The rhetoric I'm reading from Wisconsin is that Gov. Walker spent $50 million to his opponents $ 4 million. I'm kind of glad to be old enough to realize that it's all BS, yet sad at the same time to have lost interest because of it.

Dept. of Revenue R.B. Gallogly told me last week that West Warwick is on the short list.

Can't wait to find out what community unexpectedly makes that list next month!

Perhaps people are finally beginning to understand that there is absolutley no intellectual argument to be made for public-employee unions.

There is an intellectual argument to be made for voluntary public unions. There is even an intellectual argument to be made for involuntary public unions, such as exist in Rhode Island, although it would be a fairly evil intellectual making that case (I'm sure some of the NEA folks would be happy to do so).

The good news for everyone is that public unions don't need to be eliminated. Simply make them voluntary and they immediately lose half their membership because a lot of people don't want to be in them or think the dues are too high (who knew?).

Federal public employee unions are voluntary(not sure about Postal)and can't bargain for pay/benefits.

Michael,

I've seen some hugely varying estimates of spending, but yours are by far the most extreme. The Democrat candidate spent $4 million himself, so you're not even close to apples to apples.

It looks like the ratio was more like $45 million (Walker & allies) versus $19 million (opposition). Of course, that doesn't count the value of massive union in-kind volunteerism or, for that matter, the tens of millions spent on the recall effort all along.

You can't blame this on money, Michael.

"From a fiscal perspective, one way out of this, following the example of Woonsocket, would be to put a budget commission in charge in West Warwick which could request an acceleration of state-aid to address the shortfall."

As I understand, Woonsocket's fiscal problems are not primarily unfunded pensions. Further, John Ward and others have something of a vision/path (admittedly involving in part the state moving up implementation of the new school aid formula) to get the city clear of its longer term travails if it can get past its current cash crunch.

So I could see where an acceleration of state-aid helps Woonsocket.

How does it help West Warwick?

Or is the goal to survive just long enough for the Receiver to arrive and start hacking?

Michael - the Unions have been spending massive amounts of cash, coupled with providing in-kind services for ever. When it was working for you, we never heard complaints about the money.

Finally, when the silent majority wakes up and buys into rational ideas and arguments, you Union folk blame your decisive loss on Money. You are pathetic.

Face it, you and yours lost the battle of rationale ideas. Even 30+ percent of Union-hacks voted for Walker. Was it the money that made them do it? Give us break.

Monique - what is Woonsocket's vision beyond tax increases and accelerated state aid? Is it the same vision that they failed to execute when they saddled their taxpayers with a 7.125% Deficit Reduction Bond that issued with the promise / vision of reforms?

Pensions are just the poster-child for the ills that plague the cities and towns. The issue is beyond just Pensions. It is all about the unsustainable and unaffordable promises and cost structure that cities and towns have created due to entitlement-minded Union demands and chicken-crap, ignorant elected officials who didn't know how to say "no".

More taxes and the acceleration of aid will not solve the problem. Central Falls is the template. Ms. Gallogly is wasting precious time and money.