The salad days of the government employee are coming to an end, as they have already in Greece, Italy and Spain.
As Europe went farther down that “road to socialism” than did we, the pain there will be greater. But it is coming here, too.
Already, states and cities have begun cutting their labor force. And the states that were most indulgent in providing pay and benefits their taxpayers could not afford are the states being hit hardest, like Barack Obama’s Illinois and Jerry Brown’s California.
The anger and accusations of union leaders, directed at Gov. Walker, testify to their shocked awareness of the new political realities.
And Obama’s conspicuous absence from the battlefield — he sent a tweet and did a flyover — testifies to his recognition that while government unions may be his loyal political allies, they are also an albatross hanging around his neck this November.
Patrick J. Buchanan is the author of “Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025?”To find out more about Patrick Buchanan and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
