Elections have consequences, and the people of Wisconsin are dealing with the consequences of electing a Republican governor, along with Republican majorities in both the Wisconsin Senate and House Assembly. The mid-term election started the ball rolling, and it is culminating in massive rallies by the people of that state, demanding a recall of the governor, Mr. Scott Walker.
The governor however, along with his Republican majority in both chambers are choosing not to listen to the will of the people and are going forward with their plans to pass a bill geared towards taking away the power from the working Wisconsinite.
What’s all the fuss about? Unions
Unions are despised by Republicans for a number of reasons – the main ones being;
- Unions represent a large section of the average middle class working American. A representation that includes negotiating with business owners, Corporations and government officials to secure better working conditions, better pay, holiday allotments, health care packages and in some cases, retirement options for their members. The very nature of these negotiations are to benefit the union member, thus, it is considered by most Republican as putting the business owners, Corporations or government officials at a disadvantage.
- It is common knowledge that Unions represent the working middle class. Therefore, they support political candidates who look out for the best interest of their members. Almost all the time, those political candidates would be from the Democratic party.
The struggle by Republicans to silence Unions in this country and take away their negotiating privileges has been going on for decades, and now, what’s happening in Wisconsin is the envy of other Republican governors and state legislatures across this nation. Today, in a final vote that is expected to pass the Republican controlled government, Unions will in essence, be silenced.
What’s in the Bill?
The bill – which passed the Legislature Budget committee on Wednesday with all Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats voting against it – will, among other things, require public workers to pay half the costs of their pensions and at least 12.6 percent of their health care coverage. It will also take away the collective bargaining rights of the unions representing these workers.
“I think the taxpayers will support this idea,” Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald had the nerve to say. But taxpayers seem to feel a different way. Over the last 3 days, thousands have gathered in opposition of the measure.
Yahoo News Reports;
“I’m sad. Scared. Disappointed,” said Kelly Dzurick, a 31-year-old fifth-grade teacher in Elkhorn, who came to the Capitol on Wednesday night. “Nobody’s listening to what people say.”
Democrats have been powerless to stop the bill.
“The story around the world is the rush to democracy,” said Sen. Bob Jauch, D-Poplar. “The story in Wisconsin is the end of the democratic process.”
Yes, elections do have consequences, and what’s happening in Wisconsin is just the beginning of a dangerously empowered Republican party.
UPDATE: Where Are The Democrats?
In a shocking turn of events, Wisconsin congressional Democrats have all disappeared, causing the final vote on this controversial bill by Republicans to be post-poned. The NY Times reports;
By noon, Ted Blazel, the sergeant-at-arms, began making his way through the Capitol building, packed with chanting protesters (elated at the development), in search of a Democrat — in offices, under desks, in corridors. “Nothing yet,” he said, his forehead drenched in sweat.
If none of the lawmakers were found in the building, the Wisconsin State Patrol would be assigned to begin searching for them elsewhere, said a Senate official.
Inside the Capitol, speculation swirled: Were the Democrats together somewhere, maybe even in another state by now?
The presumed reason for their disappearance is that Democrats — and thousands of teachers, state workers and students — vigorously oppose the Republican-backed bill that would sharply curtail the collective bargaining rights and slash benefits for most public sector workers, including teachers, in the state. Republicans control the Senate by a 19-to-14 margin, but 20 senators — and thus, at least one Democrat — are needed to vote on a bill.
At the time this post was written, the Democrats were found – all of them – in a neighboring state of Rockford Illinois. They have since disappeared again in an effort to give more time to the demonstrators to pressure Republicans into listening to the demands of the Wisconsin people.
Stay tuned…
The Republicans are going after President Obama with the pretense that his administration has caused the US to blow our budget. 2 terms of BUSH blew our budget. He spent our money to declare war on an invisible terrorist. BUSH went after Iraq and made the first strike in destabilizing the middle-east. The Republicans have set up a smoke screen that only the mislead the most politically ignorant. The only money the government had to use was it’s own in order to put the breaks on our impending financial depression of 2009.
Also the Republicans were in office and racked up this debt. Bush could have lowered the debt but he chose instead to be a cowboy and go to WAR. Now with a Democratic president, the Republicans now want to do what they should have done over 8 years ago.
Now, I’m not the most politically astute person but I know enough to realize when President and the Obama’s are being set up to fail. I do know that the first American with African roots, whose election clearly has inspired debates around the world as people gain confidence in their ability to make change, is being setup to fail.
The Wisconsin debate is about busting the hard won union benefits of government workers, in order to get their hands on the coffers used to pay these workers what’s called entitlements such as Social Security and health benefits, which are the attractive aspects to a government job. Just imagine if their were no collective bargaining for public employees the government would have laid off and destroyed lives of thousands of people. People are afraid that more jobs will be cut now that we are in such historical debt.
Politicians are looking and licking their lips at trying to figure out how to tap SS to help with paying some of the US debt. I have a few suggestions:
Social Security is negotiable only if the government removes the mandatory tax on my pay check and I am allowed to save my money and NOT be taxed any extra for keeping it until I retire. At that time the tax on my retirement fund would be 1% or less forever. I am NOT willing to be forced to retire at 70 or 72 before I can be given the money that I have contributed.
Now, the only tinkering I think should occur is this:
Perhaps retirees at age 66 born between 1943 and 1954 can elect to take a lump sum at retirement of 10 to 15% of what they have contributed and then pay one more final tax of say 2% or less (a give back to government for purposes of helping pay down the debt). Most people don’t live past 92 years old. So now the government can use the money calculated to be left behind because most of the money due the retiree has been withdrawn. This results in more of that money being inserted back into the economy faster because the retiree will undoubtedly spend it on health, food, clothing, transportation, entertainment or education. If the retiree lives past 90 then they will get monthly checks as usual until their death or their allotted percentage of funds runs out.
Tip: http://www.socialsecurity.gov or call SS office at 1-800-772-1213. Plan early and live well.
Didn’t I tell you this would happen? That once people get a direct hit in the pocketbook their eyes will be opened! Healthcare reform is sort of an idealistic concept for the average person and its importance only becomes relevant when a medical emergency occurs. But you hit someone in the paycheck and all that political bullshit takes a hike! Talk about being bamboozled! I’m also expecting the people who really believed in the ideology behind the Tea Party (many points that I can agree with) will be enlightened shortly as to what they’ve gotten themselves into with the Judas’ they voted to represent them. Hope its not too late to move to the left and join the rest of us “socialists” in protecting our rights. Great post Ezra. Keep the truth coming!