Modest proposal

That is what Governor Scott Walker called his proposal to strip unions of the right to collectively bargain with the state. He thinks he is being reasonable, because as he said (or something like this--I heard this on NPR yesterday) "no point in negotiating as we have nothing to offer." As many have suggested, it sounds like he is claiming poverty to try to kill the unions, even though I have yet to see evidence that state employees in Wisconsin make too much money.

Let me tell you, however, that this is not a modest proposal. This is a tea party bullshit proposal. If you take one aspect for raising revenue off the table, then you are not being reasonable.

Here is my modest proposal. We examine programs for their efficiency and effectiveness. If they can be made more efficient, but are effective, then we keep them and improve them. If they are not effective, we get rid of them or find another way to get that done. But, and this is a but that Republicans have declare off limits, we also raise taxes. Not dramatically. Hell, Republicans had a fucking fit over returning to Clinton era tax rates. It isn't as if we are talking about returning to the 90% upper marginal rate of the 1950s.

The one thing I see clear in Republican negotiations. In all their talk about "sacrifice," the only ones not asked to sacrifice are the wealthy and powerful. But those in the middle class, or lower, are asked to take big cuts and big sacrifices.