About Unions

The Wisconsin situation has most of the blogs I read talking about unions. I think that unions have largely outlived their usefulness - but I appreciate them for what they've done for us in the past. That said, at worst I see them as a source of economic inefficiency and rent seeking. If you must complain about unions, also consider complaining about all forms of rent seeking: American Dental Association, American Medical Association, hairstylist licensing, lobbying etc.

All of these things, and unions, have a common thread - using the political system to limit the pool of people in their profession or industry, which raises their compensation and costs for the rest of us.

Now, I'm not saying we should do away with medical licensing. But there should be an easier path from say, an experienced physician's assistant to doctor. You should be able to get your teeth cleaned and berated for your flossing habits by a hygienist without them needing to be supervised by a dentist.

I'm all for increasing efficiency, but we should not fool ourselves into thinking removing the last few teeth from public sector unions are the only answer.