All ills dumped on labor

So, Ohio Republicans are the latest to go after public employee bargaining (“Ohio bill limiting unions passes,” March 31). How selfish of those public employees to turn to unions for help in obtaining adequate wages, health insurance and retirement funds, thus depleting the public treasury.

Financial institutions created a worldwide recession with no help from anyone. Well, their lobbyists and the politicians they support with campaign contributions may have helped a little.

Drug and insurance companies pushed the cost of health insurance through the roof and again with no help from anybody except their trade organizations, lobbyists, politicians and maybe a few others lurking in the background.

Corporations moved their businesses offshore and otherwise avoided paying taxes. Boeing, unable to extort enough breaks from Washington, moved its corporate headquarters. On PBS Newshour April 1, Mark Shields pointed out that we have 7.2 million fewer jobs (thus fewer taxpayers) than when the recession began. Lobbyists and high-powered law firms helped make all that legal.

But those steely-eyed Republicans know why state budgets are in trouble. Once the unions are gone, prosperity will be just around the corner, and if we’d never let public employees organize we wouldn’t have any problems now.

Edward A. Reynolds

Spokane