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Tuesday, September 27, 2011

This Is What Good Government Solutions Look Like

I don't know the specifics to the agreement, only what I read from this article. But it appears Mayor Paul Soglin of Madison approached the police and fire department unions with a budget crisis, laid out the numbers, enumerated the consequences, and the unions responded with sincerity and honor. The proposal looks like it was negotiated between mutually respectful parties and has the right framework for everyone together to move forward on.

Channel 3000 Excerpt:
MADISON, Wis. -- Madison Mayor Paul Soglin said on Monday that local unions have agreed to $2.3 million in contract modifications that will mean no layoffs or furloughs for police officers or firefighters for next year.[...]Union leaders said they didn't have to open up the contracts, but they did because the city needed help.

For some reason, most people tend to respond favorably to changes and adjustments when they aren't softened up first with a baseball bat. Unfortunately, it's way too late for Walker and state Republicans to get a lesson in good government from Madison. Not to assume that they would care or want the lesson anyways.

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