Losing it

We'll just chalk this up to a case of spring-time allergies because on the heels of an L.A. Times editorial last week calling for an end to state (California) and federal out-of-control spending and a reforming of unsustainable public employee pensions, the N.Y. Times gets into tea party mode by implicitly cheerleading the austerity measures being pursued by the Greeks as they scramble to avoid a complete financial meltdown.

Among the most significant features of the plan, a Greek government official said, would be a measure making it easier for the government to lay off some of the many thousands of public sector workers, whose low levels of productivity and high wages are a big contributor to Greece’s debt problem. Until now, the government has not been able to lay off civil servants, whose employment rights are in effect constitutionally guaranteed.

Another reform high on the list is removing the state from the marketplace in crucial sectors like health care, transportation and energy and allowing private investment. Economists say that the liberalization of trucking routes — where a trucking license can cost up to $90,000 — and the health care industry would help bring down prices in these areas, which are among the highest in Europe.

Goodness, we just don't know what's going on around here because when you lose the L.A. Times and New York Times, there might just be hope for us yet.