Clever Name To Come Later

Clever Name To Come Later

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Contract law and public pensions

So, I am not a lawyer—but I am a taxpayer. A taxpayer in New Jersey, yet, which means I really know from paying taxes.

The conservative and libertarian blogospheres have been sounding the alarm about public-employee pensions for some time, to no noticeable effect. But everyone assumes that the obligations to the pensioners are inviolate.

But it is, I think, basic to contract law that contracts made under false pretences—through fraud, extortion, bribery, and such—have no legal force.

Isn't the implicit quid-pro-quo between legislators and the SEIU reason enough to consider any contract between a legislature and a union null and void? I think one need only show that the public-'service' unions' efforts on behalf of politicians who vote to hand over our tax dollars to union featherbedders constitutes a form of extortion to enable any legislature to abrogate any public-employee contract.

Or am I just dreaming?

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posted by vepxistqaosani 12:18 PM

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Who or what is vepxistqaosani? The hero of the medieval Georgian epic, The Knight in Panther Skin by Shota Rustaveli. You could look it up ... use the spelling ვეფხისტყაოსანი to see it in Georgian. And why use an unspellable and unpronounceable moniker? Just for fun ... and to do a little to popularize Georgian culture beyond the Caucasus.

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