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The democrats are trying to force the republicans back to the bargaining table with the unions, because the R's have refused to even try to work with them on any type of compromise. The Senate can't hold a vote on anything unless at least one Democratic Senator is present--that's why they left. They're not being chicken--they're basically telling the R's where they can shove it.
I have a friend who works in Madison, and evidently the statehouse is so full of people from all walks of life--not just union members--protesting this, that they have a line that wraps around the block to even let them in the building, and then it's packed inside. The police estimate 13,000 people showed up for a rally there the other day, and the numbers are growing, not declining.
I'm not a liberal, and I think some unions carry their demands too far, but that doesn't seem to be the case at all here, and the way the governor has handled this is outrageous. I think the democrats are having a nice little "tea party" style rally of their own over this. I think working and middle class people are fed up with being dumped on by the R's in this country, and things are about to start blowing up. The same thing is evidently starting in Ohio...
The democrat party has conempt for democracy. The people have spoken, they lost. Elections have consequences. They are trying to get through thuggery what they couldn't get at the ballot box. There are democratic mechanisms for addressing policies you don't like. Shutting down the government isn't one of them.
So you are privey to the collective bargaining agreement between the state and those police and fire unions in comparison to the rest of the state employees? Really?
Madison WI teachers are proving that they come first, not the kids. The teachers have not held class for two days now and the schools are closed. The whole bull about unionized teachers putting the children is bull feathers. They don't care about the kids.
Do you EVER know what you're talking about? The content of a collective bargaining agreement has zero to do with campaign contributions--they don't agree to give support for campaigns in bargaining agreements for heavens sake. And FYI--both contributions and union contracts are public record.
There was no need for austerity measures. The Governor cut taxes his first days in office and created the fiscal deficit.
his broadside comes less than a month after the state's fiscal bureau -- the Wisconsin equivalent of the Congressional Budget Office -- concluded that Wisconsin isn't even in need of austerity measures, and could conclude the fiscal year with a surplus. In fact, they say that the current budget shortfall is a direct result of tax cut policies Walker enacted in his first days in office.
I want to understand what is happening in WI, I really do. If I am reading things correctly, the unions are objecting to what seems like a small increase in their contributions. Correct me if I am wrong, please.
Do union members in WI not know what is going on in the rest of the workforce? The days of pensions, very modest insurance contributions by employees, etc have gone the way of the dodo bird. Sad but true.
Sorry, I have very little sympathy for these Unions. The economy simply cannot afford these sweetheart deals the Unions have had in recent years. Please, realize that you still have the goose that lays the golden eggs, even with a small (5.8%) increase.
The governor wants to take away their right to bargain for anything (like working conditions, etc.) except for some salary issues. He's essentially trying to shut them completely down.
The democrat party has conempt for democracy. The people have spoken, they lost. Elections have consequences. They are trying to get through thuggery what they couldn't get at the ballot box. There are democratic mechanisms for addressing policies you don't like. Shutting down the government isn't one of them.
And when the "government" tries to do something really wrong, good people have an obligation to try to stop them. That's why 13,000 people in Madison decided to pay their state reps and Senators a visit this week. I think that's about as good of an example of democracy in action as it gets.
Well, many of us certainly felt the same way when the Republicans in the US Senate used the idiotic 'filibuster' rules (where one person may 'filibuster' a proposal, even without ever stepping onto the Senate floor) to bring all legislation to a halt.
Note that I am against either party using such tactics. Bring all to the floor for a fair vote.
Ah, yes! But it is ok when Republicans engage in such trickery, isn't it?
Anyway, the errant state senators will, I'm sure, soon be brought back. I agree that it is funny that, to avoid having to cast an unpopular vote (for even they know that the state is against the wall, financially) these senators could come up with no better tactic than to flee.
It wasn't to avoid casting an unpopular vote. This has all been very public in Wisconsin--they point blank think the R's are wrong, and they're using the tools available to them to try to force them back to the table to try to work out an agreement vs. just walking in and shutting the unions down simply because they disagree with the idea of unions. That's what this is coming down to.
I saw the video of some of those protestors and they obviously weren't all teachers. Some looked like the young punk professional college students that get hired by groups (like unions) to do their dirty work. I also noticed a couple of red t-shirts with the old hammer and sickle on it. Totally shocked to see those at this kind of rally... NOT
I'm all for genuine protest, but this is not genuine and isn't even for a good cause. It's a few union members and hired goons/whackos (13000 out of a state population of 5665774 (2009 Census figure) = .002% of the state's population) that are whining about "rights" and benefits that exceed what they're worth and also exceed what your average Joe on the street has.
Ironically one Democratic Senator was heard to say: "The story around the world is the rush to democracy. The story in Wisconsin is the end of the democratic process."
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"Fleeing Wisconsin Dems Found Lounging at Illinois Resort"
