It is stories like this that get my boxers all in a bunch .. that remind me why government employees absolutely should not have collective bargaining rights. Are you ready?

Bus drivers in New York City (unionized) took an average of two paid months off last year. They got paid to not come into work. Why? Because they claimed that they were spat upon by upset riders and this is considered an "assault" under the drivers' union contract. When a bus driver is spit upon they are then entitled to take a paid leave of absence. The unions claims that being spat upon causes psychological trauma because workers could catch diseases or risk being assaulted again.

Bus drivers made up one-third of the transit workers who took time off because of "assaults." Last year, that was 83 drivers, who took an average of 64 paid days off. In one instance, a driver took 191 days of paid leave.

Is it any wonder why we are headed toward disaster? We have allowed these unions to grab local government by the throat and demand entitlements .. and the political hacks who run these governments fold like a map. After all .. the very same unions that demand these absurd work rules are very adept at getting the voters to the polls on election day. You get the picture.

And while we are on the subject of New York City .. here's another asinine occurrence unfolding there. A bill has surfaced in the New York legislature that would require New York City cops to shoot to wound, rather than shooting to kill. The bill is being called the "minimum force" law and it would amend the state penal codes' "justification" clause, which currently allows officers to kill suspects they believe pose a threat to his life or others. They would be mandated to "shoot a suspect in the arm or the leg." An innocent person is going to die when this absurdity becomes law.