Colorado Gov. Gives Unions Backdoor Win

Posted on December 11, 2007

Our pal Billy Ritter, Governor of Colorado, was not so “august” enough as to allow either the legislature nor the people of his fair state to have a chance to vote on whether they wanted a union to gain a huge amount of power over the state’s public workers there. Instead of allowing the democratic process to reign supreme, Billy boy decreed his payoff to big labor by executive order not long ago.

Ritter has issued an executive order that will create a “bargaining partnership” between the state and its public sector workers. But, not to worry, Billy assures us, it has a “very clear” no-strike provision.

Color me unconvinced. After all, the existence of a union presupposes that they will have the power to strike and walk off the job in case their thuggish demands are not met. Otherwise, what teeth would any such organization have and why would it bother to exist?

Colorado Secretary of State Mike Coffman (a Republican) is not very happy and he and other GOP state office holders claim they will ignore the Guv’s Monarchical degree. “This effort is clearly not in the interest of Colorado’s taxpayers and will not lead to more efficient government,” Coffman said.

Naturally, the louts that work for the state are thrilled by this overstepping of their union beholding Guv.

“I’m extremely excited,” said Lance Christensen, a state archivist. “This is huge. This is really the first step that we’ve been able to take in actually improving government efficiency.”

No doubt he’s excited… but improving government efficiency? HOW? By giving workers even LESS reason to do their job?

Tony Gagaliardi, Colorado director of the National Federation of Independent Business, thought it wasn’t such a great idea though, and he uttered what is to be the understatement of the year.

“I’m surprised the governor would circumvent the legislative process to take this route.”

Who could possibly be surprised? The good Guv is a Democrat, after all. And the only thing Democratic about any American Democrat is the name. That’s where it begins and that’s where it ends.

As Mike Rosen says in the Rocky Mountain News:

In areas where government enjoys a monopoly, public-sector unions are worse than unnecessary, they’re dangerous. When they strike, they can hold the public hostage, shutting down entire sectors. Private-sector unions are constrained by a company’s ability to recover its costs from customers who are free to take their business to a competitor. Public-sector unions have no such constraint, knowing government can’t go out of business and has the power to tax its “customers.”

Dead on, Mike. A perfect explanation on why a union for government workers is not only dangerous, but is down right unethical and undemocratic.

Thanks for undermining state government, Billy. I’m sure the unions will fill your pockets with their “thanks.”

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One Response to “Colorado Gov. Gives Unions Backdoor Win”

Lorraine on December 12th, 2007 1:28 pm

Sadyly, this isn’t the only “screw the taxpayers” scheme he’s into. He hopped right on board the global warming band wagon wanting to bring economy-killing California auto standards here, among other things, and also had a “spiritual experience” while flying over the Roan Plateau, scuttling a 12-year compromise on oil and gas drilling necessary to lower oil and gas prices.

He’s a prince.

And I have to say that the Republicans are just as much at fault for not promoting a candidate that could beat him. We had nothing but weak choices in the last election. Those of us who know better held our noses and voted for them anyway, but there are lots of people who still vote for the “best person” and don’t consider the party consequences. And so we’re stuck for at least the next 4 years.

And so as soon as our kids have graduated from high school, we’re moving to Wyoming where the West is still the West and not California.