The Class War

Recent Reason articles on the Wisconsin protests, public sector unions, pensions, and state budget crises

Reason.com

• Eviction Vigilante + Expense Account Queens = L.A. Government, by Tim Cavanaugh (3/22/2011)
• Why The NFL Labor Dispute is Like Battleground Wisconsin (& Statehouse Stand-Offs Across the Country), by Nick Gillespie (3/22/2011)
• Truth-Out Makes Case for Garden State Privatization, by Tim Cavanaugh (3/20/2011)
• L.A. Deficit $350 Million; Even Crossing Guards May Go, by Tim Cavanaugh (3/18/2011)
• Wisconsin Public-Sector Union Law on Hold, by Damon W. Root (3/18/2011)
• Fired, Bribe-Taking CalPERS CEO: An American Hero, by Tim Cavanaugh (3/18/2011)
• Breaking Story: The Dictatorship at Noodles Restaurant in Wisconsin Will Not Stand! by Nick Gillespie (3/17/2011)
• The $6 Billion Scam: Jerry Brown's plan to kill community "redevelopment" is fiscally smart, morally right, and probably doomed, by Tim Cavanaugh (3/17/2011)
• Because "America is Not Broke" Today, We Can Keep Spending Like There's No Tomorrow, by Nick Gillespie (3/15/2011)
• The Latest Fiscal Denialist: E.J. Dionne, by Matt Welch (3/14/2011)
• The Truth About the State Pension Crisis: Separating economic myth from economic fact, by Veronique de Rugy (3/11/2011)
• Indiana Democrats Stand for Something, Not Sure What It Is Yet, by Josh Brokaw (3/11/2011)
• 3 Essential Facts About the Current Moment: We're Out of Money, The Public Sector is Overpaid, & We Can't Tax Our Way Out of This, by Nick Gillespie (3/11/2011)
• Horror Meister Stephen King Asks, "Why Don't I Pay 50%" in Taxes? by Nick Gillespie (3/11/2011)
• The Extreme Bill in Wisconsin That Would Put the State's Public Sector Collective Bargaining Rules Roughly In Line With Half the Other States, by Peter Suderman (3/10/2011)
• If You Read One Thing [***] About How Out-of-Control Gov't Spending Is, How Similar Reps Are to Dems, & Why We Can't Wait to Fix Things, Read Rand Paul's Floor Speech from Yesterday! by Nick Gillespie (3/10/2011)
• L.A. Election Late Hit, by Tim Cavanaugh (3/9/2011)
• Battleground Idaho! Potato State Latest to Join Collective Bargaining Brouhaha, by Nick Gillespie (3/9/2011)
• Tiny Cuts, Big Complaints: Republicans and Democrats squabble over crumbs as the layer cake of debt keeps rising, by Jacob Sullum (3/9/2011)
• The State Pension Time Bomb: Poor accounting rules and flagrant irresponsibility have sped up the states' day of reckoning, by Veronique de Rugy (3/8/2011)
• The Real Lesson from Wisconsin: Public unions have no one but themselves to blame for believing government promises, by Shikha Dalmia (3/8/2011)
• Don't Trust Anyone Under 65, by Tim Cavanaugh (3/7/2011)
• The Reality That "We Are Out of Money" Makes Some Headway, Some Backway, by Nick Gillespie (3/7/2011)
• Has Anybody Seen Jimmy Carter Lately?: At this point, would America settle for a new 1980s? by Tim Cavanaugh (3/4/2011)
• Finally, Obama Shows Himself to be a Non-Interventionist. Regrettably, He's Only Talking About the NFL, by Nick Gillespie (3/4/2011)
• Defining the Benefits of Unions Down, by Brian Doherty (3/1/2011)
• Is Scott Walker a Pro-Union Mole? by Tim Cavanaugh (3/1/2011)
• Why Private-Sector Union Membership Declined. And Why Public-Sector Unions Might Follow. by Nick Gillespie (3/1/2011)
• The Keynesian Case Against Labor Unions, by Brian Doherty (2/28/2011)
• The Crass Chris Example, by Matt Welch (2/28/2011)
• Motown Maestros Maul Mayor, Stifle Symphony, by Tim Cavanaugh (2/27/2011)
• The Golden State is Made of Lead: Pollyannas say we'll all be going back to Cali. I don't think so, by Tim Cavanaugh (2/25/2011)
• How to Make Unions More Powerful, the Libertarian Way, by Brian Doherty (2/25/2011)
