I've been telling anyone who'll listen that the crisis we're in is very deep, very serious, and much more permanent than anyone realizes. One of the surest signs of a deep economic crisis is its ability to trigger conflict.
I am a temp in Albany NY. Every day, I come to work at a call center in the state capitol. Those who live in New York state don't need to be told that New York is a complete mess. Governor Patterson, at least, understands that New York is bankrupt. Given this fact, it's faced with a stark choice. Either a)pay its creditors or b)pay civil servants and local governments. Well, let's see. If we neglect to pay our creditors, we won't be able to make payments to anybody else anyway. So it would seem to be a no-brainer. Now, Governor Patterson is by no means perfect. He totally screwed up the replacement of Hillary Clinton, dragging his feet in the wake of the Rod Blogojovich fiasco. But on the issue of fiscal responsibility I'll give him his due. He's one of the first politicians in New York to face reality.
And before you go calling him a closet Republican, bear in mind that he's also a vociferous, courageous supporter of gay marriage.
Now, it's a longstanding rule that New York's executive branch is at odds with CSEA. Until now, the conflict has simmered. But (see intro) there's nothing like a serious economic downturn to turn uneasy alliances into open rivalries.
The latest: CSEA poaching temp agencies. The reason is obvious: New York state's economy has become a zero sum game, and the only way anyone can get anywhere is by beggaring his neighbor.
As mentioned, I'm a temp. My great uncle was a speech writer for big labor.
But I'm just trying to get by here. There's no way I'm joining CSEA.
I have a very, very bad feeling about where my beautiful, broken state is going.