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FBN’s Lou Dobbs on efforts to reduce unions’ power and their impact on government spending, particularly in public education.
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We talk a lot of about.
Education on this broadcast because I I strongly believe the public education is the great equalizer in our great American society.
And if the quality of education in this country will be measured and assured by how much money we spend.
Our students would be on the -- the very top of the world.
We spend on average per student each year 1010101000.
500.
Dollars.
Her.
Pupil.
Can you imagine.
Federal spending -- elementary secondary education has almost.
Quadrupled.
Going from 33 billion dollars.
33 billion back in 1970.
Through an unbelievable.
115.
Billion dollars just federal money 115.
Billion dollars and -- to -- We're teacher unions and they're going to figure out what me and scream in email me but there -- a big part of the reason.
That this is happening.
Teachers now make 40% more in pay and benefits the non -- -- the union teachers 40% more.
That's a very simple.
-- -- union.
Non union.
And know where that we are where.
Is there that kind of differentiation.
At all in pay and any other industry.
Or profession.
The United States in point of fact if this were a pop performance in the union folks were -- or -- -- were great.
The fact is United States.
Is fourteen.
Out of its -- fourteen.
-- -- -- -- OECD.
Nations.
The developed -- Seventeen.
And reading skills.
Seventeen.
Out of thirty war and a below average -- -- map out of -- or countries.
We're 25.
Twenty for teachers unions also part of the reason public employee unions are in such political trouble tonight as we're talk.
Voters in Wisconsin and California at least two major cities in California.
Have fought back saying enough is enough in Wisconsin Governor Walker easily beat back that recall challenged.
Despite unions combining to spend more than ten million dollars -- organizing with a huge ground force.
Up throughout the state.
But it wasn't -- is only in defeat in California San Jose and San Diego.
Citizens there voted overwhelmingly to curb union power and -- scaling back pensions for government workers.
The San Diego measure by the way which -- new workers -- -- one K type plans.
One with an astonishing.
In San Diego.
66%.
Of the vote.
For the 401K plan rolling back those pension.
And liberal San Jose by the -- San Diego and San Jose unified set.
Voted for President Obama in 2070%.
In Sam -- that.
Supported the bank.
70%.
We remind you both of those cities.
Did back the president that California is a blue state.
By the way back in 2008.
Maybe recall -- I had to be reminded of it.
President Obama famously said he would walk on -- picket line as president.
If union workers were denied their right to collectively bargain.
So why are unions finally beginning to encounter push back strong push back in part because right now.
Organized labor in this country amounts to 12%.
12%.
-- -- That's down from 35%.
In the 1950s down from 20% in the 1980s.
And the direction is decidedly down.
But what this does is focus on is what kind of workers make up that 12% in our economy.
If the members from the public sector the public employee unions.
Were pulled out of -- -- it's just put it this way.
Both public employee unions.
-- organize at the rate of thirty.
7%.
Of public employees 37%.
That is five times higher than the number private sector workers.
If you pull these folks out.
Organized labor amounts to less than ten persons.
-- -- labor -- -- And second.
Voters are confronting the facts and that is that unions are -- drain.
On local budgets and that there has been a -- a cronyism.
That is existed in this country now for fifteen years.
That is.
Government government officials.
Take taxpayer money they give it to public employee unions public employee who -- union -- -- back.
To those elected officials.
That cycle has to be broken if we art program fail if common sense is to prevail.
Hand.
We are -- -- -- public spending.
We really have no --
