toldailytopic: The Wisconsin state government standoff: who's side are you on and why

[Cracked]

“In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans, as 'right-to-work.' It provides no 'rights' and no 'works.' Its purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining ... We demand this fraud be stopped.”

- Martin Luther King Jr.

Truth about the budget

This is one of my favorite things about politics - the misnaming of things to gain support. "Right-to-Work" is one of those misnomers. In my state, we now have the "Students First" act, which really should be called the "taxpayers first" act. Put a positive, misleading name on it, and people eat it up.

 

[Alate_One]

I believe that the middle class should have some representation. Giving ALL power to Wall Street and the international speculators rewards gambling and destroys the work ethic.

I have to agree. The more power is given to the rich and already powerful, the more ordinary people will feel (and be) disenfranchised.

Unions are certainly an irritant to executives and politicians. And unions can be greedy, but so are corporations and politicians. There needs to be balance for fairness to both sides. But to take away most of the rights of people to assemble together and argue their case? That seems unamerican to me.

Why the supposedly "patriotic" Republicans are behind it is beyond me. There's a reason unions were created and it wasn't because people were bored.

All of you need to read Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle".

 

[Cracked]

Why the supposedly "patriotic" Republicans are behind it is beyond me. There's a reason unions were created and it wasn't because people were bored.

This is also strange to me, too. I see this big conservative push to get rid of things people fought long and hard for - things that grew out of oppression and nasty conditions that we have no memory of, thankfully. Do things like unions need regulation? Absolutely. However, to blindly throw the baby out with the bathwater is foolishness.

 

[Alate_One]

This is also strange to me, too. I see this big conservative push to get rid of things people fought long and hard for - things that grew out of oppression and nasty conditions that we have no memory of, thankfully. Do things like unions need regulation? Absolutely. However, to blindly throw the baby out with the bathwater is foolishness.

I think it is partly due to the state of American education, no one learns about past history anymore. I am assuming that Republicans don't know and/or don't want to believe that things were as bad as they were.

Either that or they want to go back to the times of virtually unlimited corporate power. (We are nearly there again)

First they came for the communists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me. -Pastor Martin Niemölle

 

[Cracked]

I think it is partly due to the state of American education, no one learns about past history anymore. I am assuming that Republicans don't know and/or don't want to believe that things were as bad as they were.

Either that or they want to go back to the times of virtually unlimited corporate power. (We are nearly there again)

First they came for the communists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me. -Pastor Martin Niemölle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMvsUSWW5n0

 

[Pan Dulche]

The state of Wisconsin was actually one of the few states predicted to have a surplus in its budgeting--before Gov. Walker cut taxes for the rich. The money was there for the pensions--before the corporate parties let Wall Street scam artists sell them bad mortgages.

The solution is simple: tax the rich, end the wars, nationalize the banks and bring them under work-democratic self-regulation. Now for those who say the war isn't a "state issue", but a national issue, is Wisconsin not part of this nation?

What will states with deficits far larger than Wisconsin's (California, New York) do when push comes to shove over there budgets?

 

[Nick M]

Let the unions have their way. It gurantees the public schools will close with their $100,000 compensation packages.

On a side note;

All government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service. … The employer is the whole people, who speak by means of laws enacted by their representatives in Congress

And I woulnd't be a nice as the GOP governor, who is only asking them to pay for 5.8% of their own way in retirement. I would do all of it. I am not paying your way pam, you godless piece of garbage.

 

[Nydhogg]

I always stand with the union, unless it's a cops' union or a jailers' union. If it's cops or jailers, anything done to them is fair game.

Otherwise, I'm always with the worker.

Collective bargaining is a right. It was conquered after a long and hard and sorta bloody history. Taking it away should not be tolerated.

 

[Frank Ernest]

I'm with Governor Walker. The unions would rather run the streets than fulfill their contract obligations. The Governor has outlined a budget that would restore a balanced budget, prevent massive layoffs, and require public employees to pay some for the their retirement and medical benefits. The unions would prefer to have their members unemployed rather than give up their state-granted privilege of collective bargaining in some areas.

 

[Nick M]

I always stand with the union, unless it's a cops' union or a jailers' union. If it's cops or jailers, anything done to them is fair game.

Otherwise, I'm always with the worker.

Collective bargaining is a right. It was conquered after a long and hard and sorta bloody history. Taking it away should not be tolerated.

You are one of the biggest idiots I have ever come across on the internet. Nice job. Patients with alzheimers have something called "smart pills" You should start taking them.

 

[WizardofOz]

The state of Wisconsin was actually one of the few states predicted to have a surplus in its budgeting--before Gov. Walker cut taxes for the rich.

Source? We're at $-3.6billion. Just 1 month in office and tax cuts took us from a surplus to a $3.6 billion deficit?

Please tell me where you're getting your info.

 

[drbrumley]

:think:

May Wisconsin Go Bankrupt Posted by Lew Rockwell

See Robert Wenzel on Wisconsin as a Koch Brothers-operation.

The government of Wisconsin, like all governments, is a gang of thieves writ large. It is in danger, or so we are told, of going bankrupt if the employees keep living it up. Such a happy outcome can only be prevented, for a libertarian, by cutting spending. But the GOP wants to cut spending one place in order to hand it to the Kochs and other corporatist giants in other areas. Bankruptcy is a far better option. No more state borrowing, and the prestige of government would drop. And the contagion effect could be wonderful indeed. Bankruptcy—may it spread to every government in the US and beyond

 

[chrysostom]

the voters of Wisconsin would not have elected a republican governor if they didn't think there was a problem

do you need a source for that?

 

[WizardofOz]

the voters of Wisconsin would not have elected a republican governor if they didn't think there was a problem

do you need a source for that?

No, I live in WI.

 

[chrysostom]

No, I live in WI.

do you support Walker?

 

[WizardofOz]

do you support Walker?

Walker is doing what he must

 

[chrysostom]

you should add that you are from Wisconsin
and
you ought to know

it would be better if you were from Milwaukee

 

[Cracked]

I'm with Governor Walker. The unions would rather run the streets than fulfill their contract obligations. The Governor has outlined a budget that would restore a balanced budget, prevent massive layoffs, and require public employees to pay some for the their retirement and medical benefits. The unions would prefer to have their members unemployed rather than give up their state-granted privilege of collective bargaining in some areas.

Actually, from what I've seen on the news, the union has agreed to the cuts (or at least the vast majority of them). That isn't the conflict - the conflict is that he wants to remove their collective bargaining rights.

I certainly hope that all these cuts extend to top politicians as well.

 

[chrysostom]

Actually, from what I've seen on the news, the union has agreed to the cuts (or at least the vast majority of them). That isn't the conflict - the conflict is that he wants to remove their collective bargaining rights.

if you listen to Gov. Walker, he has said many times that he has to remove their collective bargaining right so the local governments can reduce their costs

I don't know why everyone is ignoring this

 

[Cracked]

if you listen to Gov. Walker, he has said many times that he has to remove their collective bargaining right so the local governments can reduce their costs

I don't know why everyone is ignoring this

Perhaps he has an agenda that isn't necessarily best for the people?

Wisconsin needs to cut costs. Gov. employees agree to cut costs. Not good enough, Walker says...