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| Home Front: Politix |
| Anti-labor vote shocks Wisconsin |
| 2011-03-11 |
| [Iran Press TV] Republican politicians in the Wisconsin Senate have approved Governor Scott Walker's plan to curb the rights of public sector unions, prompting protesters to storm the state capitol. In a hastily-arranged special conference committee, Republicans voted 18 to 1 for restrictions on collective bargaining by public employees that Walker has insisted are needed to help the state's cash-strapped municipalities deal with a projected $1.27 billion drop in state aid over the next two years, Rooters reported. The politicians stripped out the parts that required the presence of their 14 absent fellow wardheelers. The measure will now go to the Republican-controlled state assembly, which is expected to vote on the matter on Thursday. News of the vote drew angry shouts from the protesters outside the chamber. The protesters were trying to force their way inside as police pushed back from the building doors. Senators then left the chamber under police escort. Governor Walker has insisted throughout the weeks-long battle that the only way to close the state's gaping budget deficit was to eliminate collective bargaining rights so that public workers cannot fight pay and benefit cuts. He began sending layoff notices to 1,500 state workers last week and has ordered the state police to arrest the 14 Democratic senators who decamped to Illinois on February 17 to help prevent the passage of the bill. His proposal, however, has sparked a major confrontation with organized labor and the largest protests in Wisconsin since the Vietnam War. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #15 The unions are declaring victory, but I bet they would have preferred an actual victory -- you know, the kind where you win. |
| Posted by: Jock the Salmon 2011-03-11 18:11 |
| #14 How about a right to decide whether you wanna join a union or not? |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2011-03-11 18:00 |
| #13 Ummmm - #9 Knuckles - re-read the Bill of Rights (presuming you ever read it the first time) and point out to us exactly where the "right" to public unions We'll wait. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2011-03-11 17:51 |
| #12 Did Bammo send out another memo to his minions to spam message boards? They are so faithful. It's kind of cute. |
| Posted by: Jiggs Clomomp3221 2011-03-11 17:07 |
| #11 Right? You have the right to petition the government. You have the right of 'free' association. You have the right of 'free and peaceful' assembly. You have the right to vote in elections. You have no right to demand equal status with a sovereign lawfully elected government. You have no right to obstruct that government in its assembly and execution of its authority and duties. You have no right as a non-sovereign entity to a portion of people's pay. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2011-03-11 16:59 |
| #10 Umm.. sorry but living the plush-life and an early retirement on the backs of taxpayers is not a *right* - just as living it on the backs of plantation slaves of the old south is not a right. You have the exact same right to pursue happiness and wealth as the next guy - you do ***NOT*** have the right to the same *OUTCOME*. You still have bargaining rights - its called the BALLOT BOX! |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2011-03-11 16:56 |
| #9 I'm not from DU and I'm not making apocolyptic claims, but this will not be the only right that they take from American workers. Who consquently have less rights already than most of the first world. They rammed it through, think they'll quit now? We'll see, but I seriously doubt it. |
| Posted by: Knuckles Shaviling5712 2011-03-11 16:38 |
| #8 Somebody mentioned yesterday how the denizens of DU were going berserk as a result of the Wisconsin Senate action. Being curious, I decided to pay them a visit. My oh my, such language. It certainly was an eye opener! Now it seems that Throger has decided to pay a visit to Rantburg. Thanks for stopping by, Throger. Come around any time. It seems one of their favorite pastimes here is bantering with members of the loyal opposition. The sad part is that none of them can ever stand the heat for very long. Anyway, we wish you and your comrades long and happy lives as you price yourselves out of the global labor market. Maybe there will be enough of us left with jobs to pay your unemployment benefits. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2011-03-11 16:10 |
| #7 Some day it may be possible for young people in Wisconsin to become medical doctors and make as much money as the unionized bus drivers or prison guards make now. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2011-03-11 14:26 |
| #6 Throger Smith8971, I love a good reduction to absurdity argument. Because public unions are out of control, cutting them down to size necessarily means that we're going back to the Triangle Shirtwaist Company and 128-hour weeks for 8 year old children. *groan* Here's one: Hitler was a vegetarian. If you're a vegetarian too, that means you support fascism. Down with vegetarians! |
| Posted by: gromky 2011-03-11 12:56 |
| #5 The only slaves here are the taxpayers. By law and cohesion they must pay their taxes or face loss of liberty or property. Even if they become 'run away' slaves it doesn't seem to bother the operators of the state to pursue them across state lines. When the taxpayer exists to serve the interests of those who run the place, it's a slave state. When the state exists to serve the taxpayers, it's a free state. This is no longer a Tea Party. This is an abolitionist movement. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2011-03-11 12:33 |
| #4 This is only the first of many worker's rights to be repealled. Expect the floodgates to open in most states now. If you are not a wage-slave yet, you most likely will be soon. You are happy now, but even if you are a business owner or retired this will affect your family, friends and community. I hope you are all happy with the eventual outcome of this, I think it will end VERY badly for all workers. |
| Posted by: Throger Smith8971 2011-03-11 12:17 |
| #3 Two things I look forward to: 1) to see how many people remain in the union when it becomes an option and 2) The next election cycle. I men if this is so unpopular, the Demoncrats will will big and reverse the bill. I kind of wonder why NOBODY points out that there is a DEMOCRATIC process and it seems that only the DEMOCRATS are preventing well democracy. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2011-03-11 11:17 |
| #2 It seems that the public unions view their unions first behind country--no matter that the rest of us are paying for their gravy train of benefits. The folks out here are paying for benefits for unions that they themselves don't receive (or expect). |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2011-03-11 08:31 |
| #1 |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2011-03-11 02:52 |