Detroit Mayor Dave Bing on Public Sector Unions: 'Either they can't read, they can't add or they can't comprehend'

Monday, March 1. 2010

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing on Public Sector Unions: 'Either they can't read, they can't add or they can't comprehend'

It's not news that too many government workers get way too sweet of a deal in comparison to those in the private sector. It's no different in cash-strapped Detroit, one of the country's hardest-hit economic areas.

The Detroit News' Christine MacDonald reports: (emphasis added)

Mayor Dave Bing today criticized leaders of the city's largest union [American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME] for foot-dragging on contract negotiations, saying it's costing the financially strapped city $500,000 a month and could result in more layoffs.

"Either they can't read, they can't add or they can't comprehend," Bing said at a press conference this morning in his office at City Hall. "It has to be one of the three.

"Everyone is running with a deficit in their budgets. It's leadership or a lack of leadership that has got us to where we are."
...

Bing has ratified deals with 26 of the city's 49 unions, one union vote is pending, and he has imposed contract conditions on three others, staffers said.

He blamed union officials, who he said have repeatedly tried to delay negotiations in court unsuccessfully, including asking a judge at one point to jail Bing for contempt. Bing said he is sensitive to the rank-and-file city employees but said the city is in a "financial crisis".

Posted by Tom Elia in Politics at 07:30 | Comments (27) | Trackbacks (0)

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Public sector unions should never have been allowed. Since Government(s) are not-for-profit, the only way to increase benefits is to raise taxes or cut spending, neither of which should be effected by union control.

Even in the private sector, I think they?ve run their course. With today?s discrimination laws and minimum wage, there is really no use for them. Unless, of course, you want too ruin a company like GM; that type of thing they are very good at.

#1 Sly McNasty on 2010-03-01 09:54 (Reply)

Please stop and think. Nothing is going to save Detroit,it's already a corpse.

But,it is not the public employeees that have caused this problem. It is the City management who at every level have feathered their own nest and made sure THEIR department got more and more taxpayer funding.

An example~You can bet in addition to the Fire Department and the Police Department having an Emergency Center,there is also a Center just for emergencies run jointly by both.More prestige, more manpower, more money. More duplication, more debt. And every City, County, and State has been doing this. It is easy to blame Public Employees,they are very visable, even more visable by their absense,as local governments cut back on services to the public.But how much cutting of programs,especially duplicate programs do you see going on? Not much,I'm willing to bet.

It's government playing everyone for suckers. You want someone to work in planning? Gotta raise taxes!No what has to happen is there needs to be a smaller, or only one type of planning Department,not multiple layers that cost more than it delivers

The union members did not do this. Yeah,none of them minded taking the job. Who would.

If any city not as far gone as Detroit is going to save itself it is going to have to cut programs,not just people.

Yeah,people will lose jobs.But don't blame that on the employees.

#1.1 flicka47 on 2010-03-01 22:45 (Reply)

"Either they can't read, they can't add or they can't comprehend," Bing said at a press conference this morning in his office at City Hall. "It has to be one of the three.

or, (4) they don't care.

#2 Rex on 2010-03-01 10:07 (Reply)

Dave Bing is a bright guy and a good man. He's dealing with IDIOTS but I sincerely hope he can manage to bring a sense of "sanity" to the Union Workers.

Public Unions are destroying the economies of the cities and the public education system. They have managed to destroy the Automotive Industry in Detroit.

Good luck Mr. Mayor.

#3 jgreene on 2010-03-01 10:39 (Reply)

Someone remind me when we voted to allow public employee unions in the first place? Because I don't remember voting on that. The collusion between Democratic (and sometimes Republicans depending on the state/municipality) politicians and their union goon paymasters must be stopped. These arrangements caused the California economic "miracle" that ObamaPelosi wants to impose on the whole country.

#4 Willis on 2010-03-01 11:55 (Reply)

Sigh, JFK, Executive Order 10988, in 1962. For the Federal workers, anyway.

Undoubtedly there was some history proceeding that, and it wouldn't directly affect state and county workers.

In retrospect, the critics of government worker unions were completely correct. Fixing that mistake is going to be ugly. But government pensions, pay and benefits are hitting the unsustainable level, so it's simply not possible for them to continue, they will be cut, one way or another. If only because government collapses under their weight.

#4.1 LarryD on 2010-03-01 13:22 (Reply)

It has to be one of the three.

Why does it have to be only one of the reasons? I think that all three are correct, as well as, the already provided Reason #4.

#5 GoNavy on 2010-03-01 12:23 (Reply)

The city need to declare bankruptcy and force renegotiation of union contracts and reductions of debt levels.

Its the only way out.

#6 steve on 2010-03-01 15:10 (Reply)

Detroit is lucky to have a Mayor with honesty and common sense.My State of Ca. is to far gone. The Unions have a death grip on us and they're squeezing out the last bit of breath.
Good Luck
Gasping for air
Joe
Santa Rosa Ca.
odaatjoe9168@att.net

#7 Joe on 2010-03-01 15:34 (Reply)

This is the golden egg killing the golden goose that laid the golden egg.

It is a parasitic relationship in which the parasite goes a bit too far... killing the host.

Sorry, Detroit. Your cozy democrat/union love affair has come to a sad end. You, like many other municipalities,states, and the federal government, are being bled dry by your union pals. And, they would rather see you die, than grant concessions.

