.
"Every labor contract is open in
New York City, that’s never happened before, that no previous mayor ever
let that happen …So I would caution, as much as I appreciate Mayor
Bloomberg’s advice, I would caution that one should be careful about
giving advice from that perspective.”"
12/18/13, "Bloomberg Sounds Alarm Over ‘Labor-Electoral Complex’ in Final Speech as Mayor," Politicker.com, Jill Colvin
"Mayor Michael Bloomberg today took aim at the city’s rising pension
and health costs, calling what he dubbed the “labor-electoral complex”
the most pressing threat to New York in the final major speech as mayor.
Speaking in a grand ballroom in front of members of the Economic Club
of New York, Mr. Bloomberg said that exploding health and pension
benefits for municipal workers threatened to undermine the city’s
progress and urged his successor, Bill de Blasio, to push through
reforms.
“Right now our country appears to be in the early stages of a growing
fiscal crisis that, if nothing is done, will extract a terrible toll on
the next generation,” said Mr. Bloomberg. “It is one of the biggest
threats facing cities because it is forcing government into a fiscal
straight jacket that severely limits its ability to provide an effective
social safety net and to invest in the next generation.”
“The costs of today’s benefits cannot be sustained for another
generation–not without inflicting real harm on our citizens, on our
children and our grandchildren,” he added.
Over the past 12 years, the mayor said, the city’s pension costs have
soared from $1.5 billion to $8.2 billion–a nearly 500 percent
increase–siphoning off $7 billion he argued could have been used to fund
for more affordable housing, classrooms or tax cuts. And while many
other cities require municipal employees to chip in for at least part of
their health care costs, he said the city’s unions have remained
frustratingly stubborn.
“More and more mayors and governors in both political parties are
asking across the country, which is the first real sign of a crack in
the ‘labor-electoral complex’ that has traditionally stymied reform,” he
said, dubbing a term aides said was a reference to President Dwight
Eisenhower’s farewell address, in which the ex-president warned of the
“military-industrial complex.”
Mr. Bloomberg went on take subtle aim at Mr. de Blasio, who has
repeatedly criticized Mr. Bloomberg’s handling of the city’s labor
contracts–all of which remain expired–trying to make the case that
benefits reform needed to be a central part of the progressive politics
that Mr. de Blasio champions.
“I think it’s no secret that elected officials have a tendency to
make decisions based on short-term political rewards, rather than
long-term economic gains,” he said. “We cannot afford for our elected
officials to put their own futures ahead of the next generation’s and to
continue perpetuating a labor-electoral complex that is undermining our
collective future.”...
Mr. Bloomberg ended by urging Mr. de Blasio to follow in his recent
footsteps and refuse any new labor contract that includes salary
increases unless it comes with lower benefits payments–arguing that his
successor will have unique leverage over the city’s unions....
For his part Mr. de Blasio, who has a far cozier relationship with
union leaders, greeted Mr. Bloomberg’s suggestions with skepticism.
“Um, I can’t help but note that we are starting today’s discussion
with an acknowledgment of the fact that every labor contract is open in
New York City, that’s never happened before, that no previous mayor ever
let that happen…So I would caution, as much as I appreciate Mayor
Bloomberg’s advice, I would caution that one should be careful about
giving advice from that perspective,” he told reporters at an unrelated
press conference scheduled shortly after Mr. Bloomberg’s. “I think he is
simply trying to cement his legacy.”" via Drudge
.
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