Massive Giveaway to Public Employee Unions

New York State's most powerful special interest got a lot stronger yesterday, thanks to Gov. Paterson and a unanimous vote of the "Republican" State Senate.   The Governor signed legislation that makes permanent, instead of subject to renewal every 2 years, the ability of the State's public employee unions to charge union dues even to employees who don't join a union.

The new law removes one of the few remaining opportunities for leverage that taxpayers, through their local governments and school boards, have had in dealing with union demands.

According to The New York Times, the State School Boards Association, opposing the change, said it amounted to "denying school districts an important bargaining tool."

Thus the shackles on the world's longest chain gang, the taxpayers of New York, got locked up tighter yesterday.