(switching to lpsf-discuss to avoid cross posting)
Ron -
Okay, so I thought you were suggesting that the nurses union was the force behind the average high wages for nurses(??) I understand your arguments for physicians but I don't see the correlation with that and nursing. The doctors and other healthcare professionals I know are complaining about the problems finding qualified nurses...at all. (which don't require college degrees or union membership).
The problem with the $100K+ nurses is that the physicians end up taking a loss on thier salaries for medicare and HMO arrangements, especially when you factor in the liability insurance they carry due to the crazy litigous society we live in now. This is causing many of the physicians to retire early causing a shortage. I don't see how their remedial math and english skills back in grade school is a factor in this type of scenario.
Don't get me wrong - I'm no fan of the AMA or socialized medicine, but I think there are other larger forces at work in healthcare than unions and government regulation. For instance, I can go to India and get a hip replacement for 10x less than I can in California. But who do I sue when the job is botched or I get MRSA during post-op?
d