Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker

[Riot]

Originally Posted by wiphan

You never cease to amaze me. Stay out of my state!

"Your state" is the front page story on all American news outlets, some internationals, and what is happening there is related to what is happening in Ohio, Florida, etc. and Washington.

Nobody has to "stay out of your state" and ignore the story.

Scott Walker is the best thing that has happened to WI and these changes need to happen(BTW- this is just the start). If only you had a clue of what he is dealing with from our lovely Gov Doyle. They can still collectively bargain for salaries.

But not for what their current contracts say they can. All their collective bargaining rights are being eliminated, except being able to bargain base pay only and only up to the consumer price index. That is virtually nothing. Pennies.

First: Walker is arbitrarily cutting benefits, without sitting down and talking to the Unions about what they can give or sacrifice. That's his right, I suppose. Although I would think he'd bargain, because during his campaign he said he'd work with unions, and now he's not. He's a liar, but most politicians are. Nothing wrong with cutting benefits when there is a deficit, and the unions said they are willing to work with him. Why Walker is ignoring that is a puzzlement. This isn't much of an issue, really.

Walker did sneak this bill in last Friday, unannounced, and literally try to sneak it through with little debate. Why? The second reason, below:

Second: the most important thing, the thing completely unrelated to any "deficit" busting, and why 30,000 are in the capital, is Walkers sneaky plan for elimination of collective bargaining. That's straight up Union busting, plain and simple. That has zero to do with any deficit. Nothing at all.

Why is Walker trying to bust up the unions? Because the unions were the three biggest contributors to the Democratic party the last election cycle. The Republican Governors Association has instructed the Govs to try and union-bust in 2011, prior to the next election cycle, to eliminate Democratic financing in the top ten corporate contributors to candidate financing (the other 7 are private Republican donating corporations) Control the money, control the election outcomes.

Don't you find it funny Walker has exempted police and fire from his union-busting? Why police and fire, but not prison guards? Because those are the two unions that contributed to his campaign. It's just political campaign payback.

Except the off-duty police and fire unions are siding with the unions under attack.

There is far more to this story than Wisconsin's deficit. It's about the organized Republican attempt to union-bust across every state they can before 2012. And that is why this story is getting detailed national attention.

And by the way? Many of the Green Bay Packers - union men - are supporting the teachers.