• Teachers Leaving Their Kids Alone Reduces Union Propaganda Time, by Josh Brokaw (2/25/2011)
• How Public Employees and Taxpayers Got Scammed: The politicians are the real problem, by Steve Chapman (2/24/2011)
• Wisconsin: the New Name for Excitement, by Tim Cavanaugh (2/23/2011) 
• Koched Out of Their Skulls, by Matt Welch (2/23/2011) 
• This Is What a Broke Democracy Looks Like: Wisconsin, Ron Paul, and the obligation to shrink government by any means necessary, by Brian Doherty (2/23/2011) 
• Whitewashing the History of Organized Labor, by Damon W. Root (2/23/2011) 
• Indiana Democrats Run for the Border, by Josh Brokaw (2/23/2011) 
• We Are Living in Andy Stern's "Ugly" Democracy, by Matt Welch (2/22/2011) 
• "The unions are big money." by Peter Suderman (2/22/2011) 
• Wisconsin Protests: Myths vs. Facts, by Nick Gillespie (2/21/2011) 
• Today We Are All Yon Yonson, by Tim Cavanaugh (2/18/2011)
• Is This How a President Should Act? by Matt Welch (2/18/2011) 
• Tunisia…Egypt…Wisconsin? by Tim Cavanaugh (2/17/2011)
• "Cheesehead Pharaoh" Cuts Budget, Unions Erupt, by Josh Brokaw (2/17/2011) 
• Rahm Emanuel: "city government is not an employment agency," by Damon W. Root (2/17/2011) 
• Farewell, My Lovely: How public pensions killed progressive California, by Tim Cavanaugh (2/16/2011)
• Great Moments in Federalism and Fiscal Responsibility, by Matt Welch (2/15/2011)
• Post Office Warns of Pension-Triggered Default, by Matt Welch (2/10/2011)
• SEIU Propaganda Campaign Hits California Health Care, by Josh Brokaw (2/7/2011)
• Detroit, Where Public Employment Booms, by Josh Brokaw (1/31/2011) 
• Is Jerry Brown Serious About Pension Reform? by Matt Welch (1/24/2011) 
• Unions are Very Important, Unless You Work for Progressive Intellectuals, by Brian Doherty (1/19/2011) 
• Illinois Ridiculed By Peers, Poked To See If Jobs Come Out, by Josh Brokaw (1/18/2011)
• Labor's Last Stand?: A new accounting rule will either sink private-sector unions or trigger the next major bailout, by Mark Hemingway (1/18/2011) 
• Jerry Brown and the "pale horse of death," by Matt Welch (1/4/2011) 
• Jerry Brown Wakes Up From 72-Year Dream; Teachers Unions Hand Him Rohypnol, by Matt Welch (12/16/2010)
• The Municipal Debt Bubble: As cities and states boost their debts by 800 percent, a housing-like crisis looms, by Veronique de Rugy (12/14/2010)
• The Costs of Pension Reform, by Brian Doherty (10/26/2010)
• Public-Sector Unions Choke Taxpayers: It's time for reform, by John Stossel (10/21/2010)
• "No true liberal or progressive should support current public employee compensation," by Tim Cavanaugh (10/8/2010) 
• The New Threat to Unions is Unions! by Nick Gillespie (9/21/2010) 
• Public Employees vs. the Public Will: Government workers get more powerful as they grow less popular, by Tim Cavanaugh (9/21/2010) 
• SEIU's Twilight Struggle Begins, or, If You Don't Like It Top-Down, Why Are You In the Service Industry? by Tim Cavanaugh (9/14/2010) 
• Sweet Smell of Bankruptcy: Bay Area City Manager Looks at Life After Default, by Tim Cavanaugh (9/13/2010) 
• Two States, One Cup, by Tim Cavanaugh (9/1/2010) 
• Their Needs Are More, So They Give Less, by Tim Cavanaugh (8/20/2010) 
• Only 17 Fortune 100 Companies Still Offer Defined Benefit Retirement Plans, by Tim Cavanaugh (8/20/2010) 
• Don't Hate Me Because Working At the DMV Is Beautiful, by Tim Cavanaugh (8/20/2010) 
• Do Public Sector Unions Drive States Into Bankruptcy? by Tim Cavanaugh (7/22/2010) 
• Public Servants vs. the Public, by Damon W. Root (7/20/2010) 
• Non-Union Picketers Picketing the Hiring of Non-Union Workers, by Brian Doherty (7/19/2010) 
