Is anyone following Wisconsin?

[moreluck]

"it will only cut the deficit by 10%. "

This is the attitude that makes people reluctant to make any cuts!! You have to start somewhere and even 10% is better than 0%

 

[Babagounj]

Fake Doctors’ Notes Being Handed Out at Wisconsin Gov. Union Rally

To Whom it May Concern:
This is confirm I have seen and evaluated the above named patient.
Please excuse from work/school due to a medical condition from
____/____/____ through
Please contact me at * if additional information is needed. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Physician Signature:
Physician Name
WI license number
Based on an examination of the signature and medical license number provided, one of the men handing out these notes was purporting to be James H Shropshire MD, a Clinical Associate Professor at the University Wisconsin Madison.

 

[Babagounj]

If you watched any coverage of the Tea Party nuts you wil find similar antics. Tea baggers shouting and threatening any reporters that were not Fox.

Please show me the link where these homosexuals who were attending a Tea Party Rally were misbehaving .

 

[Jones]

"it will only cut the deficit by 10%. "

This is the attitude that makes people reluctant to make any cuts!! You have to start somewhere and even 10% is better than 0%

You're missing the point. Democrats and Union leaders have said they are willing to agree to the economic parts of this bill, to include doubling their the health insurance contributions and contributing more to their pensions. What they won't agree to is giving up their collective bargaining rights, which both the governor and the republican senate leader have said is "non-negotiable". The reason it's non-negotiable is because that is the real purpose of this bill.

 

[Jones]

Wisconsin Gov. Walker Ginned Up Budget Shortfall To Undercut Worker Rights

Brian Beutler | February 17, 2011, 1:47PM

Wisconsin's new Republican governor has framed his assault on public worker's collective bargaining rights as a needed measure of fiscal austerity during tough times.
The reality is radically different. Unlike true austerity measures -- service rollbacks, furloughs, and other temporary measures that cause pain but save money -- rolling back worker's bargaining rights by itself saves almost nothing on its own. But Walker's doing it anyhow, to knock down a barrier and allow him to cut state employee benefits immediately.

Mad In Madison: Wisconsin Workers Protest Against Governor's Budget Proposals​

Furthermore, this 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.
"Walker was not forced into a budget repair bill by circumstances beyond he control," says Jack Norman, research director at the Institute for Wisconsin Future -- a public interest think tank. "He wanted a budget repair bill and forced it by pushing through tax cuts... so he could rush through these other changes."
"The state of Wisconsin has not reached the point at which austerity measures are needed," Norman adds.
In a Wednesday op-ed, the Capitol Times of Madison picked up on this theme.

In its Jan. 31 memo to legislators on the condition of the state's budget, the Fiscal Bureau determined that the state will end the year with a balance of $121.4 million. To the extent that there is an imbalance -- Walker claims there is a $137 million deficit -- it is not because of a drop in revenues or increases in the cost of state employee contracts, benefits or pensions. It is because Walker and his allies pushed through $140 million in new spending for special-interest groups in January.
​

• $25 million for an economic development fund for job creation, which still holds $73 million because of anemic job growth.
• $48 million for private health savings accounts -- a perennial Republican favorite.
• $67 million for a tax incentive plan that benefits employers, but at levels too low to spur hiring.

In essence, public workers are being asked to pick up the tab for this agenda. "The provisions in his bill do two things simultaneously," Norman says. "They remove bargaining rights, and having accomplished that, make changes in the benefit packages." That's how Walker's plan saves money. And when it's all said and done, these workers will have lost their bargaining rights going forward in perpetuity.

 

[Catatonic]

You're missing the point. Democrats and Union leaders have said they are willing to agree to the economic parts of this bill, to include doubling their the health insurance contributions and contributing more to their pensions. What they won't agree to is giving up their collective bargaining rights, which both the governor and the republican senate leader have said is "non-negotiable". The reason it's non-negotiable is because that is the real purpose of this bill.

I have not followed that close but this is the part with which I totally disagree. Benefits and pension are key points in a collective bargaining contract.

 

[hypocrisy]

http://www.indeed.com/salary/q-Teacher-l-Milwaukee,-WI.html

Indeed.com isn't a political site masquerading as news organization like that McIver Institute video posted.

Avg Milwaukee WI teacher salary is 28% lower than similar teaching jobs nationwide.

$40k in benefits per year? Even our "cadillac" benefits aren't $40k per year.

It's important to do your own research from non-biased sources before forming an opinion.

 

[moreluck]

Let's see, the Democrats ran away and left the state to avoid a vote......which non-biased source am I suppose to consult for the interpretation of that?? I'll make my own interpretation. They're cowards running from a problem!!

 

[brett636]

You're missing the point. Democrats and Union leaders have said they are willing to agree to the economic parts of this bill, to include doubling their the health insurance contributions and contributing more to their pensions. What they won't agree to is giving up their collective bargaining rights, which both the governor and the republican senate leader have said is "non-negotiable". The reason it's non-negotiable is because that is the real purpose of this bill.

