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Former Verizon Wireless CEO Denny Strigl on the growing number of states taking on public sector pensions and other spending in an effort to reduce go...
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And brown former Verizon Wireless boss -- straddles as a Jerry Brown is saying he's had enough of that pretty much is acknowledging the whole nations have enough.
But this is pretty big for someone like him to do it.
And other democratic -- to follow up on community -- I I think we're going to see a lot more of this across the country.
Take it wasn't just Wisconsin.
Work started but it wasn't just San Jose and San Diego and now California State.
You know I've always been impressed.
By the generous spirit of the American public.
But we have gotten to a point now where the public is saying no more.
And politicians.
Must -- the coziness that we have seen between union officials.
And politicians.
He's coming to an end.
Do you think the way it's being.
Treated by something -- on all of the media.
This is the end of public pensions the end of public health care benefits.
It is much akin to -- security.
Medicare argument nationally just kind of rein in their growth came from -- you -- I I don't think it's it's the end I mean we we want.
Our public employees fairly paid we want them to be able to retire we want them to have good benefits.
But when you look at the fact of the matter where they have ratcheted contract after contract after contract and now what we're seeing.
Is that the public workers are making more in the way of an hourly wage have much better benefits and have a pension income retire early.
This is where the American public says the way I expressed my dissatisfaction.
With this.
He has by my vote and I think we'll see more -- a lot more of this all across the country -- Wisconsin provided cover.
A lot of democratic mayors and governors.
I I do to some extent -- all right I do think however we would have seen this anyway.
Because you know we we're just at the point where our.
Our states and our local governments are exploding in their budgets and -- it had to come to an end and I and I think we are close to that point.
But you know when you look at like -- of the 400 billion and unfunded liabilities and just California.
There's no way you can grow your way out of there's no way you can tax -- -- and -- And -- these states we mentioning you know where the walker ripple effect.
Is is real and alive.
How do we get.
-- Governor Walker has started something for the rest of the politicians across the country I I agree with you.
The way that we get out of this is we finally stop.
Giving giving giving and if you look at public unions little -- giving giving giving as much it's not giving as much.
That's what I don't.
I don't mistake not to -- to but the media makes all the trying to take away policeman's pensions and trying to take away.
You know teachers and -- pensions are you quick turnaround say they're trying to save them.
-- that that you know what that's not at all the case taking things away.
What we want to be is fair that's that's the that's the issue here let's be fair to what's winning out in Europe and -- and -- Okay taxpayers are bad enough -- Where unions promised to double up on the spending because and well I I think that taxpayers who's who said they've had enough of that.
What do we know that unions give money to politicians.
Politicians when their elected turn around and it's payback time.
And that cozy relationship is what has ratcheted thus to the point where the public says no more.
At the so so you could -- -- -- one of the first have to take on unions within your company.
And to hard it was a prodigy unions have had to deal with this.
And that public unions are catching up -- Well look who look at the look at the statistics here six point 9% of the private sector workers are unionized and 37%.
Of the public or government sector employees -- unionized what we will see in the public sector.
Think perhaps not to the extent and not very quickly.
-- is this will come down.
It what can look at Wisconsin -- a very telling story.
When you looking would you give employees.
The option of not having to pay their union dues -- because they're not automatically deducted.
Every week or every month.
50%.
Choose not to pay them.
Which tells you have a union bosses say they're gonna suffer.
Longer term for all alone can't -- what what what's happened is if if they were.
A value to the employees the employees would write a check or at least many of them what.
What's happened money is -- you don't make that kind of decision you know what's happened is that the union.
Workers.
Don't see the value that they did once see -- used and when you think about it what do what does a union do.
They collectively bargain every few years and in what happens in collective bargaining.
Pretty predictable stuff first it's very unsettling to the employees and it's very disruptive.
But when you look at what comes out in the end of collective bargaining it's pretty much the same.
From company to company from industry industry from state to state it's about that the same result.
What else do they do well from time to time they helping employees with disputes but this isn't thirty or forty years ago.
Here in 2012.
We have a management force that is very well trained and they can anticipate issues.
Work them and not let them bubble up into something that's something that really is a huge problem used to say unions have value right.
I've never said that I look at it it's all right I'm -- and -- demonstrate.
