Grizz1,

I don't care for the closed shop concept, especially in government, like WA has become and apparently WI is also. Unions always donate to the candidate or party they feel is most consistent with their interests, and invariably some union members see their dues being spent against their political wishes. An example: my father-in-law was a life-long Teamsters member and Republican, and the Teamsters almost always endorse and donate to the Dems. The flip side is that corporations donate to the Republicans while some of their employees and shareholders prefer Democrats. I guess that's part of the "life ain't fair" equation.

Hank,

I don't know. What's the difference in pay and benefits between a state fish biologist IV and a biologist with the same credentials at Pacificorp or PGE?

Then you add: ". . . Anybody worth their salt would have negotiated their pay and benefits before they started...and they wouldn't have to pay somebody in order to get the job." Apparently most American workers aren't worth their salt since pay and benefits are not negotiable at the individual level for most jobs. Must be nice to be such an elite x-ray tech.

Sg