tbug, I can answer your question about the drug problem in Wisconsin/Iowa and its effect on the state, students, et al. In the early and late 80's the gangs from Chicago infiltrated both states and it wasn't until kids started showing up in the emergency rooms did the authorities have a clue of the enormous drug problem. I mean Des Moines leadership actualy believed in their own press that is too busy pumping up the quiet and not having big city problems propaganda when these deviates came in and ended all of that . I do believe that the drug culture has had a devasting affect on our country by increasing crime by young people who if were not chemically affected would have never given thought to those actions that caused others harm. And in great part for the decline in our educational system and the bad behavior by our young, you k now the jersey shore types. Our leaders have failed on the war on drugs because they chose to.
As to your reference " depends on whose ox is being gored" the obvious answer pertiaining to the Wisconsin issue is the taxpayer of course. When a worker becomes more obsessed about what they are earning than how they are performing quality/quantity slip. I have seen it time and time again I cannot tell you the number of employees I dealt with who actually believed they were worth much more than they were being paid. So we implemented a program to see how employees rated themselves and how their peers and supervisors rated them. Does the term " legend in his own mind " ring a bell. As I stated in a previous post I was always about being professional first and as a manager always setting good example and never espousing poision leadership. duty first. Unionization negates all of that and more and so as a taxpayer I believe its my ox that gored.