thegreekdog wrote:The reason these are the current state is because the unions are collectively bargaining with the Wisconsin legislature which has been made up of Democrats who are pro-union because the union is the group that gives the Democrats the money.
I get that, but I don't see it as the issue here at all. The Republican governor didn't try to sit down with the unions and re-negotiate, he tried to outlaw them. He gave the state legislature 3 days to look at his plan & then they had to vote.... so he hoped to do it very quietly. The Unions in question aren't fighting to keep their awesome pensions or the health care benefits... they're fighting for their right to exist. I'm pretty sure that they're willing to compromise if it will keep them in existence.
PLUS teachers unions rate politicians based on their stance on quality education. The best candidates are recommended, regardless of politics. If the Republicans of WI were the best for Wisconsin's schools, then they're prolly the ones who received campaign donations.
thegreekdog wrote:The Democratic senators have no leg to stand on however (the Wisconsin constitution requires them to be present).
While they can't win the vote, local polling shows that the majority are actually on their side. But anyway, - even if the majority disagree with you, that doesn't mean that you're wrong.
thegreekdog wrote:It sounds like you are following this story, which is good. But please read something other than the union comments. I am reading something other than fox news.
It's all over the local tv. I live just under the WI border, and 45 minutes away from the hotel that the Dems fled to. I think that I actually have family in Milwaukee protesting tonight. This isn't about the Unions or the Republicans or whatever, the issue at heart here is protecting everyone's right to collective bargaining.*
I'm watching local news. Channel 13 Rockford and Channel 27 Madison.
http://www.wrex.com/Global/story.asp?S=14057090The Republican spin is that it's about saving money. The unions don't care about the money, they're fighting for survival.
*I've never been in a union.
Night Strike wrote:This entire protest just proves why government employees should NOT be unionized. They band together to vote for the politicians who will pay them off with the public's money. When new politicians come in and try to make changes to those pay-offs, they whine and complain about still getting a better deal than the private workers.
This is a complete lie. Governor douche-bag, your boy, doesn't want to make simple changes or requests for wage freezes, pay-pensions, or super-expensive Republican style health care. Your Republicans want to take away American rights. That's what the fight is for, not benefits.
How is $53K a year a better deal than private workers? Good teachers deserve better.
Night Strike wrote:With government unions, their benefits are only linked to which politicians they can bribe for votes. It's the essence of corruption, which is why our state governments are bankrupt.
You're right, this can be the only reason. It has nothing to do with an inability to plan for the future or for politicians to see past their next term. Nor does it have anything to do with the fact that people don't care. Or even George Bush. It's all the everyday hard worker's fault. It's cops, firemen, civil servants, prison guards, teachers, meter-maids, librarians, sanitation workers, AND THAT FUCKING GUY WHO MOWS THE PARK. THOSE GUYS CORRUPTED OUR GOVERNMENT! My 4th grade teacher paid off my governor for decent health care! They're the assholes who bankrupted us! VOTE REPUBLICAN!!! SAVE THE UNION BY GIVING UP YOUR RIGHTS! JEFFERSON WOULD WANT YOU TO!
Seriously though, did you even think that statement through? You're like, the king Republican here and you absolutely hate the working class. You blame us for everything all of the time. The Republicans of WI aren't going to give the voters of Wisconsin more than they are going to take away from them.