• Unions 'Own the Democratic Party': Contrarian author, bloggers, and senatorial candidate Mickey Kaus on interest group politics, immigration, and the Velvet Underground, by Nick Gillespie (7/19/2010) 
• What's Round on The Ends and High in The Middle? Ohio's Public Sector Salaries, That's What, by Nick Gillespie (7/7/2010) 
• Get More, Spend More, Lay Waste Your Powers, by Tim Cavanaugh (7/1/2010)
• If You Don't Give Us 150 Percent Pensions, We'll Kill This Child, by Tim Cavanaugh (6/25/2010)
• The "Special Interests" That Rarely Get Called as Such, by Matt Welch (6/16/2010) 
• Revolt Against the Public Sector, by Matt Welch (6/7/2010) 
• The Reason Foundation, on "How to Fix California's Pension Crisis," by Matt Welch (6/3/2010) 
• Public vs. Private Compensation Redux, by Matt Welch (5/12/2010) 
• California: The American Greece, by Tim Cavanaugh (5/9/2010) 
• How States Fail (Fiscally), by Brian Doherty (5/6/2010) 
• Fed Funds for More State Worker Overtime in Massachusetts, by Brian Doherty (5/5/2010) 
• Organized Labor and the State, by Damon W. Root (5/3/2010) 
• Stuf U Learn in Public Schools, by Tim Cavanaugh (4/26/2010) 
• "Yes, people are hurting. That's why we need a tax increase." by Matt Welch (4/22/2010)
• Hey, Teachers! Leave That Fat F**k Alone! by Nick Gillespie (4/21/2010)
• More Scenes From the Class War, by Matt Welch (4/7/2010)
• "Unions have priced themselves out of a job," by Matt Welch (4/2/2010)
• The Private Sector's Losing Jobs. The Government's Gaining Jobs. Solution: Make All Jobs Government Jobs, by Tim Cavanaugh (3/31/2010) 
• Repeal the Davis-Bacon Act: How prevailing wage laws benefit unions at the expense of taxpayers, by Damon W. Root (3/24/2010) 
• What Politics Looks Like in a Union-Run World That Has Run Out of Money, by Matt Welch (3/22/2010) 
• The Permanent State Bailout, by Matt Welch (3/16/2010) 
• The Matt Welch/Harold Meyerson Debate About Unions, by Matt Welch (3/10/2010) 
• Stimulus: Hot for Teachers, by Matt Welch (3/10/2010) 
• Government Workers Are Earning More Than You. Sucker. by Katherine Mangu-Ward (3/5/2010) 
• Firing Bad Teachers in L.A.: Just Try It! by Brian Doherty (2/17/2010) 
• Obama's "Plan B" for Organized Labor? by Damon W. Root (2/2/2010) 
• Is Organized Labor Turning on Obama? by Damon W. Root (2/1/2010) 
• Class War: How public servants became our masters, by Steven Greenhut (1/12/2010)
• The Class War: Public Employees vs. the Rest of Us, by Matt Welch (12/11/2009)
• The Weak Case for Public Sector Unions, by Nick Gillespie (10/14/2009) 
• America Says No Union, by Tim Cavanaugh (9/8/2009) 
• Spiking Public Pensions in California, by Matt Welch (7/30/2009) 
• The Shame of Unions: Massively Underfunded Pensions, by Nick Gillespie (7/24/2009) 
• Checking Workers, Binding Employers: Union bosses will be the only winners under the Employee Free Choice Act, by Shikha Dalmia (7/20/2009) 
• Sundown on the Unions and What's Made In the USA, Chapter XXVII: Even Union Organizers Prefer Non-Union Hardhats as Props, by Nick Gillespie (7/24/2009) 
• Bailout for Union Pensions? by Matt Welch (7/18/2009) 
• Union Chief, to the California He Helped Drive Into the Ditch: "I think democracy is an ugly thing," by Matt Welch (5/21/2009) 
• Obama and Big Labor: Look for the Union Label, by Nick Gillespie (5/19/2009) 
• This Just in: High Taxes Plus High Unionization Correlates to Joblessness! by Matt Welch (4/22/2009) 
• Labor After (Before?) Card Check, by Matt Welch (4/8/2009) 
• "It's like Ayn Rand got loaded and woke up next to Keynes," by Nick Gillespie (4/6/2009) 
• Card Check Imperiled, by Matt Welch (3/10/2009)
• Strings Attached, by Jesse Walker (1/9/2009) 

