Yeah, the gov is right that they are broke, but the line I keep hearing on tv is that public employees are getting way too many benefits over private employees. But is that really the point? Isn't it about competitiveness? And the competitiveness chain goes like this: Public employees are getting way too much compared to private employees. Private employees are getting way too much compared to their equivalents in China and India. So why not address the competitive pricing problem in one swoop - cut both public and private down to the point we can compete with China and India - because that's the REAL bottom line, isn't it? Some might call that the race to the bottom, but isn't that what is necessary?
It is a race to the bottom for those who don't value working conditions, safety of workers, products that are dangerous to humans and other living beings (Toxic chemicals in building materials coming to the US from China)... ...or any concern at all for quality of workmanship.