The Evergreen Freedom Foundation, longtime anti-regulation, anti-union warrior, has just sent its newest shot across the bow–this time against the ferry system. Responding to a report [warning: PDF!] from State Auditor Brian Sonntag that found all kinds of waste, etc. in the ferries’ operations, the EFF declares that the problem is those darn unions. “Time to Crack Down on Ferry System” says the foundation’s release today. “Collective bargaining agreements obstruct change, efficiency” is one subheading. It’s so true: everything would be so much more efficient if there were no rules about overtime, you could hire and fire people at will, etc. Now I’ve no doubt that things are a little slack at WSF. They used to have a couple floors in our building and these were some of the most slovenly, dispiriting, chain-smoking bureaucrats you’d ever not want to share an elevator with. But is the object of every public operation to be run as cheaply as possible? Is it so wrong that there are actually a few workers out there who still have some rules and protections, which, no surprise, cost money?