Reason.tv

• Cutting Government Spending: An Interview with Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuño (3/8/2011)
• Are We Broke Yet? Michael Moore Says No, Reality Begs to Differ (3/7/2011)
• To Surly, With Love: Are Teachers Overpaid? (3/3/2011)
• Collective Bargaining and the Bottom Line: Q&A with Heritage Foundation's James Sherk (3/3/2011)
• California's Parent Trigger Law: Compton Parents Take On the Public School System (3/2/2011)
• Budget Battle Showdowns (2/25/2011)
• Richard Riordan on Unions, Dysfunctional LA, and Golfing with the (Ex) Governator (2/9/2011)
• The Big Government Conspiracy: Q&A with Steve Malanga (10/25/2010) 
• Arnold's Last Stand: How the Lame-Duck Governor is Fighting for One Last Win Over Unions (10/5/2010)
• 3D Fiscal House of Horrors Series (9/30/2010)
• If You Think Your State is Broke Now, Just Wait Til the Pension Bomb Explodes! (8/27/2010) 
• Afraid to Create Jobs: Brian Calle on Why Businesses Aren't Hiring (8/12/2010) 
• Union Jobs vs. Children's Lives: Which Side Are You On? (8/10/2010) 
• Pension Tsunami's Jack Dean on the Growing Wave of Public Pension Debt (7/29/2010) 
• Protest in Bell: City Residents Say "Enough!" (7/27/2010)
• Arthur Brooks on the Battle Between Free Enterprise and Big Government (7/26/2010) 
• Steven Greenhut on Public Employee Paychecks, Perks, and Plunder (7/20/2010) 
• Mickey Kaus on How Unions Killed the Democrats, Immigration, New Media, & Bringing the Velvet Underground to Beverly Hills High (6/4/2010) 
• A Teachers' Strike in Paradise (5/26/2010) 
• Fixing San Diego: A Conversation with Councilman Carl Demaio (5/12/2010)
• More Taxes or More Jobs? California Shows We Can't Have Both (4/12/2010) 
• 3 Reasons Why Public Sector Employees Are Killing the Economy (3/31/2010) 
• Obama's Surprising Jobs Program Success: The President Has Boosted Employment in Three Fields (1/28/2010) 
• Hasta La Vista, Arnold! (5/14/2009)

Reason.org

• State of the State: North Carolina in 2011, by Harris Kenny (3/18/2011)
• State of the State: Nevada in 2011, by Harris Kenny (3/17/2011)
• State of the State: Minnesota in 2011, by Harris Kenny (3/12/2011)
• State of the State: Oregon in 2011, by Harris Kenny (3/10/2011)
• Bill Gates on State Budgets, Entitlement Spending, and Education Cuts, by Harris Kenny (3/7/2011)
• A Realistic Look at U.S. Debt Projections, by Adrian Moore (3/3/2011)
• A Government Shutdown Could Deepen the Debt Crisis, by David Godow (3/2/2011)
• State of the State: Wisconsin in 2011, by Harris Kenny (3/1/2011)
• Evaluating the Nunes Pension Reform Bill, by Adam Summers (3/1/2011) 
• Sorting Out the Collective Bargaining Rights Question, by Anthony Randazzo (2/28/2011) 
• Unions Badgering Wisconsin, by Anthony Randazzo (2/22/2011)
• Annual Privatization Report 2010: State Government Privatization, by Leonard Gilroy, Harris Kenny, Shirley Ybarra, and Tyler Millhouse (2/18/2011)
• S&P Downgrades NJ's Debt Rating, Cites Pensions, by Harris Kenny (2/10/2011)
• State Budget Reform Toolkit, by Leonard Gilroy and Jonathan Williams (1/25/2011) 
• Lessons from the Bell, California Fiasco, by Adam Summers (8/24/2010) 
• Bell Isn't Only California City That Should Re-Examine Pensions, Salaries, by Adam Summers (8/19/2010) 
• How to Fix California's Public Pension Crisis, by Adam Summers (6/3/2010) 
• Comparing Private Sector and Government Worker Salaries, by Adam Summers (5/10/2010) 
• Getting Serious About Pension Reform in Atlanta, by Adam Summers (3/3/2010)
• The Economist: Public-Sector Unions "Coddled and Spoiled," by Leonard Gilroy (1/4/2010)
• Public Perception and the Public/Private Employment Gap, by Leonard Gilroy (12/17/2009)
• California Needs to Stop Defined-Benefit Pensions, by Adam Summers (12/7/2009)
• Rising Pension Costs, Falling Revenues Lead to a $179 Million Budget Deficit in San Diego, by Adam Summers (10/19/2009) 
• Public Pension Problems Mount for Local CA Governments, by Adam Summers (9/22/2009) 
• California Must Control State Pension and Benefit Costs, by Adam Summers (6/22/2009) 
• Get Real About Bakersfield City Pensions, by Adrian Moore (6/18/2009)