“What obligation do the taxpayers have when elected officials ‘bargain’ w/ unions? When/where are the taxpayer represented?”
Every November they had the obligation to vote wisely. They elected their representatives.
The ol’ ‘promises of politicians’ as canon?
See, IMHO, we have a 13th Amendment. At what point to the promises of the elected become the chains of the Citizenry? When the game is already rigged, EG: no contracts if non-union, what good is an election to accomplish when the deals have already been signed? Taxpayers are NEVER on the mind when these contracts are being penned behind closed doors. The only worry is how much of a kick-back will the elected receive.