What you don't sense is how the impact of that far-away election will affect other states and even your own. The expense of public sector employees' retirement pensions and benefits are becoming the biggest budgetary constraints of cities and counties nationwide. Vallejo, CA declared bankruptcy in part because they were paying for the equivalent of three policemen and fireman for each one actually working. Less money in city budgets = fewer services they can provide. San Diego and San Jose voted to alter pensions to 401K's by a 65 and 70% margin. The San Diego initiative also released them from paying union or "prevailing" wages for contracts awarded to companies doing city work.

Since the ban on collective bargaining in WI, the AFSCME membership there has dropped from 62,818 in February,2010 to 28,745 in March 2011. The teacher's union membership has dropped by 7,000.

Loss of union workers = loss of dues = less money for unions to contribute to politicians they can own.