Sad day. Angry day. Scott Walker and his Republican senate just passed a bill tonight stripping most of all the collective bargaining rights of public employees.
Link: Wis. GOP bypasses Dems, cuts collective bargaining
It doesn't matter if you are Democrat or Republican - you should be pissed. Why? Because they completely circumvented democracy. Whether you love unions, hate unions, or are somewhere in-between, with all of the hoopla going on precisely regarding collective bargaining rights, the last thing anyone should do is ram through a bill destroying all those rights without talking/negotiating with all parties. How could anyone regard that as the right, responsible thing to do? Democracy means that one must deal with the messy business of people relations (gasp!).
The Republicans took out the collective bargaining bits from the Budget Repair Bill and made it into a stand alone anti-union bill (which then didn't require the fourteen Dem senators to come back for the vote to happen because it is not a budget bill). This should also cause some pause since Walker kept insisting that getting rid of collective bargaining WAS a budget issue. Making it a stand alone bill means that it is not budget-related. Why the 180-degree turn? Answer: because getting rid of collective bargaining rights was never about the budget. It was simply to get rid of unions. At least Walker is now admitting the transparency.
Sad day. Angry day. Our Gov't is failing at governance.
Oh I would not take it that far. The GOP won using a slick tactic, but Dems have done similar things in past elections, such as buying votes in Chicago to get JFK elected to the Presidency. You may not like it but it is all a part of politics. The next step is to use the mass mobilization to get some of these assholes recalled. They won round one, 9 more rounds to go.
ReplyDeleteJust because Dems have used deplorable governance tactics in the past does not mean we should refrain from criticizing the current WI Repub tactics. We should denounce intolerable governance practices no matter who does them.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the repubs' tactic tonight might have solidified successful recall efforts.
What depresses me more is just how transparent the motives behind taking away collective bargaining rights are becoming. WI Sen. Fitzgerald (R) said on Fox News tonight, "If we win this battle, and the money is not there under the auspices of the unions, certainly what you're going to find is President Obama is going to have a much difficult, much more difficult time getting elected and winning the state of Wisconsin."
ReplyDeleteWhat is going on?? That is so wrongly audacious.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhGoYHTMyPw
ReplyDeleteHey, I am mad to at the gangster move by the GOP but they won, and this is democracy. There is no magic play book out there. Politics is a dirty crooked business. Dems have played the same game, its called the filibuster and having dead people go to the polls.
ReplyDeleteDem have to regroup and fight back now. We need to get off our lazy asses and vote. Walker beat Barrett by about 130,000 votes, or 5 percentage points. I wonder how many of the 200,000 protesters, school teachers, professors, students who did not even bother to vote in the last gov election. If you did not vote then you only have yourself to blame for this sorry state of affairs. Your vote counts. I bet you will get off your ass and vote in the next election, but this bastard Walker would have fucked everything up by then and he will get a good job with the Koch Bros. Now what we can all do now instead of crying like little girls is get active in the recall campaigns and take these bastards out.
Sorry, but the gender inclusive editor in me has to make this correction to the last comment, "Now what we can all do now instead of crying like little boys and girls..."
ReplyDeleteI will argue, however, that it has been this "crying" that has made this a national issue. We must first cry up a big stink, which will get everyone's attention, and then we act with our signatures and votes.
And, my god, please vote when the time comes.
Hey, wipe those tears. Are you tired of getting your ass kicked then follow Madison and leave this fucking plantation, or are you afraid to be free? Whitewater faculty at a recent meeting were crying like little girls and boys over Madison's separation from the plantation. Stay on the plantation kiddies and continue to get your ass kicked by your masters, UW System and the State Legislature. UW System is full of crap. The leaders are ineffective and are grossly over paid. What have these fuckers done for you lately? President Reilly is ineffective. This stupid bastard was pushing a growth agenda in a state with a declining economic infrastructure, and Walker kicked him dead in his ass. The Whitewater chancellor followed his lead like an old lap dog and proceeded to admit every single student with a heart beat, and he used the bogus growth agenda as his justification. Both of them were punked by Walker who rejected the bogus growth agenda. Biddy "John Gotti" kicked Reilly's sorry ass. Under the new bill, Madison faculty and staff are not classified as state employees. THEY ARE FREE! No mo picking cotton and getting their asses kicked. The new bill applies to slaves, not to Madison. They left the plantation and are free. Biddy "Gotti", got room for one mo slave? I wanna be free!
ReplyDeleteSo Run Sweet Back Run!