Steven Greenhut on California's Failure to Face Fiscal Reality
California residents, typically oblivious to events east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, owe a debt of gratitude to the folks in Wisconsin, writes Steven Greenhut. Had Wisconsin voters replaced Gov. Scott Walker and other Republican officials, the message would have been heard nationwide: Pension reform, and efforts to rein in the public-sector union power at the root of the problem, would be dead for years. The time has now come for Californians to follow the Badger State and have their own defining debate over unions, or watch helplessly as cities go under and services deteriorate.