Letter to Editor: Rauner trying to fight old wrongs

Predictably, long knives are now aimed at Governor Rauner as he reveals spending cuts necessary to fill holes in the fraudulent budget previously approved by Governor Quinn and the General Assembly's Democrat majority.

Foremost among the tax and spend special interest groups shouting objections to the cuts are leaders of both the public employee and private-sector unions.

Though not unexpected, the complaints of the unionists warrant little consideration.

It is the unions, especially the public employee unions that have contributed mightily to the increased size and cost of Illinois government.

For example, it is estimated that salary and benefits for public sector employees are 21% higher than those in the private sector doing comparable work. Further, state procurement practices are stacked against bidders whose private sector employees are not unionized. It has been estimated that this practice can add 10-20% to the cost of materials and services purchased for state use.

Union membership in the U.S. has steadily declined; and, today, less than 12 percent of those in the workforce are union members. T

his begs the question of why the 12% have the power to impose significantly higher costs upon the other 88% of individuals who make up the total workforce.

An answer can be found in the fact that while only 6.6% of the private sector workers are unionized, 35.7% of workers in the public sector are. Public employee unions tilt the playing field to their advantage by using campaign contributions to buy off the, mostly Democrat, governmental leaders who sit across the bargaining table from them. Those who should be representing the public, instead, end up representing themselves by regularly endorsing the union agenda and, thereby, costing taxpayers millions each year.

Let's reduce costs by roping in the power of the union minority and redirect the savings the state's needy.

Charles F. Falk

Schaumburg