Another city goes bankrupt...thanks to public sector unions

San Bernadino, California (or as some locals would say, San Berdoo) is on the verge of seeking protection under section 9 of the bankruptcy laws in California as a severe cash flow crunch almost halted payroll checks in the month of June.  City officials are on the brink of filing for bankruptcy because they knew that July's payroll would simply not be met owing to the crushing burden that public sector union benefits had on San Bernadino's financial situation.

This list of bankrupt cities is getting longer.  And there is no end in sight to municipal bankruptcy filings.  California leads the pack in these filings, since their public unions have been running amok for decades in their demands for opulent retirement packages for 52 year old employees, free health benefits and the like.  They now have sucked their communities completely dry.   Now, with benefit checks in doubt pending a court sorting out the mess that these unions have created, these young 52 year old union retirees are up in arms.

"We had a deal!!," they scream.  Yes, their public sector union thug leaders coerced unsustainable agreements over the years from hapless city politicians, who were successfully able to kick the can down the road for decades in sustaining these unsustainable agreements, but unfortunately for these angry retirees, the days of wine and roses are over.

Chicago, Illinois is speeding headlong into this same downward spiral, and an angry 52 year old retired paramedic shouted these very sentiments to a Chicago talk radio show the other day, screaming that he planned his whole life around these agreements, and if somebody wants to change things now, they will have to deal with him face to face.

Face to face.  With a screaming retiree demanding money.  And that is the only way that these young 52 year old retirees are going to keep the checks rolling: ultimately demanding payment while screaming at anyone who has ('their') money from the barrel of a gun.  They seem to understand that when the municipality stops sending checks because there is no more money, that somebody has to be forced to pay, whether they want to or not.  And that would be the funders of the municipality: us.  You and me. 

In the long run, if these public sector employee unions are not reigned in from their terrorism of our cities, towns and counties, we will be facing armed bands of union retirees demanding money from us.  And if we don't pony up, there will be consequences.

Which side of this issue are YOU?  The end of the road is in sight, and that can can no longer get kicked down the road.