Not Accountable

Rethinking the Constitutionality of Public Employee Unions

By: Philip K. Howard, Mitch Daniels - foreword

Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin

Length: 4 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

"Elected leaders come and go, but public unions just say no." Hiding in plain sight is a fatal defect of modern democracy. Public employee unions have a death grip on the operating machinery of government. Schools can't work, bad cops can't be fired, and politicians sell their souls for union support. With this searing five-point indictment, Philip K. Howard argues that union controls have disempowered elected executives and should be unconstitutional.

Elected officials answer to public employees. Basic tools of good government have been eliminated. There's no accountability, detailed union entitlements make government largely unmanageable and unaffordable, and public policies are driven by what is good for public employees, not what is good for the public. Public unions keep it that way by brute political force—harnessing the huge cohort of public employees into a political force dedicated to preventing the reform of government.

The solution, Howard argues, is not political but constitutional. America's republican form of government requires an executive branch that is empowered to implement public policies, not one shackled to union controls. Public employees have a fiduciary duty to serve the public and should not be allowed to organize politically to harm the public.

©2023 Philip K. Howard (P)2023 Ascent Audio

A real challenge to the public Union monopoly’s

Phillip gives anyone trying to fight the public union machine the legal ammo needed to take them on and move towards a functioning accountable government once more.

Short, powerful examination of public sector union

This was an excellent read. I've been reading about growing pension deficits and wondering how we got here. This book lays it out. My only critique is that there isn't a chapter with solutions or next steps.

Shocking Expose

For any rational, thinking person who might think unions are a societal good, this book is for you.

Not Acountable

The book described the issues that damage the economy. I experienced many or these problems in CA environmental programs. For commiting perjury, a CalRecycle employee got a better job.

Depressing but relevant

The book was well written and easy to understand. That may not be a good thing, because we realize how pervasive and virtually unstoppable is the power of public service unions. The book become depressing as we realize there is precious little that can defer their progress toward authoritarianism. This is however an important book and a must read.

Provocative but not very helpful

Many court citations and a good accounting of the problems, but I didn't hear any actionable solutions.