Wisconsin Legislators Leave State to Prevent Vote

And Obama was elected precisely to enact a stimulus package, health care and financial reform - all things the public overwhelming wanted in Nov 2008.

 

In his campaigning, he said he wanted to cut state employee wages and benefits, but I don't think he said before his election that he wanted to rescind their rights to collectively bargain. If you have a link to the contrary, I'd like to see it. There's a pretty big gulf between negotiating with the union a more favorable deal for the state and simply mandating it from the legislature.

 

and overwhelmingly rejected in 2010.

 

Walker is holding a presser now- sounds pretty sane, and persuasive.

 

Walker: "You can't participate in democracy if you're not in the arena. The arena is not in Rockford, IL, it's in Madison, WI."

awesome.

 

Obama getting his money's worth?

 

I heard they're not even real people! It's holograms!!!

 

via TPM --

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A very good run-down of how Wisconsin's Gov. Walker (R) created the budget crisis which he now claims makes it necessary to end collective bargaining.

 

I hate to side with Pat Buchanan of all people against you, but I disagree. The Founders (particularly Adams) were adamant about making the case for republicanism because democracies were so much more fragile and had shorter shelf lives. I can't argue that changes over time have been more progressive and mostly for the greater good, and yet...

Changes like keeping a standing army, building hundreds of bases overseas, imperial presidencies, the influence held by special interests, corporations, military contractors and so on were unimaginable a little more than a century ago, and those things accompanied the mission creep away from limited government and towards corruption and imperial ambition, which the Constitution was done an end-run around in order to accomplish.

A more "democratic" Congress permitted those things to happen because the temptation was too great to not say no, which is...the fate of all democracies.

So I'll end it there to save myself from being accused of being of being a monarchist or Ron Paul's speechwriter.

It may never be as politically free as the US, but that wasn't my point. Properly speaking, it very well may be more democratic. Most democracies are more democratic than the US. Israel certainly is more democratic than the US, in that it's legislature has nearly unlimited power to pass any legislation it wants with little regard for rule of law, and it's one of the many things I don't like about living here. The angry mob wields all the power and it puts a nation often at the mercy of uneducated, or at least poorly informed opinions.

I couldn't find clarification about it...and I may have over-reacted. Also, I'm sure Ohio had limits on the use of the Guard when kids got shot at Kent State in 1970. If Walker really intends to use the National Guard to disperse a protest, I can't see any good coming from it, and I hope that's not what he meant.

No, but if you WERE Aaron Brooks and Stern declared the Player's Union could no longer collectively bargain, then the analogy would be more fitting.

I find it strange that in the US, no one questions the rights of actors, screenwriters or athletes to have very powerful unions but anyone else that sees a need for them is some sort of Stalinist agitator.

That was the impression I was initially given, and I apologize if I reacted over-the-top about it. Yet, it might be fair to compare Walker to a certain California governor of days past eating grapes and telling reporters not to listen to that anti-American Caesar Chavez rabble-rouser...but I suppose he'd only be emboldened by the political grandstanding that he's engaging in.

 

Rumors are there's gonna be a tea party invasion from out of state tomorrow? counterprotests

What does the Tea Party have against unions?

And again, to prove that this is nothing but union busting. A compromise was put out to the good gov today and it was rejected soundly. Why? Protesters were willing to give up the financial numbers, but wanted to keep the collective bargaining agreements.

No dice

 

Great point. The Right in the States will suck up to right-wing Hollywood celebrities, celebrities who religiously pay their dues to Actors' Equity (the theatre), and The Screen Actor's Guild (movies, etc.), while lounging in the Hypocrisy Hot Tub with their fellow hypocritical political "friends."

 

To see how persuasive he sounded you'd have to find someone unlike yourself who didn't already have their mind made up.

 

I dunno. Ask this guy:

 

Isn't this walkout effectively the same tactic as a filibuster (i.e. end result)?

 

Many people find them unethical (such as myself). A person should get paid what there skill set is worth to someone else. This is not the case in a union environment. I like the idea of getting my paycheck and knowing this is what my education/skills are worth to others (nobody can take that away from me). If your pay is determined by some union contract that is not the case.