Big labor loves so-called "prevailing wage" laws, which force contractors to pay union wages on jobs performed on government contracts. In many cases, absent those laws, construction projects could be completed far more cheaply, so taxpayers end up paying far more than necessary for roads, buildings, parks, schools, and other facilities.In California, a small, but perhaps significant, victory against waste of taxpayer money has received little national attention. Rick Rogers of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports:In a win that could save millions of dollars for Vista and scores of cities across the state, the Fourth District Court of Appeal ruled Tuesday that charter cities can pay less than the prevailing wage - typically union wage - in contracts for municipal projects. The ruling was 2-1.A statewide labor organization, the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, AFL-CIO, sued Vista shortly after it became a charter city in 2007.If the union...(Read Full Post)