Rhetoric vs. Reality: Liberal Protest of Gov. Walker's Budget Repair Plan

[Pepper]

Wisconsin GOP:

 

Rhetoric vs. Reality: Liberal Protest of Gov. Walker's Budget Repair Plan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thousands of Taxpayer Financed Protesters Storm Capitol

 

WISGOP » News Release » Thousands of Taxpayer Financed Protesters Storm Capitol

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Rhetoric vs. Reality →

 

 

As teachers call in sick, closing schools while unions continue to manufacture massive rallies on the taxpayer dime, more questions are surfacing as to whether children are really the top priority of those in attendance (Madison schools closed Wednesday due to district-wide teacher sickout).

 

“School children are being pushed to rallies that many of them don’t even understand, and unions are manufacturing protests,” Jefferson said. “Are they really going to argue that kids are their top priority?”

 

National unions have focused their attention to thwarting Governor Scott Walker’s budget reforms in an effort to keep the reforms from spreading to other states(Thousands rally in Protest Video).

 

Jefferson said that the manipulation of school children and some of the dangerous rhetoric spewed by some protesters should strengthen the resolve of legislators who promised to make changes in Madison.

 

“National special interests groups are focused on Wisconsin, and legislators cannot afford to blink,” Jefferson said. “Children and taxpayers will both lose if the opportunity for reform is lost.”

 

This release is available online here: http://www.wisgop.org/thousands-of-taxpayer-financed-protesters-storm-capitol/

[clearvision]

If they don't want to renegotiate then the state should just shut down. I assume if a budget is not approved there is no money for anything. This protest crap is getting out of control. A small group who has time on their hands show up, start acting militant and then if you cave, it will happen again.

[Chickadee]

Excellent video, Pepper. Thanks for posting.

[mozartlover]

Thanks Pepper, great video.

 

It's getting ugly here..

[Pepper]

Chickadee

Mozartlover

 

From Ann Althouse

 

"Here are some photographs taken yesterday by Meade (my husband) at the demonstration against Gov. Scott Walker's budget plan"

How much respect did the demonstrators show for the State Capitol grounds?

[righteousmomma]

I like Rush's simple explanation yesterday -especially after hearing the news take on this.

 

So Rush explained it this way:

 

"'I'm just trying to balance my budget.' Those seven words are the words of Wisconsin governor Scott Walker. Scott Walker, governor of Wisconsin, is trying to balance his budget. He's a Republican. He has proposed cutting benefits for government employees, and more importantly, curbing the power that unions have to strangle the state of Wisconsin with excessive financial demands in the future. He would limit what state and local government unions can bargain for to wages only, not vacation and health care benefits.

 

"In addition, he wants to increase what union members contribute toward their pension and health care plans." Now, let me interrupt myself here and say here's a Republican governor in Wisconsin. This is a place they cannot print money like Obama can. They have serious budgetary problems. He was elected to deal with these, much like Chris Christie in New Jersey was elected to deal with this. So he's dealing with it, and he's zeroing in here on areas that need to be cut back if that state budget is to be anywhere near in-balance. So, again, "He has proposed cutting benefits for government employees, curbing the power unions have to strangle the state with excessive financial demands in the future.

 

"He would limit what state and local government unions can bargain for to wages only, not vacation and health care benefits paid for by Wisconsin taxpayers. In addition, Scott Walker, the Wisconsin governor, wants to increase what union members contribute themselves toward their own pension; examine health care plans. Governor Walker would also stop the state from collecting union dues from employee paychecks. He would give the employees the right to opt out of paying dues and require secret ballot votes every year to determine if a majority of employees want to remain unionized.

 

"He would require unions to negotiate new contracts every year and limit state employees and teachers' raises to the Consumer Price Index unless voters approve higher wages. Firefighters and law enforcement are exempted from all this. Now, the governor and Republican legislators in Wisconsin say getting a handle on union costs would avoid massive layoffs and would maintain Medicaid coverage for hundreds of thousands of children. They are prepared for a backlash, and if necessary, the National Guard is standing by to step in to handle state duties." So he is fully aware, fully aware of what the reaction to his proposals now has become.

