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Former N.Y. Gov. George Pataki responds to criticism over move being even more extreme than Wisconsin
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In the meantime folks there's new controversy.
Surrounding a bold new anti union law in Michigan.
Michigan I said this as Wisconsin's governor Scott Walker.
Is facing recall efforts in his home state after his law eliminating collective bargaining rights sparked huge outrage.
From liberals across the nation where all of the focus went to Wisconsin on that.
But now Republican Michigan governor Rick Snyder.
Has a -- that goes even further.
And it allows him to appoint an emergency manager to step in and take over distressed cities and suspend the rights of the unions.
Very interesting about this -- worst attack he joins me now.
Former New York governor governor good to see this morning good morning Martha nice thing with the Q what do you make of the fact that that now you know so much focus been on Wisconsin as I said and now what's going -- Michigan.
Is being described as even more extreme and that comes from the critics then what's happening in Wisconsin.
-- -- fact I'm just astounded by this and I think it's very much political on the part of the public employee unions.
When you think back in New York State we have had financial control boards in this state for over forty years.
When I was governor I appointed financial control boards the -- the finances of Nassau Downey.
The city of buffalo that the county have -- and these were -- that had bipartisan support because it was the only way.
To straighten out the financial -- -- this community said and we didn't have.
Labor off that screaming and yelling debate didn't like the idea that we could abrogate contracts but they knew that it had to be done and it was the.
Think is different now than I that's a fascinating point I don't and it is is it that they feel that there that there existence is more threatened now.
I don't think so at all I think it's really they feel empowered by an -- NLRB that has been out of control and supporting them.
A presidential administration that goes out of its way to support labor.
At every single time.
And it's a political politically charged atmosphere and if they think it they can gain political advantage.
By demonizing a law that really parallels what we've done -- New York time and again.
Democrats and Republicans together then they're gonna try to do it but the fact of the matter is.
Cities like Detroit are broke for all -- -- tremendous effort that mayor bing is making to try to turned around.
Unless -- can get out from under the massive public employee contracts.
The city's not gonna work and to do that you have to have a board with the power.
To aggregate those contracts it's been done.
Successfully.
For -- It's.
You know but I can't help but feel that it's more in the forefront of the discussion -- look at what's gone on in New Jersey with renegotiating some of those contracts.
New York there's been efforts to do that as well.
And Evan I do think that at this moment in time the unions do feel that that they that they are more threatened that that that that the gig is up to a certain extent that the finances simply look at California.
If for example and -- hit it right on the head -- gig is up because they were able in good economic times to just continually.
Pass off the the higher costs -- unsustainable burden of a lot of these contracts and pension plans.
Into the future but now government is broken by the way mark that one of the reason governments are broke is we had.
Obama's -- stimulus where local governments county government state governments were given billions of dollars to pay off public employee unions.
That money is gone it was a one time stimulus but it prevented the reforms that could have been made back back then so it's really a drag sets that.
And -- in many ways today you know is saving the jobs of public employees was the way that.
That that was presented in some cases did but it -- as you point at it may have just been a band aid now might not a question for his political looking for a because in governor Scott Walker Wisconsin is facing the recall but that's gonna happen.
On Tuesday.
-- now there's pressure on that Wisconsin governor and and it it reminds me to some extent of what we've seen in Greece and other countries when we do start to see reforms -- and and the old game changing its people often in some of these cases were about they say no we don't want those packages to go away so you're out.
-- sure the public employees don't want their benefits cut or they don't want some of the provisions in their contracts on done.
But I think the people understand it past -- be done.
And you can have a federal government that -- trillions of dollars -- part of it for a one year ban -- To avoid reforms the public public employee contracts like we had the 2009 and 2010.
And not suspect at some point that it's gonna be over the the governments are broke you -- California.
They're not going to be able to sustain the level of public employment the level of benefits that they give out there regardless of how -- often and how much they raise taxes on people who create jobs it's just not gonna work so that.
The markers are being -- in some cases in Wisconsin and in Michigan as well and whether or not it will be a format that will be filed by other states.
Remains to be seen governor thank you so much I -- -- policies and -- she.
