states.
Approximately 5.30 minutes. Camera by Jim Epstein and Joshua Swain, and edited by Epstein.
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No, it’s a conservative being interviewed by a libertarian. I don’t see how libertarian = Nazi. How is promoting less government and more individual liberty the same as more government and less liberty? You do know that the Koch brothers give out tens (sometimes hundreds) of millions of dollars every year for education, medical research, and charity, right? Or do you only count it as charity if the government takes it from them and gives it to another? What is evil about having sponsors?
Thank you!!!!!!!!
Of course we do. They are open about being biased towards the "libertarian" view (small l, they aren't connected to the Libertarian Party, you can see this at the Reason Foundation's FAQ). Biased doesn't mean inacurrate. As for balance, you have to look at multiple sources yourself. The libertarians are better than conservatives & liberals because they're the only group promoting individual liberty & free markets. Please let go of your Two-Party System, it's harming the people of America.
its called cover up man,
down with koch
@1MeanBean I still cannot find any single bad thing the Koch bros have done. I can see how stuff they've said you don't like. And yep they've provided funds for organizations as well, in those cases I can't even find those organizations are terrible, just they advocate things and push things that you may not like.
So what in the world have they done thats so terrible? Please show me some source.
This libertarian think tank propaganda has been brought and paid for by Koch Industries. STOP THE PLUTOCRATS AND THEIR CRONY GLOBALIST AGENDA TO PRIVATIZE THE GAINS AND TO SOCIALIZE THE LOSS. Save America and our democracy by saying NO to the Koch Brothers and their race to the bottom! AMERICANS EVERYWHERE HAVE WOKEN UP TO RESIST THESE TRAITORS TO THE CONSTITUTION!
Pretty shallow interview. They should have just given Sherk the camera and told him to talk about whatever he wanted, that's all it was anyway.
…MAKEUP!
what a joke
@neonshoji I had that pretty bad once. Started developing in the mid-'90s and peaked my sophomore year in college. I grew a full beard out a few years ago to hide it but the nightmares still haunt me *shudders*
@AshillaBeige I know they can afford expensive cameras an office studio and not a the $ 4 for some concealer to cover over a cold sore. So typical of a male dominated organization they simply don't notice these sorts of things. I wish they would get a clue and realize that superficial negative perceptions can take away from the discussion.
@yakyakyak69 Exactly unions are BS. I was way over qualified for a job I applied for which was in a closed shop. The employer wanted to hire me but couldn't. Why because I didn't belong to the union. Go to join the union and the union wouldn't let me join because I didn't have the job. It is the catch 22 run around used to support nepotism and kickbacks in unions. I like being in a right to work state for all I care unions and rot in hell.
I liked it, Nick you kick ass…
@Thorbie Well done
@englanddg Wow, you're a humorless, bitter little pill. No, I'm not using it against him…I agree with him and I subscribe and I gave a thumbs up. But it's nice to see you how far you jump in speculation when you read a comment that was made only because it's clear and present. Tell me (and be honest) that you didn't feel bad for Sherk as you watched the interview. It was horrible time and I was just pointing out my empathy. I'd hate to have a camera on me during an embarrassing time.
@ssstealth Reason only carries sideburnitus. 🙂
@theshaggyshow I know it, man. I wasn't making fun of him, just saying that it's shitty timing that he gets camera time during an outbreak. I'm not judging anybody.I have no idea if I have Herpes or not (never had a reason to think I did) but if I don't, it's only thanks to sheer luck.
I'm from NC and what we have here is a good ole boy network, The state has been run by the democrats since reconstruction ended and the patronage jobs are out of control , the nanny attitude is oppressive, and all the public employees keep their friendly neighborhood democrat in power therefore the payback is still going on without collective bargaining. Mish has the right Idea, end Davis-Bacon and the correct number of public employees should be close to zero.
I didn't hear a word Mr. Sherk was saying because I couldn't stop staring at his hairpiece. 😉
I think that the best solution, if you can't "break the unions" is to legislate that all pay be in cash/check to the employee and they must make their deductions on their own.
No withholding. no deductions, no benefits. Just a big ole lump sum every week. Have the employee write a check to the union, to FICA, to the IRS, to an IRA and to health insurance.
Watch them get pissed off at the Unions and IRS as well.
@neonshoji
Or maybe when Reason brought the herpes with them? LOL
Perhaps he has a mole.
@Gallowglasser You're right. God damn Koch brothers…try to protect my civil liberties will they! How dare they be anti-mob rule! They just love that god damn piece of paper…the so called constitution much more than the average lucratively paid union leader. Fuck those guys. Now off to masturbate to what's left of Keith Olbermann on my Tivo.
@englanddg Dude, it was funny. lighten up =)
I wonder if his herpes has collective bargaining rights?
Can't… look… away… from… HERPES!
Got a solution to 90% of our problems in America: Get rid of all benefits and pay the worker directly what the employer is spending to employ them. Let people buy their own insurance, or not and let them provide for their own Retirement Security or pension. People will no longer be tied to a job they hate because of the benefits, and companies will no longer deal with the headache of negotiating them. All both parties will have to worry about is the bottom line.
problem is, the idiots didn't allow teachers the right to not join the union.
@neonshoji
haha. i know right. they could have at least filmed from the other side
@vspqbd you must have sneaked it in there somewhere, in really small text.
@vspqbd Who's not represented? I'm no fan of taxes, but the term applies to Congressional representation.
Poor guy, it had to be during a Herpes outbreak when Reason came around.