Tag: Scott Walker

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Politics Republican Wisconsin

A Victory For Democracy In Wisconsin – Walker’s Bill Voided

The fight officially began on Thursday when Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi froze Scott Walker’s union busting law, calling it a violation of Wisconsin’s Open Meetings Law. The legislation, if enacted, would take away the collective bargaining rights for all public employees, except firefighters and police officers. The 34 page decision voided Walker’s power grab, saying that it “has no force or effect.”

The judge explains the reason for the decision;

An Open Meetings Law is not necessary to ensure openness in easy, noncontroversial matters where no one cares whether the meeting is open or not. Like the First Amendment which exists to protect unfavored speech, the Open Meetings Law exists to ensure open government in controversial matters.

The Open Meetings Law functions to ensure that these difficult matters are decided without bias or regard for issues such as race, gender or economic status, and with regard for the interests of the community. This requires, with very few exceptions, that government meetings be held in full view of the community.

In their rush to push through this piece of legislation, Republicans openly violated Wisconsin’s Open Meetings Law, which requires that all meetings proceed after at least a 24 hour notice and be held in an open forum. You may recall that even during the meeting, Republicans were constantly warned by Democratic Representative Peter Barca, that they were violating the law, but they continued anyway:

BARCA: The opening meetings laws must be construed in favor of the fullness and –

REPUBLICAN CHAIRMAN: Mr. Barca– Representative Barca.

REPUBLICAN: Call roll.

BARCA: No, no, listen. If there’s any doubt as to whether good cause exists, the governmental body should provide 24 hours’ notice. This is clearly a violation of the open meetings law. Now, if you shut the people down, it is improper to move forward with the open meetings law. You’re not allowing it. And that is why. Mr. chairman, this is a violation of law. This is not just a rule, it is the law. There must be –

REPUBLICAN CHARIMAN: You’re wrong.

BARCA: No, Mr. Chairman, this is a violation of the open meetings law. It requires 24 — at least 24 hours’ notice. Excuse me.

On March 18th, Judge Sumi placed a temporary hold on the implementation of Walker’s rushed bill. On Thursday, the bill was struck down. Walker is promising to take the case all the way to the Supreme court.

Republican Steven Means, executive assistant to the state’s Attorney General said, “Obviously, we’re disappointed in the ruling. We do think it reflects a number of legal errors, but it’s for the appellate courts at this point.”

Democrats on the other hand, are happy with the decision.”It’s what we were looking for,” said Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne.

Until the next round is played out in the higher courts, Americans and the middle class workers in Wisconsin can exhale. Democracy has won this round.

Categories
Collective bargaining Republican Party (United States) Wisconsin Wisconsin Union Bashing

Wisconsin Republicans Now Going After Police And Firefighter Unions

And so, the inevitable happened. Scott Walker and his Republican goons in Wisconsin have now turned their union busting efforts against Wisconsin’s police and firefighters.

Local firefighters and police officers are vowing to fight legislation proposed last week that would limit their ability to collectively bargain and negotiate contracts.

Rep. Bob Ziegelbauer, I-Manitowoc, introduced the bill that would eliminate collective bargaining for public safety employees on health care and pension contributions. Ziegelbauer’s bill does not require an employee to contribute to health care and pension funds, but would allow municipalities to mandate contributions.

Walker’s bill curtails collective bargaining for most public employees, including municipal workers and teachers, but exempts police and firefighters. A Dane County judge has blocked the law from taking effect after opponents allege that a meeting where the bill was approved violated the state’s open meetings law.

Jeremy Kopp, a Wausau firefighter and the department’s union president, said he will urge firefighters to email and call legislators to express their opposition to Ziegelbauer’s bill

In his original union busting bill, Scott Walker stated that there were no reasons to include the police and firefighter unions. The politics of this decision was obvious. These unions supported the governor in his run for office.

But that was then and this is now.

The Republican governor watched, as the very same union members he excluded from his bill, turned against him and joined the hundreds of thousands of other union members who were under attack. Consider this new bill as his chance to get even.

Anyone who didn’t see this coming needs glasses.

