As New York’s 152 municipal unions line up to press Mayor Bill de Blasio for raises and back pay, his administration and the powerful teachers’ union... is seeking $3.4 billion in retroactive pay...At a press conference, he pointed at this "tremendous fiscal uncertainty" and mentioned his idea — it worked in the political campaign — of more income tax from the rich. He must know he can't make this work. Nice new stuff for the little kids — and the parents who would like more of the day-care-like benefit that comes from early education/"education" — that's the kind of thing that excited the good liberal folk of NYC who trusted him with power, but in the end, in the cold light of exercising that power, de Blasio is going to have to go with the unions, isn't he?
For Mr. de Blasio, a Democrat with close ties to labor and big hopes of increasing spending on prekindergarten and after-school programs, paying billions to the teachers could starve him of the resources to finance his policy goals....
February 5, 2014
It's not easy being a left-wing mayor.
Poor Bill de Blasio!
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33 comments:
Cue Margaret Thatcher quote.
Party must be served, comrade.
As with everyone on the leftwing, it's all about them.
Pogo,
I don't even think the Iron Lady would have thought they could spend money this fast.
Nonsense, everyone knows money going to unions stimulates the economy! The good mayor should just double what they are asking. It'll all come back once it works through the economy, trickling down, you know.
Two ways through this. Renege on your big spending promises, face the wrath of unions and progressive voters, and hope that conditions in the city are good enough in 2017 that you can get re-elected on that basis with a more moderate coalition. Or, tax the remaining rich people (and everyone else, while you're at it) and squeeze as much as you can out of those lemons to lavish your coalition with goodies, hoping that by the time the rich decide it might be nice to move to Westchester or Connecticut you'll have left office.
It's hard to have sympathy for him though because there's no way he couldn't have forseen this when he campaigned on all those promises.
since commies are innumerate as well as general idiots, Commrade deB doubtless "thought" he could just tax the kulaks, pass out freebies, and keep on rolling forever. as always, he will be stunned when the new taxes fail to produce enough rubles. then the search for wreckers will commence.
On what basis do the unions believe they deserve retroactive raises -- that if the economy had been better or if someone more reasonable than Bloomberg had been in charge, they would have been paid more for their work in the past? Why don't they ask for NYC to retroactively pay for their college educations (including room and board) while they're at it?
To answer Althouse's question, no, the mayor does not need to stick with the unions. The unions were useful (idiots) during the election, but he can claim that spending the "extra" money his way will help unions in the long run by swelling their ranks with even more members. Union bosses will be happy with that answer. Besides, where will the unions go the next election? It's not as if they'll be voting for a Republican. He can safely placate them with words while doing whatever he wants.
I commented yesterday that this Mayoral Admin is a breath of fresh air! And the fresh air has been pure comedy gold. Forget The Daily Show - the Teacher's Unions (et al) vs Da' Mayor is going to get good.
Hey, he's not marching in the St Patrick's Day parade this year because - GAY GAY GAY. The most importantist issue EVER.
GAY.
So, he's OK, the best even, perfect. Gay.
The money has to come from somewhere and deBlasio doesn't have it and won't be able to get it.
Yea yea yea... tax the rich... till they move out of NYC and then what?
So you see what happens when you have a UNION SHOP city and state? 152 UNIONS to strangle everyone else.
Thank God I live in Texas.
Boston's twenty year mayor, Thomas Menino, just left office. He was able to avoid ridiculous city employee contracts because the unions basically trusted him, thought he respected them, and (mostly) accepted it when he said the city only had so much money.
Maybe, maybe, maybe, New York's new mayor can do something similar.
Let New Yorkers have their political decisions good and hard.
Just print some more money, like Obama.
Old ones looked like this.
Unexpectedly! Other's people's money insufficient.
Thank God I live in Texas.
"The stars at night, are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas."
Wasn't this Commie center-stage at the White House a few weeks ago crowing about the new Progressive wave sweeping America?
Oh, sorry John, no proof he's a Communist!
Don't feel sorry for De Blasio because he doesn't have enough of other people's money to fully implement his lefty program. He is moving ahead rapidly to fundamentally changing New York. Teachers and students will now get 3 more holidays - Muslim holidays called Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Unsurprisingly, when the Hindus ask for Hindu holidays De Blasio says no.
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/national/new-york-city-public-schools-may-observe-lunar-new/ndCrQ/
Surely someone asked for Mayday.
Rich people don't have to live in New York, banks and stock exchanges can relocate.
I routinely work with people in different time zones here in the U.S. and with people in India.
The only thing that New York has going for it in the long run is its panache. But if no one can afford to live there and the city's services deteriorate then it will eventually wither as people move away.
I know that New Yorkers do not think that is possible. The people of Venice most likely felt the same about their polis.
Unsurprisingly, when the Hindus ask for Hindu holidays De Blasio says no.
Hindus need more bombs.
De Blasio could play like Nixon in China.
Nixon could afford to go to China because he had staunch anti-communist credentials where a politician who didn't have these would have been red-baited.
So, to, De Blasio can afford politically to tell the unions there isn't enough money to pay for all that.
The question is, will the unions go on strike anyway and cripple the city, figuring he'll find a way to pay them? And if they do, will he go mano a mano against them, or just pay the bill?
My guess is, he'll pay them by somehow deferring the bill (like Illiinois' pension obligations).
Maybe he will ask himself, "What would Che do?"
When the little children start paying dues the teachers' union will take note of them.
When the little children start paying dues the teachers' union will take note of them.
Retroactive pay?
We've gone through the looking glass now.
The SEIU isn't worried. They can live off the fat of the land.
I couldn't get past 152 municipal unions. I don't think I could name 152 different municipal functions.
152 municipal unicorns.
Short term, de Blasio is going to be great for New Jersey, as his oppressive policies push financial businesses across the Hudson into Jersey City.
The middle class will continue to flee the Big Apple. So will the rich. Foreign plutocrats with pied-a-terres will be shocked to see how much their co-op boards are paying for garbage collection. Then they will find that they are being hit with tax bills on their worldwide income for the number of days they spend in their pricy little digs.
Eat the rich. What's not to like?
The problem in the reporting is that while unions may be without a contract, they have not been without pay increases. Expired contracts continue in force until the next one is signed. New/changed terms don't go into effect until a new contract is agreed to.
"Eat the rich. What's not to like? "
Pass up on the heart, though; don't want to break your teeth.
Since the consensus is he is a communist maybe he will just send all the unions to the gulags.
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