New York State AFL-CIO President Denis Hughes wrote a powerful op-ed piece last week in defense of public employees, noting the sacrifices they have made.
Public-sector employees sacrifice, too
By DENIS HUGHES
Published: 12:00 a.m., Friday, September 17, 2010
Blaming public employees for New York's fiscal ills is akin to accepting the notion that Spot found little Bobby's homework edible. Where does responsibility and accountability truly lie?
Attacks on public-sector workers have become pervasive. Critics rant that public employee pensions have caused irreparable harm to the state's economy, while accusing our public servants of not "sacrificing enough" to help restore some measure of overall fiscal stability. The fact is, reckless mortgage practices, combined with too little transparency and oversight in critical sectors of our economy, are what caused this downturn, certainly not working men and women.
Rampant greed created the problems our economy faces today, and has led to the financial ruin of many in the private sector, as their hard-earned pensions vanished and their 401k's plummeted in value. Now, those who turned a blind eye to this financial malfeasance have set their sights on the few remaining workers who do have decent benefits.
The complete op-ed is available online.