Meiji Restoration In Vallejo

A court has ruled that the city of Vallejo California can cancel its union agreements with police and fire fighters. The cities played the unions during the boom years agreeing to every demand in return for union support. Think about all of the candidates over the years with "endorsed by the fire fighters..." on their campaign signs. The politicians come and go, but police and fire fighters nationwide will be facing cities reneging on retirement plans.

The samurai once ruled Japan, and one day in the late 19th century it was all over. Came the Meiji restoration and all bets were off. The heroic police and firefighters learned today their pensions are no safer than the rest of us, which means not at all.

If police were privately provided this would not happen, since private companies may not escape union obligations unilaterally like governments can. Police ought not strike, they should demand to be corporatized.

I dislike the term "privatized" for various reason, but like corporatized. How it works is the City of Vallejo, says, "we cannot honor our agreements, so we will deed to you all of the assets and liabilities of the Vallejo Police departments, and your monopoly on policing is ended, along with your public funding." the result is the Vallejo cops and police retirees own all of the real estate, rolling stock, equipment, etc of the Vallejo police, but compete with others to provide for-hire protection and service. i know there are many problems with this plan, but merely a series of chages that need to be made. It is eminently doable, and preferable to what we have now.

Welcome aboard the Titanic.

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