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Democratic Wisconsin Wisconsin Union Bashing

Fraud Detected In Republicans Paperwork To Recall Wisconsin Democrats

We are not surprised. Democrats in the state of Wisconsin saw a need for this, and they are beginning the process of challenging the recall petitions Republicans have started against three Democratic senators, and today in Madison, formal papers were filed.

“The overwhelming evidence clearly shows a pervasive pattern of election fraud committed by the shady out-of-state organization hired by Republicans to collect recall petitions,” said Senate Democratic Leader Mark Miller.  “Thousands of Wisconsin citizens fell victim to lies and misinformation spread by the circulators, and the papers submitted by this operation contain a river of omissions and wrong information.”

Miller continued:  “We believe that when the facts are reviewed, the GAB will throw out thousands of flawed signatures because they were fraudulent or defective. The vast depth of this misconduct calls into question the legitimacy of every signature collected by these circulators, and shows that the GOP effort failed to gather the valid signatures needed for recall elections.”

According to the paperwork filed by Wisconsin Democrats, some of the reasons given for this challenge are;

  • Senate District 12:  Of the 534 people contacted who had signed the petition, 9.2% indicated they were misled into signing the petition or asserted they had never signed.
  • Senate District 22:  Of the 225 people contacted who had signed the petition, 6.6% indicated they were misled into signing the petition or asserted they had never signed.
  • Senate District 30:  Of the 372 people contacted who had signed the petition, 8.6% indicated they were misled into signing the petition or asserted they had never signed.
  • Affidavit of a World War II veteran from Green Bay who was misled into signing a recall petition.  Upon learning he had been duped, veteran called the sheriff to get his name removed.  When confronted, the circulator claims he will remove the name, but a later review of the petitions reveals the veteran’s name was never crossed off.
  • Many affidavits attesting that Circulator Sherri Ferrell – who gathered nearly 3,000 signatures in two districts — gathered signatures on Indian reservations claiming petitions were to support “schools,” “Democrats,” and “tribal rights.”
  • Affidavit of voter in Senate District 22 attesting that circulator John Prijic claimed the petitions were for work to be done on a local park.
  • Affidavit of voter in Senate District 30 attesting that circulator Annette Lord claimed the petitions were to recall Republican Senator Cowles.
  • Affidavit of voter in Senate District 30 attesting that circulator Richard Madrill claimed the petitions were to recall Republican Gov. Scott Walker.
  • William Pocan’s forged name appears on line 10, page 362 of circulator Kevin Pursell’s petition.  As his widow Corinne Pocan’s affidavit attests, William Pocan has been deceased 20 years, although his name remains in the phone book.   Pursell circulated numerous pages.
  • Claims by many Wisconsin citizens who were misled by out-of-state circulators who claimed they could sign on behalf of other people.
  • Numerous examples of fake addresses and signatures appearing on GOP recall petitions, as well as sloppily gathered signatures also missing critical information.
  • Summary of out-of-state circulators hired by GOP with largest percentages of fraud or deception on GOP recall petitions:

Again, no surprise here. We’re talking about the GOP. Fraud is what they do.

 

Categories
Collective bargaining Politics United States Wisconsin

Dennis Kucinich vs Scott Walker–Who Won?

Last time we heard about Dennis Kucinich, the Democratic Congressman was questioning whether or not President Obama should be impeached for his actions in Libya. Kucinich believes he  should be.

Today, Kucinich somewhat redeemed himself and was able to reconnect with his Democratic roots during his questioning of Wisconsin governor, Scott Walker. Walker went to congress to give his testimony about his recent actions of stripping Wisconsin’s public employees of their collective bargaining rights. Mr. Walker has always maintained that taking away these rights from Wisconsin’s public employees was a necessary step towards deficit reduction.

Enter Dennis Kucinich;

KUCINICH: Let me ask you about some of the specific provisions in your proposals to strip collective bargaining rights. First, your proposal would require unions to hold annual votes to continue representing their own members. Can you please explain to me and members of this committee how much money this provision saves for your state budget?

WALKER: That and a number of other provisions we put in because if you’re going to ask, if you’re going to put in place a change like that, we wanted to make sure we protected the workers of our state, so they got value out of that.

