Wisconsin Takes A Stand For Fiscal Sanity

[giblets]

Ignoring your obvious hyperbole, yes, from what I have read he is doing what he campaigned on.

Granted, I am a couple States and one country removed from WI so I am not in the immediate media line of fire but if you have contrary evidence I would be happy to see it.

The Republican Party of Wisconsin Platform
As passed by delegates at the state GOP convention
May 22, 2010

Can you find the part where they say public sector unions should be stripped of their bargaining powers?

[Wezil]

The Republican Party of Wisconsin Platform
As passed by delegates at the state GOP convention
May 22, 2010

Can you find the part where they say public sector unions should be stripped of their bargaining powers?

Again, ignoring the hyperbole, yes. That document has many sections that would make a public sector worker angry. Did you read it?

[DaShi]

Indeed, and if a majority of people vote to bring back slavery for blacks, we should do it. If it's a bad idea, the next election will fix it.

[Donegeal]

Based on? 48% Back GOP Governor in Wisconsin Spat, 38% Side With Unions

That is a national survey, not a Wisconsin survey. What some yokel in Arizona makes no difference with a state of Wisconsin issue.

And the doctors only started giving away notes when the school suspers started to ask for them.

[giblets]

Again, ignoring the hyperbole, yes. That document has many sections that would make a public sector worker angry. Did you read it?

Yes? I'm not saying this is a platform that public sector workers would be thrilled about. I don't see how making it effectively impossible for public sector unions to bargain for pay/benefits in the future is covered by the platform.

[Wezil]

Indeed, and if a majority of people vote to bring back slavery for blacks, we should do it. If it's a bad idea, the next election will fix it.

Are you being intentionally dishonest?

Don't you think that maybe, just maybe, the courts might have something to say about that?

Are you are alleging the Governor is passing illegal legislation?

[DaShi]

**** the courts! We'll just change the Constitution. No law is immutable!

[Wezil]

If I of all people am in the position of defending R's I just know the D's have lost their minds on this.

[DaShi]

The Dem's are fighting for workers' rights in one of the few remaining areas where they still have such rights.

In truth, so far, only KH has made some strong arguments against unions. As for arguing politics, it's kind of silly, simply because of the way the US system works. There's no real rhyme or reason to it.

[Hauldren Collider]

Haven't they agree to reducing benefits for teachers? They just don't want to have the unions effectively eliminated. Sounds like a compromise to me.

With collective bargaining the unions can just get the benefits straight back. How do you think they got them in the first place?

[rah]

No to this means No to everything?

Well if you're one of the handful of legislators hiding in another state, I would say yes. No votes can be held on anything until they return.

[The Mad Monk]

Now Indiana...

House Democrats are leaving the state rather than vote on anti-union legislation, The Indianapolis Star has learned.

A source said Democrats are headed to Illinois, though it was possible some also might go to Kentucky. They need to go to a state with a Democratic governor to avoid being taken into police custody and returned to Indiana.
The House came into session this morning, with only two of the 40 Democrats present. Those two were needed to make a motion, and a seconding motion, for any procedural steps Democrats would want to take to ensure Republicans don’t do anything official without quorum.
With only 58 legislators present, there was no quorum present to do business. The House needs 67 of its members to be present.


Rep. Terri Austin, D-Anderson, told House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, that Democrats “continue to be in caucus” to discuss potential amendments to several bills.


Bosma said he was “flummoxed,” adjoured until noon, and labor union members watching in the gallery and hallway outside cheered the work stoppage.


Today’s fight was triggered by Republicans pushing a bill that would bar unions and companies from negotiating a contract that requires non-union members to kick-in fees for representation. It’s become the latest in what is becoming a national fight over Republican attempts to eliminate or limit collective bargaining.


House Minority Leader B. Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend, “has taken a page out of the Wisconsin Senate playbook apparently” by keeping his caucus in hiding, Bosma said. “They are shirking the job that they were hired to do.”


In Wisconsin, Senate Democrats have fled to Illinois to deny Republicans the quorum they need to pass legislation limiting collective bargaining for many public employees.


Asked at what point he would call in the Indiana State Police to attempt to round up the Democrats, Bosma said: “We’ll see how the day goes.”


Gov. Mitch Daniels had said he supports the policy his party is pursuing in this legislation, but said earlier that this is not the year to do it with so many other critical legislation in the works, including his education reform agenda.


Bosma said he spoke to Daniels and said the governor is “very supportive of our position to come in and try to do our work. He was not pleased that the Democrats weren’t here to do their work. And like me is just waiting to see how the course of the day proceeds.”


Austin told reporters that “it doesn’t matter where they (Democrats) are at this point. What matters is that they’re trying to figure out a way to save the state from this radical agenda.”


Asked if they were in the state, Austin said only: “They’re working hard.”


The last time a prolonged walk-out happened in the Indiana legislature was in the mid-1990s, when Republicans were in control and tried to draw new legislative district maps, eliminating a district that likely would have been a Democrat one, in the middle of the decade. Democrats won that standoff, staying away several days until Republicans dropped the plan.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20110222/NEWS/110222004/House-Democrats-flee-Indiana-stop-votes?odyssey=mod|breaking|text|IndyStar.com

Anybody else catching the irony?

[Guynemer]

If I of all people am in the position of defending R's I just know the D's have lost their minds on this.

You and me both, Wezil.

[Arrian]

So, to sum up...

Fiscal Sanity =

Step 1: tax cut
Step 2: demand concessions from state workers on benifits, attempt to revoke their collective bargaining rights
Step 3: sell off state-owned assets in no-bid deals

Of note, apparently the unions agreed to at least some concessions the Gov demanded. They realized, however, that what he wants most is to break their bargaining power in the future.

-Arrian

[DinoDoc]

Well if you're one of the handful of legislators hiding in another state, I would say yes. No votes can be held on anything until they return.

You should be happy rah. Wisconsin Dems have seen fit to stimulate the Illinois economy over their own.