This does appear to be what this circus is all about. I just don't see what the big deal is. Mitch Daniels first action as governor of Indiana was to end the collective bargaining of state workers. A few people complained in the beginning, but our state was better off for it. The state has a responsibility to not be a burden on the population as a whole, and in order to do that costs need to be controlled.

 

[hubrat]

That governor is whacked out. Recall him because he will only get worse. Those of you Teamsters who are knocking the protestors need to realize that what happens in WI will probably affect our negotiations and contract. Public unions suck already. These people don't deserve this. Students deserve teachers who are esteemed by their employers. They are willing to give stuff up to help and it is unreasonable for the governor to force them into more with no discussion. The guy is a creep and that crummy union is supposed to protect children's educators from this kind of maltreatment. Those of you who simply have nothing better to do than read this thead, say whatever you want but don't whine if your portfolio is impacted. Our competition is getting stronger and they will not be impacted as much as us. They know it and they're already preparing to capitalize. Read the news.

Heard directly from a union officer, all Teamsters should be in Wisconsin right now. I say if that is an unreasonable thing for you to do, find some way you can help. Start by helping yourselves and contact your locals, your senators, and talk to your co-workers. I am not trying to be alarmist, this crap is possible. At least be prepared as much as you can. If things get crazy at least your head won't be spinning. If I'm wrong, cool. I'll be the 1st to admit it. I'm just trying to take care of myself and my family.

In case you've missed these, good reading:

http://www.thenation.com/article/158640/labors-last-stand

http://www.thenation.com/article/156811/making-unions-matter-again

 

[bumped]

[video=youtube;lZsOKNfNkfQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZsOKNfNkfQ[/video]

I didn't think it gets this emotional in the Capitol.

 

[Catatonic]

This does appear to be what this circus is all about. I just don't see what the big deal is. Mitch Daniels first action as governor of Indiana was to end the collective bargaining of state workers. A few people complained in the beginning, but our state was better off for it. The state has a responsibility to not be a burden on the population as a whole, and in order to do that costs need to be controlled.

Do you think the Teamsters should give up that right?

 

[hubrat]

Let's see, the Democrats ran away and left the state to avoid a vote......which non-biased source am I suppose to consult for the interpretation of that?? I'll make my own interpretation. They're cowards running from a problem!!

They are doing the only thing they have been left to do to care for this population of constituents.

 

[cicero]

http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin...-maddow-says-wisconsin-track-have-budget-sur/

 

[804brown]

[video=youtube;lZsOKNfNkfQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZsOKNfNkfQ[/video]

I didn't think it gets this emotional in the Capitol.

Wow, I am impressed. I plan on going to this guy's website and making a small donation. We need more pols fighting for us like this!!

 

[804brown]

This does appear to be what this circus is all about. I just don't see what the big deal is. Mitch Daniels first action as governor of Indiana was to end the collective bargaining of state workers. A few people complained in the beginning, but our state was better off for it. The state has a responsibility to not be a burden on the population as a whole, and in order to do that costs need to be controlled.

Baloney, governor is doing this as political payback plain and simple to cripple public service unions that spent millions to help Dems this past November!!He is trying to play off the private sector unions against the public sector unions. It is classic divide and conquer!!
Union members on here need to get on a plane or a train or their car and join the fight in Wisconsin to support our brothers and sisters!!

 

[brett636]

Do you think the Teamsters should give up that right?

There is a stark difference between the limitations of a private sector union and a public sector one. A difference so great that not even FDR himself could support public sector employees unionizing yet here we are debating about allowing public sector employees the right to unionize. Unlike a private sector employer a state has the right to put a gun to your head and force you to pay for wages and benefits that are way out of line of what would be acceptable for a similar private sector job.

 

[804brown]

There is a stark difference between the limitations of a private sector union and a public sector one. A difference so great that not even FDR himself could support public sector employees unionizing yet here we are debating about allowing public sector employees the right to unionize. Unlike a private sector employer a state has the right to put a gun to your head and force you to pay for wages and benefits that are way out of line of what would be acceptable for a similar private sector job.

Amazing how right wingers love to bring up FDR when it suits them. Anyway no one is forced to pay them higher wages. It is called collective bargaining. And you are wrong, there are studies showing that overall compensation for public service employees is slightly lower than for private sector employees of comparable age and education!!

 

[brett636]

Amazing how right wingers love to bring up FDR when it suits them. Anyway no one is forced to pay them higher wages. It is called collective bargaining. And you are wrong, there are studies showing that overall compensation for public service employees is slightly lower than for private sector employees of comparable age and education!!

Really?

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/income/2010-08-10-1Afedpay10_ST_N.htm

Federal workers earning double their private counterparts Updated 8/13/2010 10:53 AM | Comments 2,166 | Recommend 160 E-mail | Save | Print | Reprints & Permissions |

PAY RATES

By Dennis Cauchon, USA TODAY
At a time when workers' pay and benefits have stagnated, federal employees' average compensation has grown to more than double what private sector workers earn, a USA TODAY analysis finds.

 

[Babagounj]

yet it is the public sector jobs that keeps growing while the private sector shrinks.