KUCINICH: Would you answer the question? How much money does it save, Governor?

WALKER: It doesn’t save any.

KUCINICH: I want to ask about another one of your proposals. Under your plan you would prohibit paying union member dues from their paychecks. How much money would this provision save your state budget?

WALKER: It would save employees a thousand dollars a year they could use to pay for their pensions and health care contributions.

KUCINICH: Governor, it wouldn’t save anything.

I think Kucinich wins…!

Categories
Politics Wisconsin

Scott Walker Demotes 27 Year Old, And Takes Away His Raise

Yesterday, the news broke that Scott Walker gave the son of one of his donors a state job with a 26% raise in salary totaling $81,500 a year. Today, little Scottie mysteriously found a reason to demote the 27 year old, and took away the raise. JS Online reports;

Gov. Scott Walker abruptly reversed course today and demoted the son of a large campaign contributor to his former job with the state Department of Regulation and Licensing.The move comes one day after the Journal Sentinel reported that Brian Deschane, 27, had landed an $81,500-a-year job in Walker’s administration overseeing environmental and regulatory matters and dozens of employees at the Department of Commerce. The promotion amounted to a raise of 26%.

His father is Jerry Deschane, executive vice president and longtime lobbyist for the Madison-based Wisconsin Builders Association. The group’s political action committee gave $29,000 to Walker and his running mate, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, last year, making it one of the top five PAC donors to the governor’s successful campaign. Members of the trade group also funneled more than $92,000 through its conduit to Walker’s campaign over the past two years.

The younger Deschane has no college degree, little management experience and two drunken driving convictions.

Still waiting for the news when Walker demotes himself.

Categories
Politics Republican Wisconsin

Wisconsin Election Too Close To Call

Who is this Joanne Kloppenburg? Whoever she is, she’s giving the Republican incumbent judge in Wisconsin a run for his money.

As of this moment, the New York Times is reporting that with 99% of the votes counted, “the pair were separated by fewer than 600 votes from among more than 1.4 million cast. The leader had flipped again and again throughout the night.” See the results here.

The election in Wisconsin comes in the middle of a battle between Republican Scott Walker and his recent efforts to take away the collective bargaining rights of public workers. The election, held yesterday, was a sure win for the Republican, David T. Prossner before Governor Walker began to initiate his union busting policies. Prossner is seeking his second 10 year term on the state’s Supreme Court.

But here comes Joanne Kloppenburg, an assistant attorney general – virtually unknown by the state’s voters – giving the Republican judge the hardest fight of his political career.

With various cases filed in Wisconsin against Scott Walker’s bill, many consider this election to be of utmost importance. A win by Prossner will maintain the 4-3 conservative vote in the court, while a win by Kloppenburg could be the deciding vote in many of these cases.

With an election this close, there has to be a recount on the horizon.

Categories
Wisconsin Union Bashing

Despite Judge’s Hold, Scott Walker Publishes Union Busting Bill

 

Scott Walker

Despite a hold that a judge placed on Scott Walker’s union busting bill, Walker couldn’t wait for the legal process to unfold. On Friday, he published the bill on the state’s legislature website. According to the posting, the state’s law requires all bills to be published within 10 working days of its becoming law.

Also customary, according to Journal Sentinel;

The measure sparked protests at the Capitol and lawsuits by opponents because it would eliminate the ability of most public workers to bargain over anything but wages.

The restraining order was issued against Democratic Secretary of State Doug La Follette. But the bill was published by the reference bureau, which was not named in the restraining order.

Laws normally take effect a day after they are published, and a top GOP lawmaker said that meant it will become law Saturday. But nonpartisan legislative officials from two agencies, including the one who published the bill, disagreed.

“I think this is a ministerial act that forwards it to the secretary of state,” said Stephen Miller, director of the Legislative Reference Bureau. “I don’t think this act makes it become effective. My understanding is that the secretary of state has to publish it in the (official state) newspaper for it to become effective.”

Walker signed the bill March 11. Under state law, it should be published within 10 working days, which was Friday.

Read the report here.

