Detroit and Chicago have announced plans to offload their unfunded retiree health plans onto the Affordable Care Act exchanges. The Detroit announcement predated the July 18th filing for bankruptcy protection. These cities believe they will save tens if not hundreds of millions in expenditures annually if they are successful in their intentions.
At the national level, union membership fell in 2012 from the 2011 reading, tumbling from 11.8 percent of the work force to 11.3 percent. Interestingly, union membership was down in both the private sector and among government employees.
President Obama’s car czar, Ron Bloom, has recently been given the additional responsibility of helping figure out ways to revive American manufacturing. Before becoming the
When reporters from around the world write about Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania during their visit in conjunction with the G-20 meeting, what will they say? Of
The extraordinarily drawn out wrangling over the State budget is now reduced to a fight over who and what gets new or higher taxes. And
Pittsburgh’s Councilman Shields will propose a prevailing wage bill that is expected to mandate that employees at businesses with a City contract or receiving any
Where does government turn when it is unable to carry out its obligations successfully? Why, the private sector of course. Finding itself unable to get
In a bold New Year’s Eve gambit, Mayor Ravenstahl’s veto was able to stymie City Council efforts to institute a “prevailing wage” law in Pittsburgh
Newspaper reports on the Labor Day parade Downtown noted that something was missing from the march: spectators. In fact, people walking in the parade outnumbered
The ongoing debacle in Wisconsin brings to mind the problems of how best to govern when the U.S. Constitution was being debated. One of James
