Wisconsin GOP ups pressure on Democrats to return and vote
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Kwaabish
Even parasites (unions) need to understand that they should not kill their hosts (employers) to survive in the long run.
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smithinjapan
"Wisconsin Republicans on Sunday upped the pressure on Democrats who fled to Illinois to return home and vote on an anti-union bill, with the governor calling them obstructionists and a GOP lawmaker threatening to convene without them."
A Republican calling Democrats obstructionist?? That's not even pot meet kettle.
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manfromamerica
Wow, some elected Democrats sure are gutless.
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manfromamerica
Democrats are denying Democracy. Figures...
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arrestpaul
I'm sure that the approaching snow storm (12" expected in Madison) has nothing to do with Bell's request that teachers return to work Monday.
I was told that the negotiations were in progress but it appears that they aren't. While the media has been reporting what the teachers union is now willing to accept, that doesn't seem to be based on reality.
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yanee
Fire them all and hire anew like we did to the FAA Controllers years back!
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warnerbro
I'm with the unions on this one. First of all, the governor needs the budget cuts because he gave away massive tax breaks to business. If he hadn't, there would be no budget crisis in Wisconsin. It is an artificially created problem.
Second, the health of labor unions is the health of America's middle class. Call the parasites if you like, but they probably protected your ancestors from the hideous abuse of laborers the U.S. witnessed before they existed. Unions saved the U.S. from the social upheavals, even revolutions, experienced in many European countries.
The decline of labor unions in the U.S. has resulted in income stagnation for America's middle class. The gap between a few very wealthy people whose income has risen tremendously over the past 30 years and the average person, whose income has not risen is stunning. America is experiencing the kind of situation one sees in Third World kleptocracies.
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smithinjapan
manfromamerica: "Democrats are denying Democracy. Figures..."
Other way around, though, and if you're saying the Democrats here are 'denying democracy' then you admit the Republicans (party of 'no') deny it every time a bill goes to the House from the Senate (and all the filibustering over the past two years and then some!). Nice argument.
Anyway, sorry, but denying people unions and the right to a voice is what is undemocratic, and that's what the Wisconsin governor and GOP want to do here.
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pointofview
Are they gonna make any cuts up top? Make the sure spending at the top has been done justly before cutting anything. The suits have to practice what they preach. It`s the tax payers cash.
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smithinjapan
pointofview: Funny thing is is that the GOP is now extremely worried about all their cut talks shutting down the government, which would pretty much assure a Democratic victory next year, since it most certainly proves them the party of 'no', once again. Last time it happened was under Clinton when the GOP refused to budge on their demands for cuts, and he was reelected largely in part because of that (after which he balanced the budget and made a huge surplus before the boy-wonder turned it into a massive deficit).
Anyway, here we see their obstinate nature again. They want to make cuts, and eliminate the voice with which they can object to such cuts.
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Kwaabish
Don't they have Monday off due to President's Day (Washington's B-Day) anyway?
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sailwind
Well according to Moody's Wisconsin’s unfunded pension liability is $252.6 million. I do suppose he could raise taxes to fund the platinum pension funds the Public Workers Unions have already fleeced the taxpayers for through collective bargaining in the past to the tune of a 252.6 million debt.
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RomeoRamenII
There's now a move to recall the AWOL Wisconsin senators.
The plot thickens.
RR
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WilliB
smithjapan:
It seems to me everybody hears that voice loud and clear. The question is if everybody agrees with that voice.
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SolidariTea
smithinjapan:
Both parties filibuster. It is accepted procedure. You really should look into this. It is nothing new. Repubs have never gone as low as say what the Dems did Robt.Bork.
Don't be sorry. Just try coming with the facts. labor unions aren't fighting for their jobs here.The Republican governor, elected last Nov in a very liberal state, isn't asking private sector unions to stand down and let mgmt and the shareholders have their way.
Gov Walker is asking public employees making on average twice the salary of the rest of us to start paying a share of their wages towards their own pension, instead of forcing the public to do so.
You come here with all kinds of criticism for "quitters". These "flee-bagger" Dems have abandoned the seats of power they were democractically chosen to occupy and serve the public from. They are derelict. Running away is not democracy.
0
Sarge
"the right of most public employees to collectively bargain for their benefits and working conditions"
These public employees' salaries are paid by the taxpayers. Take the offer or leave it!
Want more? Go to a private employer and negotiate.
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GJDailleult
The Federal Reserve has magically created and handed out 12.3 trillion dollars (that is just what is known) to the American and international banking systems, but everybody panics about some pension money that has to be handed out somewhere down the road.
This arguing about unions ls like watching people argue about how they should divide up the seating arrangements on a plane between first class and economy while they don't pay any attention to engine maintenance. This is because they have an ideological belief that seats are very important, but have no interest in engines. Seats are important, but only if the plane stays up in the air, if it doesn't they are of no importance at all.
Whether unions are good or bad can be argued about all day, but they have nothing at all to do with the USA or world's problems now. Nada, zilch, nichts, nothing.
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arrestpaul
The taxpaying VOTERS in the U.S. replaced many of their elected representatives and governors during the last mid-term election for wasting taxpayer money and inept hopey changey leadership. This current issue in Wisconsin continues along the same lines. The TAXPAYERS do not want THEIR tax money being spent to provide public employee unions with benefits that they can't afford for themselves.
The government unions are negotiating with the TAXPAYERS. The Wisconsin legislature is only the middleman.
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yabits
If folks like RamenRodeo are behind it, there's not much to worry about. The fringe loonies can be counted on to do loony things.
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yabits
No, but it's in addressing those problems that organizations like unions help ensure that ordinary people won't get rolled over in the process of addressing them. This is precisely what is happening in Wisconsin.
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ca1ic0cat
I have no problems with unions but the budget for teachers and public employees has gotten to the point where it is unaffordable for the private sector workers to fund. Reality sucks. As for the bankers getting away with it, they sure have. And the government has, incompetently, let them get away with it. But then it is a democracy. We get what we deserve.
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sf2k
will be interesting to see if the kleptocracy wins or what's left of middleclass America.
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sf2k
catic0cat
then raise taxes
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SolidariTea
Mutually exclusive. In America the new Entitlement Class created by the Democrats'vote-buying scheme, whereby public employees were allowed to unionize, IS the Kleptocracy.
The majority of Americans, i.e. the middle class, support Wisconsin Republicans.
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arrestpaul
You do realize that YOU can donate as much of your own money to the State of Wisconsin as you wish. They'll gladly take it.
Wisconsin taxpaying voters are pressuring their legislature to cut the deficit, lower taxes and create "private sector" jobs. There are more taxpaying voters in Wisconsin than there are government union member voters.
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sf2k
denouncing their collective bargaining rights has nothing to do with paying off debts. Sure, battle for concessions in a rough economy, that's fine and reasonable, but taking people's rights away are not.
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arrestpaul
The taxpaying voters changed the status quo 4 months ago. What "right" do the government union members have to the TAXPAYERS TAX DOLLARS ????
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sf2k
re-read. Negotiation in good faith means the contract is legally binding. By breaking up collective bargaining that's saying contracts can be broken on a whim. Anyone can just break the contract. The action is different than the price. Reduce the costs fine, but Collective Bargaining provides stability from rotating strikes in different places. Try Google
Or, y'know, miss the point again?
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