Categories
Democratic democrats Politics Republican United States White House Wisconsin

When Money Talks…

So is this really the example that Republican Party leaders want to leave for posterity–the New Politics 101?  The idea that future politicians can and will sell their souls to the highest Corporate bidders? And that once in office, they’ll no longer have to concern themselves with their constituents who had seemingly gone through a finely honed democratic process to elect an official who’ll represent them in Congress, only to find out that the entire process was a farce, a smoke screen, a diversion?

And yeah–I hear you, Democrats are no angels either. But there’s no comparing the fourteen Democrats who left the state in order to stonewall against Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s threat to pass a bill that proposed to dismantle the collective bargaining of unions, with the eight Republicans and their governor who trampled on the very Constitution they consistently claimed to honor and protect, by voting on and passing the bill under the farce of cutting the state’s deficit. Comparing the causes behind both groups’ actions shows who the real representatives of the people were; big Corporate payoffs for Republican frontmen vs upholding the constitutional rights of Wisconsinites by Democrats.

No comparison.

Republicans have rallied together to continue the Bush tax cuts for the uber-rich, playing down the fact that an increase in their taxes will reduce the deficit by generating $678 billion, and will be a lot more effective, productive and expedient toward the goal of cutting the deficit, then nickel and dime-ing the working class.

There is an evil agenda at work here, and thats to bring the country down in hopes that Americans, out of frustration and fear, will vote for The GOP in 2012. The thinking is that Americans will forget why they voted the Obama Administration into the White House in the first place. Forget that this all started under a Republican–Bush, and will rush to vote into office the very party that has been covertly–and now out in plain sight–whittling away our rights as valued, productive, thriving citizens of this country.

The middle class and the poor (and don’t be arrogant enough to disassociate with the poor, who most folks in the middle class are just one paycheck away from) are under siege. And if we aren’t careful in 2012, we will vote ourselves right into slavery. And as some of us know, that ain’t a fun place to be.

The companies that have out-sourced all of those U.S. jobs in the service, telecommunications and manufacturing industries to various foreign countries, where their products are manufactured by low income workers, will not make their obscene profits by hiring workers they have to pay, at the very least, a minimum wage.  It’s just not gonna happen folks.

As the 2012 elections approach,  we must remember the lessons we are slowly learning  today.

And Never Forget.

Categories
Charlie Sheen Democratic Republican Wisconsin Wisconsin Union Bashing

Recall Efforts in Wisconsin Picking Up Pace

The main-stream media has been transfixed over the last three weeks by two stories, Libya – including whether the correct spelling is Kadaffie,  Gadaffie or Qadiffie – and Charlie Sheen and the tiger-blood running through his veins! Lost in all this confusion is a massive recall effort going on in Wisconsin, and the people’s fight to work, live, and pay their bills.

In a move that many have considered illegal, Republican governor Scott Walker and his Republican cohorts rammed a bill through the state’s congress to its passage. The bill, which takes away the negotiating rights of public union employees, created such an uproar in Wisconsin and all across the country, that a tremendous effort to recall 8 of the Republicans who passed the bill have been in progress for the last two weeks.

And now, a report from the Washington Post is stating that 45% of the votes needed to recall the Republican congressional lobbyists, have been achieved.

Dems have now collected over 56,000 signatures supporting the recall drives, according to party spokesman Graeme Zielinski, after another surge in organizing activity over the weekend. That’s up from rougly 14,000 after last weekend. This means Dems are well ahead of schedule: In each targeted district, Dems need to amass the required signatures — 25 percent of the number who voted in the last gubernatorial election — by a deadline of 60 days after first filing for recalls, which happened nearly two weeks ago.

In other words, Dems are reporting they are nearly halfway to the finish line, with roughly three-fourths of the alloted time remaining.

As per the report and the rules for recall, Democrats have 60 days from the time the recall paperwork was filed to come up with the needed signatures. The report continues;

According to Wisconsin Dem spokesman Zielinski, Dems are ahead of pace in signature gathering in every single one of the eight districts being targteted, and in three of the districts, Dems have well over 50 percent of the number required.

But who cares about this fight? Tune in to CNN and MSNBC for continued coverage of Kadaffie and Sheen’s night out!

