Chris Christie: "I love collective bargaining"

From Mercury News:

HILLSBOROUGH, N.J.—Gov. Chris Christie, long at odds with unions over his budget-cutting ways, said that he's ready to start negotiating with state worker unions—and that he "loves" collective bargaining.

Christie said at a town hall meeting in Hillsborough that New Jersey is very different from Wisconsin, where a debate rages over whether that state's Republican governor is trying to break unions by getting rid of collective bargaining. Christie said he has never suggested that collective bargaining rights be taken away.

Just the opposite, said Christie, a darling of the Republican Party.

"In fact, I love collective bargaining," Christie told the crowd Wednesday, packed into a room in the municipal building. "I've said let's get rid of civil service and let everything be collectively bargained, as long as collective bargaining is fair, tough, adversarial and there's someone in that room representing you."

After accusing former Gov. Jon Corzine, a Democrat, of being too cozy with the unions, Christie said there would be a different tone this year.

"Let me at them. Get me out of the cage and let me go," Christie said.

Chris Christie talks a good game to his fans on You Tube, but it seems when the rubber meets the road, he's just another typical squishy RINO who doesn't have the cojones to really do what must be done.

"Let me at them. Get me out of the cage and let me go,"

Seriously, who is he trying to kid here. Like most bullies, he talks a big game, but again, one of the real issues before us is the out of control public sector unions, and how they are bankrupting the states with outrageous demands through collective bargaining. Governors in Wisconsin, Ohio, and other union states are trying to end the practice, and yet Christie is all for it.

F.D.R. Warned: Allowing Public Sector Unions Collective Bargaining Rights "Unthinkable and Intolerable." So did early union officials.

This is where Christie's over-sized ego is about to cause him massive trouble, as well as trouble for New Jersey. Let's say, for the sake of argument. Christie can actually negotiate something with these unions.

I know, I know, just bear with me.

Let's say his awesomeness gets it done. As soon as he gets defeated in an election, the next guy can come in and undo everything Christie has done. And with New Jersey's voting history, that will most certainly happen.

It's interesting that for all of Chris Christie's big talk, he seems to be all hat, no cattle. When it came time for New Jersey to join the fight against ObamaCare, he declined. This wouldn't have cost New Jersey any money, or effort. It would have just added their name to the long list of states suing the federal government, and would have certainly added to that effort. Christie didn't have the guts to do it.

Now we see that when the heat is on, and while other Governors are standing firm against the unions and WILL end their destructive collective bargaining practices, Christie wimps out.

Maybe if Christie would concentrate less on creating sound bites for his You Tube fans, and more on actually governing, he might get some where. So far the only thing we get from Christie is a lot of bluster, but no results.

F.D.R. Warned: Allowing Public Sector Unions Collective Bargaining Rights "Unthinkable and Intolerable."

James Sherk, writing in the New York Times, speaks to the well known dangers of allowing public sector unions the "right" of collective bargaining. Of course, anyone who lives in a state overrun by unions [public and private] knows full well the dangers of this.It's interesting to note that not only FDR, but union leaders themselves, once recognized allowing public sector unions collective bargaining rights was madness.

"It is impossible to bargain collectively with the government."

That wasn’t Newt Gingrich, or Ron Paul, or Ronald Reagan talking. That was George Meany -- the former president of the A.F.L.-C.I.O -- in 1955. Government unions are unremarkable today, but the labor movement once thought the idea absurd.

Public sector unions insist on laws that serve their interests -- at the expense of the common good.

The founders of the labor movement viewed unions as a vehicle to get workers more of the profits they help create. Government workers, however, don’t generate profits. They merely negotiate for more tax money. When government unions strike, they strike against taxpayers. F.D.R. considered this "unthinkable and intolerable."

Government collective bargaining means voters do not have the final say on public policy. Instead their elected representatives must negotiate spending and policy decisions with unions. That is not exactly democratic – a fact that unions once recognized.

George Meany was not alone. Up through the 1950s, unions widely agreed that collective bargaining had no place in government. But starting with Wisconsin in 1959, states began to allow collective bargaining in government. The influx of dues and members quickly changed the union movement’s tune, and collective bargaining in government is now widespread. As a result unions can now insist on laws that serve their interests – at the expense of the common good.

Union contracts make it next to impossible to reward excellent teachers or fire failing ones. Union contracts give government employees gold-plated benefits – at the cost of higher taxes and less spending on other priorities. The alternative to Walker's budget was kicking 200,000 children off Medicaid.

Governor Walker’s plan reasserts voter control over government policy. Voters’ elected representatives should decide how the government spends their taxes. More states should heed the A.F.L.-C.I.O. Executive Council’s 1959 advice: "In terms of accepted collective bargaining procedures, government workers have no right beyond the authority to petition Congress — a right available to every citizen."

James Sherk is the Bradley fellow in labor policy at the Center for Data Analysis at the Heritage Foundation

Check out photos from the Wisconsin union protests courtesy of Michelle Malkin here. [Language warning]