The Conservative Sage

While the nation is fixated on the battle of Wisconsin, there is another labor showdown taking place which has long term implications for their respective organizations. The NFL and NBA currently facing potent lockouts of its players as its own collective bargaining agreements have expired . Both leagues like all other professional sports have experienced skyrocketing salaries over the past 15 years. The slumping economy, coupled with heavy debt from newly constructed sports venues has left the owners in a conundrum. They must convince the NFLPA to accept a haircut on the 65% of revenues it currently receives under the expiring collective bargaining agreement. Thus far a pay cut has been about as well received as playing without helmets. The NBA owners with 23 of its 30 teams losing money wants a larger cut of the 4 billion dollars in league revenue which is currently split in favor of the players. All the major sports teams-the NFL, NBA, NHL and Major league baseball, have all suffer

Karl Marx's firmly believed that " capitalism will end through the organized actions of an international working class ". Marx believed the inevitable confrontation between the so called proletariat and the bourgeoisie would ultimately lead to capitalism's destruction. This confrontation seems to be upon us with ground zero being the State of Wisconsin. Facing a $137mm budget deficit Governor Scott Walker has introduced a bill which would strip away workers collective bargaining power. Throw in medicare mandates and the gap is over $3bn! Opposition to the bill has been seismic-with protesters swarming the state capitol forcing most lawmakers to flee before the vote rather than stay and face the deluge. Wisconsin's troubles are indicative of the dozens of other states facing huge budget shortfalls and shrinking tax revenues. The states with the worst fiscal ills just so happen to have the most benefits for public workers. For the past few decades unions have enjoy