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Even if I accept everything you say here, it doesn't hold water -- since public sector unions have done everything in their power to keep that same Democratic machine in office since forever.
At a time when the auto industry is bouncing back Detroit goes bust? Maybe because auto manufacturers have moved to right to work states? Maybe because public unions in Detroit have wage and benefit packages that are out of hand? There is a lesson here, learn it.
I know it's easy to see things from that prism, especially if you hold strong conservative values, but pension funds whether corporate or government run don't bankrupt cities. Mismanagement does! Lack of adaptation i.e., not changing your city zoning or revamping enterprise zones) does! Refusing to change your financial structures (local tax codes) does! All of these things led to Detroit's demise. Anyone who thinks unions are to blame are just playing to their own politically ideological bend.
Unions are at least 50% to blame.
Um, Detroit is a right to work state and I hear that they still have auto workers in the state only they are making half of what the last generation made. The same generation that had a very nice middle class life. Now they have made these workers insecure and in the ranks of the working poor. Great priorities.
Unions being 50% to blame does not make them 100% liable.
It makes them a huge contributing factor and it could be argued that unions were the deciding factor in sending Detroit over a cliff.
I don't think anyone's arguing against that. I'm just saying that to blame union activity/pension funds alone is foolish. So much more goes into running/financing a city than the arrangement of union contracts whether proper or mismanaged.
I'll tell you what I do think: I think the politicians who failed to fund these plans adequately belong in jail. You make the concessions in contract negotiations? You pay the piper. What you don't do is kick the can down the road and drive a city into bankruptcy.
These politicians who failed to increase tax rates or cut spending in order to fund their promises belong in jail.
Um, would that be all of our congress critters or do we look at their individual voting records.
In short, you want to blame unions because you don't like them. But the truth is union benefits were NOT the only reason the city of Detroit fell apart.
Yeah, us democrats I know are not innocent but I think taxing people that can afford to chip in a little more would be nice....it's like "No!Don't take 25% of my 10,000,000$ I'm going to be in the poor house!
Republicans always over taxing the poor and under taxing the rich
I know it's easy to see things from that prism, especially if you hold strong conservative values, but pension funds whether corporate or government run don't bankrupt cities. Mismanagement does! Lack of adaptation i.e., not changing your city zoning or revamping enterprise zones) does! Refusing to change your financial structures (local tax codes) does! All of these things led to Detroit's demise. Anyone who thinks unions are to blame are just playing to their own politically ideological bend.
Michigan very recently became a right to work state, they in effect shut the barn door after the horses were gone.
Then there's nothing I or anyone can say to you to change your perspective on the matter since you've so firmly entrenched in the one facet your believe was the singular cause of the Detroit's economic downfall. It's sad really. Until you and others are willing to accept that there were other factors involved in how this proverbial cat was skinned, you'll hold true to your single-minded templated, ideological view point.
In short, you want to blame unions because you don't like them. But the truth is union benefits were NOT the only reason the city of Detroit fell apart.
At a time when the auto industry is bouncing back Detroit goes bust? Maybe because auto manufacturers have moved to right to work states? Maybe because public unions in Detroit have wage and benefit packages that are out of hand? There is a lesson here, learn it.
Do read into what I'm saying.
Fair point and maybe the poll should have asked if unions were the deciding factor not the cause all by themselves but then again you may be nit picking here.
At a time when the auto industry is bouncing back Detroit goes bust? Maybe because auto manufacturers have moved to right to work states? Maybe because public unions in Detroit have wage and benefit packages that are out of hand? There is a lesson here, learn it.
Yep. Buffalo, New York has not had a single Republican Mayor since 1965.Have there been any other major cities under strictly Democratic leadership as long as Detroit has been?
Why? Don't tell me you've bought into that NSA nonsense.
It is not because of Unions at all.
If you own a BMW, Mercedes or Volkswagon you are driving a Union vehicle. German carmakers are killing American car makers and German car companies are the most unionized companies in the entire world. They even have corporate unions for their white collar workers..
So no, it has nothing to do with Unions. At all. It DOES have something to do with something else, on the human level though.
Do read into what I'm saying.
On a side note. It is hilarious to watch some anti union American rant about how horrible unions are then brag about their German Union BMW or Mercedes car that is a full blown Union vehicle made my Union members.
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