Government, unlike a business, is not a profit-and-loss operation.
Yes, public workers create no profits and therefore should not be granted union representation unless their occupation is inherently dangerous (What are the primary purposes of a union? A) Ensure the workers gain a reasonable degree of the profits they help create and/or B) Ensure the safety of workers).
The federal government works if it ensures national defense, law/order, and sound infrastructure that cannot be effectively served by markets (assuming it achieves these objectives without defaulting, of course). The goal is to minimize costs (which implies minimizing taxes) while achieving the aforementioned mandate.
Our national debt is completely absurd. Running a seemingly perpetual trillion dollar deficit is a sure-fire way to stunt America's progress for generations to come. A lot of people in Washington, even many on the right-wing, do not get it. We need somebody like Romney to axe some of the regulatory books and severely cut costs without dampening growth prospects in the present and future.
The bottom-line: Washington needs a reformation, and a career politician is not going to deliver it. The two best post-WW II presidents had most of their career/life experiences outside of politics (i.e., Eisenhower/military and Reagan/entertainment).
The primary purpose of the unions is to give workers what they deserve.
