Government Shrinkflation: We're Paying More and Getting Less | Wacky Wednesday

Text the show! 💸 MORE TAXES. LESS SERVICE. WHO'S GETTING THE MONEY? America has a government shrinkflation problem. We're paying more in taxes while schools, public safety, and essential government services struggle to deliver what taxpayers are paying for. And tonight, we're following the money. In this Wacky Wednesday episode of Common Sense with Chad Law, we're examining how public employee unions, political endorsements, collective bargaining agreements, and decades of pension promises can create a system where politicians negotiate with the very organizations that helped elect them. Nearly 90 years ago, Franklin D. Roosevelt warned that collective bargaining couldn't simply be transplanted into government employment. Ronald Reagan echoed that distinction decades later. Maybe they understood something we've forgotten. 🔎 TONIGHT'S BREAKDOWN: 🏛️ FDR's warning about government unions and the taxpayer's seat at the negotiating table. 💰 How union endorsements, election calendars, and government contracts intersect. 🚒 Why California's firefighters and highway patrol officers illustrate the difference between rewarding performance and rewarding seniority. 📉 How pension promises consume money that could otherwise fund current services. 🏫 California, Oregon, and Chicago: rising education costs, shrinking enrollment, and disappointing student outcomes. 🔥 The Los Angeles fire department budget debate and the difference between funding employees and funding operational capacity. ✅ Two possible reforms for putting taxpayers back at the negotiating table. This isn't an argument against teachers, police officers, firefighters, or fair pay. My mother was a union teacher, and her paycheck helped put food on our family's table. It's an argument for paying people well, measuring results, and making sure the public gets what it pays for. Because the employer isn't the governor. As FDR put it, the employer is the whole people. And that's us. ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 Shrinkflation in Government Services 02:33 FDR's Warning on Collective Bargaining 06:52 The Cycle of Endorsements and Contracts 13:09 Research on Union Influence and Public Spending 13:58 The Impact of Election Timing on Public Spending 14:40 Negotiating Pay for Firefighters: A Case Study 17:23 The Disconnect Between Pay and Performance 20:55 The Role of Unions in Political Negotiations 24:14 Public Contracts and Seniority: A Flawed System 26:17 California Highway Patrol: Automatic Pay Increases 29:16 The Consequences of Pension Promises 35:55 California's Rising Pension Costs 37:20 Education Spending vs. Student Performance 39:35 The Impact of Union Contracts on Education 41:45 Budget Mismanagement in Chicago Schools 44:07 Fire Department Funding and Accountability 47:15 Portland's Education Crisis and Union Challenges 49:35 The Need for Accountability in Public Services 📲 JOIN THE CONVERSATION Should a politician negotiate a government union contract with a union that endorsed their campaign? Text me: 252-CHAD-LAW 🌐 WEBSITE, BOOKS & MORE https://chadparkerlaw.com 📰 THE GAILY NEWS Get the stories that matter, vetted and verified, twice daily. Subscribe free at chadparkerlaw.com. 📺 COMMON SENSE WITH CHAD LAW New episodes at 7 PM Pacific. Understand more. Fear less. Laugh more. #GovernmentShrinkflation #GovernmentUnions #PublicEmployeeUnions #GovernmentSpending #TaxpayerAccountability #ChadLaw #CommonSense #WackyWednesday #CaliforniaPolitics #OregonPolitics #PensionCrisis #EducationReform