Washington's state government imposed the same policy in 2004 that the Ritter administration is now pushing in Colorado -- letting unions collectively bargain for wages and benefits of state employees -- and that state's payroll spending soared as union ranks swelled.

The move also led to a backlash among hundreds of Washington state employees who were forced under the new labor contract to join the union and pay dues, pay "agency fees" in lieu of dues -- or lose their jobs. Some employees actually were dismissed.

That's the upshot of Washington's experience after only two fiscal years, as related in a recent report by the Seattle Times newspaper and corroborated by the Olympia, Wash.-based think tank, Evergreen Freedom Foundation.

"Collective bargaining is a shakedown from any angle, not only for the taxpayers who foot the bill but also for the additional state employees who wind up paying dues," said Colorado Senate GOP leader Andy McElhany. "Almost the only ones who come out ahead are the union bosses."