advertisement

Don’t be fooled by public unions’ claims

The arrogance of public sector labor unions has been elevated to astounding heights by Mr. Hank Scheff of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees labor organization. Scheff told the Herald (June 15) that “the taxpayer shouldn’t care where the money goes” and “ ... it’s not the taxpayer’s money” when responding to a Herald article about public sector employees sick days.

Just where does this person think the money comes from? And, taxpayers must remember that this is the same AFSCME union that got a 7 percent raise from Gov. Pat Quinn last year and will get another 7 percent raise this year. All this money coming from the taxpayer that Mr. Scheff is so high and mighty to dismiss out of hand. The taxpayers should just hand over the money and shut up. That’s what he is saying to the Illinois taxpayer who is just being crushed with all kinds of new taxes (supposedly “temporary” ones) and to a state that is broke.

AFSCME did so generously agree to reduce the 2010 pay raise by 2 percent until 2011. My math tells me that means a 9 percent pay raise in 2011.

Quinn should have led by example and done what Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel did (cut pay raises). Illinois is in serious money trouble and Quinn and AFSCME don’t get it. By the way, this and other unions fully supported Quinn.

Gosh, with what he’s given to them, should we be surprised? AFSCME’s President Henry Bayer says taxes should be raised (always a solution, isn’t it) and the unions wonder why businesses are leaving Illinois in droves. Well, Illinois voters have received what they voted for in 2010. And some people still wonder why Illinois is the worst-off state in the entire country? Wow, we’re No. 1!

Thomas Manion

Mount Prospect