[Aunche]

Any negotiated increase in salary or pensions should require a vote unless if there is a budget surplus. Municipalities are incurring way too much debt without taxpayer knowledge, let alone approval.

Government workers already have a lot of job security, so I don't think unions should be allowed to affect that.

I do think that public servants have a right to negotiate safety and other technical issues without public approval.

[dragonwriter]

> Any negotiated increase in salary or pensions should require a vote unless if there is a budget surplus.

Generally, they do require a vote of the appropriate governing body, with all the associated public information and opportunity for input that goes along with that.

> Municipalities are incurring way too much debt without taxpayer knowledge

If true, its because taxpayers don’t actually care. Because if they did, even if they were too lazy to find out themselves, it would be too convenient a lever for opposition to whoever the current majority is in the relevant governing body to use with the public to unseat them to go unused.

[Aunche]

> If true, its because taxpayers don’t actually care.

They do care when they're forced to pay extra taxes to cover interest. Your average voter doesn't have time to audit their city's finances. Both the unions and public officials knew that public would not agree to tax hikes, so they decided to go with unfunded pensions instead. Even though it's technically transparent, they're still abusing an information asymmetry, much like pyramid schemes.

[worik]

I want to vote on your salary.

[Aunche]

The difference is that my salary doesn't force you to take on debt.