This is more than a small, local issue. At the heart of this action is one of the root causes of the financial crisis plaguing America at all levels of government.
Once government money becomes available, every issue is perverted into a marketing opportunity. Government money perverts the free market system and has brought capitalism to its knees.
Government power is used to channel taxpayer money to a business, organization, or cause, then some of that money always manages to find its way back to politicians in the form of financial contributions, votes, sweetheart deals or jobs for family and friends.
Whenever government power is used to force us to buy a product or service, lurking in the background you will find lobbyists reperesenting those who will profit from the action.
That is how the teachers unions operate. That is how SEIU operates. That is why we end up spending hundreds of millions on a Rube Goldberg “virtual fence” on the Mexico border, that is why the government will spend $200 million to remake childrens TV shows to air in Pakistan, and that is why we end up repairing Mexican trucks on the taxpayers back.
In all of these cases, some well connected group or company will profit off the taxpayer.
Very good post. Let’s face it — government really is nothing more than an “industry” these days. Nothing gets produced except paperwork and regulations, but it costs a lot of money nonetheless.