Arizona's First Political Blog

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By Anonymous Mike, pseudonymously.

 
What's Good for the...

With the news that Governor Napolitano intends to sign an executive order allowing state workers to select union representatives to sit at the bargaining table and discuss personnel issues with state officials ("meet and confer"), I have some questions.

First the obvious one everyone is asking... if this was such a good idea why did the Governor wait for 6 years and then try to sign it when she has announced she's leaving?

Then... Democrats are yelping over the fact that the person who will replace Napolitano is coming from a different party and may reverse many of her policies (leave aside the fact that Napolitano will leave the state in a deep fiscal hole), then why should we accept the fact that while she's in her lame duck status that she is making major changes in how the state is run? I mean the state is in one of its fiscal crisis ever thanks in her part to her policies and she just waved good bye to the state and said "smell you later" but only wants to stay around long enough to make sure she's solid enough in her next gig. So while she waits she's going to start gumming up the works? What's next? Removing the letter "J" from the keyboards?

What's the practical benefit to having union representatives sitting at the table? I have always heard, preached, and practiced that good management involves directly listening to what your employees' need and concerns and getting them addressed... is there a problem with agency personnel management that "meet and confer" will solve?

Finally... what's been on the news lately? The auto bailout and how in part the UAW has screwed up the industry, not to mention that they want billions in tax payer money so they can keep some of their sweet contracts until they expire in 2011. Second, if you have been following the budget messes in New York and California over the last several years you realize how much of those states' budgets have been in hock to the public sector unions. Remember in 2003 how Schwarzenegger wanted to reform California until he realized he could either take on the unions or be re-elected but not both?

So why again do you want unions, at a time when there are stories galore about how they are trundling up to the taxpayer teat, sitting at the table when there is going to have be some serious budget cutting? Where's the value-added for the tax payer by allowing clowns like SEIU and AFSCME to be part of the process?
posted by Anonymous Mike at 5:53 PM