Across the nation, states, counties, and municipalities are facing a fiscal calamity. Even before the 2008 economic meltdown, many states were facing a sea of red ink due to over-promising, poor fiscal planning, and too much political influence from government union bosses. Now, as politicians of both parties grapple with the mess created by years of passing the buck, they are faced with taxpayers revolting on the right, businesses fleeing union-dominated states and radicalized government unions on the left.

In addition to the headline-grabbing Republican governors Chris Christie (NJ), John Kasich (OH), Rick Scott (FL), Rick Snyder (MI) and Scott Walker (WI), Democrat governors are also finding themselves increasingly in the crosshairs of government union bosses—most notably from the government union bosses at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). All too often, AFSCME’s response to the budget shortfalls in the various states where it operates is to clamor for more taxes, even when so many taxpayers are tired of a already crushing tax burden.

AFSCME: Big Government Bully or Ward of the State?

In Illinois, prior to his reelection, Governor Pat Quinn negotiated $75 million worth of raises for state workers, only to rescind the promised increases after he was reelected due to a lack of money. Now, AFSCME bosses are suing Quinn in court for breaking his pre-election promise. If AFSCME is successful, with no money to fund the increases, Illinois politicians will have to make some tough decisions—do they lay off more employees? Or, do lawmakers pass the costs on to Illinois taxpayers who are still reeling from a 67% income tax hike earlier this year? (more…)

It’s amusing to watch President Obama try to stick it to his friends in organized labor by proposing a tax on union-negotiated health care benefits.

If it weren’t for the fact that the tax proposal would have a  devastating effect on the American economy, the situation would be downright hilarious.

Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO President

On Monday, a group of top leaders from the American labor movement gathered at the White House to share their concerns with the president.

The irony of the discussion was delicious. During the campaign, Obama and the Democratic Party (including the unions) attacked John McCain for suggesting that health care benefits should be taxed as income.

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The bosses of Service Employee International Union (SEIU) and American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Union (AFSCME), Andy Stern and Gerald McEntee, know that ObamaCare will hurt the very workers that they claim to represent.

But, it appears that they just don’t care!

These two union bosses who stand to gain the most power under ObamaCare are spending hundreds of millions of forced union dues promoting ObamaCare. A government run health insurance program is an SEIU and AFSCME “membership net” designed to eventually complete the capture of 21.1 million forced-dues paying government workers.

It is clear that Big Labor is banking on the probability that all healthcare workers eventually become federal, state, and municipal healthcare employees.

According to SEIU’s numbers submitted to the Obama transition organization (The National Heath Care Workforce Enhancement Initiative, 12/3/2008), public sector labor bosses like Stern and AFSCME’s Gerald McEntee have 21.1 million reasons to support ObamaCare. After the November election, Stern’s SEIU submitted the following health occupation numbers to Rahm Emmanuel et al. at Obama, Inc.:

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