Why the unions back ChappaquiddiCare*

I was recently asked by a friend why the unions were so committed to health care reform seizing the health care industry. My initial, knee-jerk reaction was that of course they would support anything proposed by a liberal Democrat.

But that sort of rung hollow. I get that union leaders care about the union and not the membership; but this still did not make any sense. Unions that had negotiated themselves lavish health care benefits were going to be in a position to watch their employers start off-loading those lavish costs and forcing the membership into the public option.

Now, it all makes sense.

Buried on page 65 of the 1,017 pages of HR 3200, the House's health care reform bill, and in a Senate bill as well, stands a $10 billion entitlement to keep pensions for unions like United Auto Workers as shiny and gold-plated as the day Detroit executives signed off on them.

Steelworkers, municipal employees, teachers and other union retirees will benefit from what the bills call "Reinsurance Programs for Retirees." The $10 billion cash infusion is intended to refinance Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Associations (VEBA) insurance to continue coverage for unions' early retirees in restructurings.

It's nothing but another bailout for union-bankrupted industries that can't sustain their contracts. In most of the private sector, companies cut back. They pay for what they buy. They scrimp.

Unions are different. When things get bad, they want taxpayers to pay. And they demonize corporate profits. When profits are a dirty word, one man's wealth is another man's loss, and creating value is no longer recognized as a means of earning money.

It's no surprise that bailouts are the result.

But there's a problem with all this largesse — the poor and middle class who don't get these fat pensions end up paying for them anyway. Back in February, President Obama praised unions for their "sacrifices" in the auto bailouts. We've yet to see taxpayers praised or thanked for their "sacrifices" in bailing out unions.

Unions gave $52 million to elect Democrats in the last election. The link between bailouts and campaign cash couldn't be clearer.

Frankly, their "investment" has paid off handsomely.

(H/t - NewsBusters.

* So named in deference to Robert "KKK" Byrd's request to honor Ted Kennedy's legacy.