Categories
Democratic Featured vote Wisconsin

Wisconsin Republicans Determine Democrats’ Votes Mean Nothing

Wisconsin Republicans are not playing anymore games when it comes to taking away the rights of the people of Wisconsin, and any attempt by elected Democrats to stop or slow down any of their outrageous policies, will be combated with a vengeance not yet seen in this American democracy.

We all remember last week when Democrats were locked out of the Assembly building and had to climb through the windows to enter. Now, Republican Senate Leader Scott Fitzgerald  has decided that he will wipe the slate clean when it comes to votes cast by Democrats. Mr. Fitzgerald will just erase their votes from the record. As he puts it, their votes just wont count.

In a letter to his Republican allies in the Senate, Fitzgerald wrote;

From: Sen.Fitzgerald
Sent: Monday, March 14, 2011 3:52 PM
To: *Legislative Senate Republicans
Subject: Senate Democrat voting privileges in standing committees

Dear Members,

With the return of the Senate Democrats this weekend, questions have arisen regarding Democrat members’ participation in Senate standing committee public hearings and executive sessions.

Please note that all 14 Democrat senators are still in contempt of the Senate. Therefore, when taking roll call votes on amendments and bills during executive sessions, Senate Democrats’ votes will not be reflected in the Records of Committee Proceedings or the Senate Journal. They are free to attend hearings, listen to testimony, debate legislation, introduce amendments, and cast votes to signal their support/opposition, but those votes will not count, and will not be recorded.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact my office.

Thank you,

Scott Fitzgerald
Senate Majority Leader
13th Senate District

Somehow, I can’t see the people of Wisconsin voting to put Republican back into power, forgetting that their basic rights can and will be taken away by any and all means necessary.

Categories
Democratic Featured Republican Wisconsin

Wife of Republican Wisconsin Senator Wants Him Recalled

The doorbell to the known residence of Wisconsin’s Republican Senator Randy Hopper rang. The maid for the residence opened the door and found a group of protesters collecting signatures on a petition to recall Hopper. The maid quickly signed the petition and called her boss, Randy Hopper’s wife, who came to the door with the shocking news that he no longer lived at that residence.

She then indicated that she too, will sign the recall petition.

According to Mrs. Hopper, it seems the conservative Republican senator lives with his 25 year old mistress in another part of town. Mr. Hopper represents Wisconsin Senate District 18, and worked hand in hand with Wisconsin’s governor, Scott Walker to take away voters negotiating rights.

According to reports by Blogging Blue:

Randy Hopper filed for divorce from his wife in August 2010, and it’s being reported his soon to be ex-wife will be signing a recall petition.

As for the claim by Hopper’s soon to be ex-wife that Hopper is living in Madison with his 25-year-old mistress, I’ve received unconfirmed reports the “other woman” is Valerie Cass, who as of this morning was a lobbyist for Persuasion Partners, Inc., a right-wing lobbying firm

Wisconsin’s law states that elected officials can be recalled by the voters and as a state senator, Randy Hopper’s name is among the eight names on the recall petition drafted by the state’s Democrats. Mr. Walker will be up for recall in 2012.

Categories
Featured rachel maddow Republican Tax United States

Republican Governor To Raise Taxes–On The Poor!

The American people have been bamboozled by the Republican party and nowhere is this more evident than in what’s happening in Michigan.

Republican governor, Rick Snyder has finally figured out that raising taxes is the way to get his state out of a financial hole, and while most rational Americans had figured this out a while ago in regards to the wealthy paying their fair share of the tax burden,  Snyder in his infinite wisdom, has decided that raising  taxes for seniors and poor people is the way to go.

As reported by Rachel Maddow below, Rick Snyder will raise $1.7 billion off the backs of the poor and elderly citizens in Michigan, then – get this – he will give this ‘ found’ funds to corporations in the form of a tax cut.

But that’s only part of the governor’s plans. In the bill Slick Rick is proposing, he will actually take away the voting rights of the people.  Mr. Snyder will be able to personally dictate who runs certain districts in Michigan, regardless of who the people voted for.

Rachel explains below in the video.

Thanks to Jillie @Theresthatbear for this video.

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