As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, the cost of government, especially due to the unionization of government employees, is one of the hottest issues of the day. Not surprisingly, it has become a partisan political issue. However, as the public looks at the costs, more and more pressure will be put on elected officials to deal with pay and benefits that exceed those in the private sector and are difficult for taxpayers to sustain. The era of accountability in government is upon us.
In that vein, this book review caught my attention. Special Interest: Teachers Unions and American Public Schools, by Terry M. Moe (Brookings Institution Press, 2011) appears to be a comprehensive examination of teachers’ unions. Anyone planning to run for the School Board might want to put it on their reading list.