 

Today the little I have heard (been at Bible Study since 8 a.m.) callers to Rush are livid AGAINST THE UNIONS. They are hoping Gov. Walker holds firm.

"Elections have consequences"

[Pepper]

Is Wisconsin Our Egypt? 15,000 Protest Off-the-Wall Right-Wing Governor's Policies

[Rheo]

Under Walker's plan, state employees' share of pension and health care costs would go up by an average of 8 percent.

 

Unions still could represent workers, but could not seek pay increases above those pegged to the Consumer Price Index unless approved by a public referendum. Unions also could not force employees to pay dues and would have to hold annual votes to stay organized.

 

In exchange for bearing more costs and losing bargaining leverage, public employees were promised no furloughs or layoffs. Walker has threatened to order layoffs of up to 6,000 state workers if the measure does not pass.

[Rheo]

Lay them off!!!!!

[Pepper]

That would be appropriate, if the school system labor contracts permitted it.

 

If not, all right thinking Wisconsin parents should pull kids out of school and homeschool or open up private schools. Then the teachers would see who's working next year then. Maybe they could lay track on Biden's high speed rail.

 

Lay them off!!!!!

[Rheo]

Would Walker threaten to do it if he were not able? Surely he knows if the school labor contracts would allow, right?

 

 

That would be appropriate, if the school system labor contracts permitted it.

 

If not, all right thinking Wisconsin parents should pull kids out of school and homeschool or open up private schools. Then the teachers would see who's working next year then. Maybe they could lay track on Biden's high speed rail.

 

Lay them off!!!!!

[Pepper]

You'd think not.

 

Would Walker threaten to do it if he were not able? Surely he knows if the school labor contracts would allow, right?

 

 

http://legis.wisconsin.gov/

 

 

 

111.70(1)(ne)

(ne) "School district employee" means a municipal employee who is employed to perform services for a school district.

111.70(1)(nm)

(nm) "Strike" includes any strike or other concerted stoppage of work by municipal employees, and any concerted slowdown or other concerted interruption of operations or services by municipal employees, or any concerted refusal to work or perform their usual duties as municipal employees, for the purpose of enforcing demands upon a municipal employer.

 

111.62 Strikes, work stoppages, slowdowns, lockouts, unlawful; penalty. It shall be unlawful for any group of employees of a public utility employer acting in concert to call a strike or to go out on strike, or to cause any work stoppage or slowdown which would cause an interruption of an essential service; it also shall be unlawful for any public utility employer to lock out the employer's employees when such action would cause an interruption of essential service; and it shall be unlawful for any person or persons to instigate, to induce, to conspire with, or to encourage any other person or persons to engage in any strike or lockout or slowdown or work stoppage which would cause an interruption of an essential service. Any violation of this section by any member of a group of employees acting in concert or by any employer or by any officer of an employer acting for such employer, or by any other individual, shall constitute a misdemeanor.

[clearvision]

The state is punting in Texas. Basically saying to the local school districts 'we are cutting your "state money" by 1/2. Good luck.'

 

I'm somewhat confused on who employs the teachers in Wis. The state or local school districts?

[Pepper]

Clearvision

 

They hold contracts with individual local school districts and are classified as municipal employees. From Wisconsin statutes:

 

"School district employee" means a municipal employee who is employed to perform services for a school district.

 

 

2009 MTEA contract had this wording

 

NO STRIKE CLAUSE

The MTEA and the Board subscribe to the principle that differences shall be resolved by peaceful and appropriate means without interruption of the school program. The MTEA, therefore, agrees that there shall be no strikes, work stoppages, slowdown, or other concerted refusal to perform work by the employees covered by this contract during the life of the contract. Upon notification from the Board of any unauthorized work stoppage, the MTEA shall make public that it does not endorse such stoppage. Having given such public notice, the MTEA shall be freed from all liability for any breaches of this part.

 

Probably not unusual language. This meshes with Wisconsin statutes that say if the union does not endorse, they are not liable.

[Valin]

FEEL THE LOVE

 

Reichsführer Walker Unleashes the Troops to Round Up Democrats

[Valin]

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