IS THE TIMES SPREADING A TALK RADIO MEME?

In this article, the NY Times seems to be giving support to a right-wing talk radio meme:

Across the nation, a rising irritation with public employee unions is palpable, as a wounded economy has blown gaping holes in state, city and town budgets, and revealed that some public pension funds dangle perilously close to bankruptcy.

I searched Google News and Polling Report for any polls about how Americans feel about public employee unions and nothing turned up, so I wonder why the Times thinks the irritation is "palpable."