Test for Public Unions: Wisconsin

[Insidious Rex]

Originally Posted by Valandil

Besides - in Wisconsin, the governor is doing what he promised to do. His opponents are rallying at the statehouse against him (including out-of-staters - and doctors filling out sick forms - where's the medical ethics?), and the media flocks to cover it. But around the state, people are still as supportive of him as before. You might talk about his financial backers, but he was elected by the people of the state - and ultimately is responsible to them.

He was elected in large part due to the exposure the Koch's money gave him including heavy handed commercials and web pages created through "grass roots" organizations bank rolled by the Kochs... Frankly Im horrified by the prospect of our democracy being completely hijacked (more than it has been) by corporations because the supreme court says they are people and can "express opinions" (until you want to sue them) by bankrolling "grass roots" organizations and making up lies and putting them in commercials they pay for because it helps their profits. And if you ask the people of Wisconsin (which several polls have been doing lately) you find enormous opposition to his insistence that collective bargaining be scrapped. Like 2/3rd to 1/3rd and increasing. A closer majority have said they side with the unions and the democrats on the entire issue. There has even been talk of a recall (not sure how since hes only been in office for a few months). So no he doesnt seem to be representing the people at all. Unless we qualify the definition of people by how much money they have available to them.

And remember too - that this is not a thing about any and all unions. It's strictly involving public unions. Those who can sit down at a table making demands - that the other side can meet by simply raising taxes. And the unions are not being disbanded - they're being asked to give back some of what they had previously negotiated for themselves.

The unions have agreed to ALL his demands (salary, health care, pensions, etc.) EXCEPT scrapping collective bargaining. But he hasnt even responded to them. He doesnt seem interested in dialog at all. He reminds me of an assassin with a brief window of opportunity to kill a hated target. Not a political representative trying to work things out with other representatives for the best of the people. And The People are NOT just billionaires and tea partyers. The People are the tens of thousands of state employees who make a whole lot less than the Kochs do. The People are teachers who drive late model cars and struggle to pay their mortgages and put their kids through college. He is acting like we are talking about spoiled overpaid athletes and movie stars not dog catchers and firemen. I mean this is the middle class we are attacking as undeserving of what they get. Not the rich. Where is the fairness in this? Why in the world wouldnt you seek consistency from top to bottom if you are in such a crisis?

As for Illinois, I agree its as short sighted to ONLY increase taxes as it is to ONLY cut spending. If things are so bad then we should be doing both. But we shouldnt increase taxes too much too quickly or it will hurt the economy and we shouldnt cut too close to the bone for the same reason. Can we all agree on that? The concept of cutting 700,000 jobs while handing tax breaks to the rich at a time when job generation is just starting to kick in is ludicrous.