CapTimes: Mailbag - Bill Gates: Dem whoppers not what they might appear to be 4/2/2011

Click the Title to see the "Opinion Piece" as it appears in the CapTimes -- they are good editors ;-}

The original as submitted is below ...

In a recent CapTimes:Mailbag (3/27) three examples were given as to how “Democrats tell whoppers!”. As rhetoric it is a very good piece. You must read it very carefully!

In example one the point is made that public workers are only a small part of the middle-class, etc., and that somehow elected officials and unions bargaining with each other is corrupt. This would require all elected officials to be Democrats (or union members themselves) and thus unions are being served by those they elect and that the non-union voters or other issue voters have no impact on elections, either that or some Republicans and independents are corrupt too, or at least in a marginalized minority.

In example two the point is made that Democrats claim collective bargaining represents a basic right. Basic right seems to mean different things, sometimes associated with constitutional or human rights or labor rights, etc. What does it mean in this case – probably more akin to something like a right established by tradition or generational wisdom, such as in British Common Law. The example goes on to say that public and private unions require a fee to be paid to get or maintain a job (I'm not sure which is meant, probably the latter in terms of dues?) and that it is unsavory. That is just not an accurate way to characterize the situation – but the short-hand is comprehensible anyway! Please take note that in example one union members by default logic are either members of the upper-class or the lower-class (or perhaps neither) but an insignificant part of the middle-class.

In example three the point is made that JoAnne Kloppenburg is not an independent but a Democrat and thought to be by Democrats an antidote to Walker's policies. Has JoAnne Kloppenburg said she was a Democrat? A rhetorical question – If you are an independent and do not favor Walker's policies who would you vote for? If you are a Democrat and do not favor Walker's policies who would you vote for?

Was it perhaps all tongue in cheek?

#Union CapTimes: Mailbag - Bill Gates: #Dem whoppers not what they might appear to be 4/2/2011