#8 mikeinarizona on 2010-03-01 16:24 (Reply)

It is encouraging to see that even in Detroit a dem recognizes that the unions are not their friends.They are in fact a prime reason for our nation's fiscal distress. That is not to relieve either the dems or republicans elected reps from being a big part of the problem. If anything this recession has a silver lining in that we are able to see where the real problems that need fixing are located. I agree in California, it is probably too late.

#9 Dennis Stack on 2010-03-01 17:38 (Reply)

I feel sorry of Dave.

He is stuck with the mess left over from his libeal predecessors.

They never ran a company and only know that they don't have to meet a buget.

Now he is stuck with a bunch of union types that don't realized that if the city goes down, they go down even further.

If the city can't cover their insurance there is no insurance cause I bet the union hasn't got the funds.

They are going to be like GM. An empty facade that has to be kept blown up from the outside.

Better look to history and find out how this happenned and fix the problem. The problem is not outside Detroit. It is Detroit and the mindset that had been in control for way too long.

#10 kbworkman on 2010-03-01 17:49 (Reply)

Even a dumb parasite knows to keep its host alive.

#11 Joe on 2010-03-01 19:06 (Reply)

Detroit, a once vibrant, wonderful city. Now, 48% functional illiteracy, 12% graduation of kids from K-12 and not even a republican RUNNING for mayor in 50 years. Either party can screw things up, but in Detroit's case, the democrats OWN it. I used to live in southeast Michigan...no more. The unions and their tactics have ruined this once great city. No foresight, no hindsight and, seemingly, no insight as to how to solve this problem. I feel for the people of Detroit.

#12 Exlib on 2010-03-01 20:18 (Reply)

In 1950 Detroit had @2Million people, and had the highest std of living on earth. By 2000 the population was about 600,000 and was the slum of America. Oh and was totally union, and Democratic run for this whole period.

#13 Michael on 2010-03-01 20:50 (Reply)

Public sector labor unions: the worst idea since the invention of the chastity belt.

#14 Lester Hunt (Homepage) on 2010-03-01 21:52 (Reply)

Isn't this the same city where people waited in line for money from "Obama's stash?" So the answer is no, mayor; they can't add, read or comprehend. But they sure as hell can MOOCH!

#15 DeVan on 2010-03-01 22:29 (Reply)

The solution is SIMPLE! Create a 'blue ribbon' commission for every department, utility...whatever...and put Union personnel in the majority. Let the people see how they manage the people's money. The disgust should fix it for generations!

#16 SenatorMark4 (Homepage) on 2010-03-02 02:23 (Reply)

You democrats are the ones who let unions get so powerful and out of control. So you deserve this.

#17 Liz (Homepage) on 2010-03-02 05:30 (Reply)

Dave Bing inherited a ciy pension pyramid scheme that should of been disbanded 40 years ago. Back then, it should of been replaced with a privately managed 403b or 401k ira program to sustain the future. The only way out of this city pension obligation mess is bankruptcy. Sorry.

#18 3rd_worlder on 2010-03-02 06:51 (Reply)

Simple solution: The city should disolve. The Unions will SOL. Each neighborhood should form on it's own as a small democratic entity and negotiate for needed services based upon it's own tax base.

#19 jamman on 2010-03-02 12:06 (Reply)

Now is the perfect time to bust every union in the country. There are so many people out of work and hungry for a job that every employer, public or private, could stand firm against their given union, not concede a thing, and when the union declined the employers contract offer or went on strike you just fire every member of the union. People will be banging down the doors to fill those positions as non-union workers for half what the union scum had strong-armed into their bloated contracts.

#20 OklahomaBound on 2010-03-02 12:55 (Reply)

Bing has a thankless job. It is time for a John Galt moment in Detroit.

#21 personal trainer austin tx (Homepage) on 2010-03-02 13:10 (Reply)

49 unions!? That clearly explains why Detroit's population has gone down 50%+ over the years.

#22 steve Holben on 2010-03-02 14:52 (Reply)

I grew up in Detroit area. I could tell you from back then the unions ruined the city. How, you ask? By demanding high wages for very little output. I was employed by union companies. I saw such wasted manpower, such non-productive time on the job it is a wonder they lasted this long. Dave Bing is a hero just to try to turn Detroit around. It will be a thankless job and most likely an impossible task. Why? Because the same issues are prevalent.Little work for high pay. I recently visited the area and was blown away by the desolation of what was once thriving business and machine shops everywhere. Not only were the unions way out on their demands but the tax base on business took all the incentive to even start a business. As Milky (remember Milky's Party Time) says, Abbra Cadabbra and the ghost town of Metro Detroit appeared. Like all Democratic dominant cities they are doomed.

#22.1 2discern on 2010-03-02 16:43 (Reply)

We don't care about YOUR deficit! This is YOURS you signed a CONTRACT. We will get our money. You MUST and WILL PAY IT. We don't care about YOUR deficit. This is our lives. We have bills to pay to.

#23 Jason (Homepage) on 2010-03-02 17:30 (Reply)

They know what they are doing. The fatcat union leaders who brokered the impossibly lush deals know who will be angry with them when those deals cannot be paid out.

#24 Wilhelm Bierbauch on 2010-03-02 19:24 (Reply)

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Detroit Mayor Dave Bing on Public Sector Unions: 'Either they can't read, they can't add or they can't comprehend'

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