Good news from the north. Fort Collins voters have overwhelmingly rejected the costly and ill-advised proposal to mandate collective bargaining and binding arbitration on city employees. Unions are on the move – they have the ear of our Governor “Backroom” Bill Ritter – but the people have spoken out clearly against the expansion of public employee unionism.
Meanwhile, a disturbing sidelight: a Fort Collins blogger points out that the local rag couldn’t bother to report on a local Republican candidate’s outspoken opposition to the measure:
Do you mean to tell me that the Coloradoan doesn’t believe it’s important for the citizens of Fort Collins to know where their candidates stand on public-employee unions? (This is, after all, a major statewide issue as well.)
There’s not a reporter over there on Riverside who even considered attending a press conference or asking some simple follow-up questions? (There was no Coloradoan reporter at the [Matt] Fries press conference.)
Is this neglect? Let’s hope so. Because the alternate explanation – that the Coloradoan is staying silent because they’re afraid of having to get Bob Bacon, John Kefalas and Randy Fisher on the record on this important issue – would be even worse. It would be inexcusable bias. After all, Bacon, Kefalas and Fischer would be forced to either come out against the union or against what in 2006 was 65 percent of the voting public of Fort Collins.
Well, we do have an idea where Bob Bacon may stand.
[…] past week on whether or not to allow collective bargaining for government workers. Ben has a good writeup on this at Mount Virtus. Worse yet, the local Republican candidate for the Colorado Senate 14th […]