MADISON, Wis. — Republicans pushed a provision stripping public employees of their collective bargaining rights through the state Senate Wednesday evening after finding a way to bypass the chamber's missing Democrats.Read the rest here.
Republican senators separated the provision from Gov. Scott Walker's controversial budget bill, removing the requirement that 20 senators be present for a vote on the anti-union measure.
The vote in the Senate was 18-1. Sen. Dale Schultz was the sole no vote. No Democrats were present.
Spectators in the gallery screamed at the Republicans on the floor, "You are cowards."
All 14 Democrats had left the state for Illinois nearly three weeks ago to prevent passage of the overall budget bill, because it contained the anti-union measure.
The Senate is split 19-14 with Republicans in the majority. Because the union provision was part of a budget bill, Republicans in the Senate needed at least 20 senators present for a quorum.
By separating out the anti-union measure, Republicans did not need 20 senators to allow a vote on that piece.
is the blog of an Orthodox Christian and is published under the spiritual patronage of St. John of San Francisco. Topics likely to be discussed include matters relating to Orthodoxy as well as other religious confessions, politics, economics, social issues, current events or anything else which interests me. © 2006-2024
Wisconsin happenings are a national test case for future political moves. The water is being tested for more to come from Republican Governors of other states. If the citizens accept this situation, then as Boehner spoke, "So be it!"
ReplyDeleteIf I were from Wisconsin, I'd be most angry that people we elected to do a certain job, had gone AWOL and were still receiving pay!
ReplyDeleteI want to know in what world do the Democrats think their actions are right.
America was founded on protest, these "AWOL" reps are operating in the fine tradition of what it means to be an American, conservatives and liberals love to forget or rewrite history.
ReplyDelete"...America founded on protest..." Whatever. In six months Madison will be as quiet as a Bucks fan in June and everyone will have forgotten the spoonful of corporate swill Herr Walker made them swallow.
ReplyDeleteCorporate schmorporate. Government is not capital. Collective bargaining for government employees is uneconomic and antithetical to public service. Nobody is forcing them to work for the government.
ReplyDeleteBut they are being forced not to assemble for a common cause. Is it time for 2nd Amendment remedies? If I may quote a infamous Republican from Nevada.
ReplyDeleteIf they are AWOL, then they will just have to live with the consequences when the legislature carries on its business without them.
ReplyDeleteThe net tax consumers negotiated CBA's that are not sustainable by fiscal reality. The net tax payors are pushing back, and public employees should be thankful that for now the taxpayers are restricting their pent-up rage to the ballot box. In Libya, the parasites are seeing guns pointed back at them.
I think you miss the point, Anti-Gnostic. The issue is not a fiscal one (Wisonsin ain't broke, despite what Fox and Friends (TM) blather), its rather a matter of the other crap they weasled into that bill: mandatory no-bid contracts at the governors' whim, stripping workers' rights to organise, etc. Any honest person in favour of the free market would see this bill as an outrage. Look at the original post again: the fiduciary aspects of the bill have been removed. It's not about saving money it's about leaving the very anti-free market Koch bros. and their corporate accesories in charge of the public resources of Wisconsin.
ReplyDeleteAnti-gnostic the parasites were given billions by our spineless socialist in the Republican and Democratic parties. You are confusing working folk who serve you with bankers who prey on you. You want to see Lybia? Keep taking away my freedoms and I'll show you Lybia.
ReplyDelete"Working folk" who nonetheless subsist entirely on tax dollars and funnel them to union heads and politicians who promise there is such a thing as a free lunch, you can't spend enough on education and health care, and secular democracy is God. Did I mention they also spend their working lives drumming this nonsense into our youth?
ReplyDeletePublic servants work at the behest of the public. If we decide you don't have collective bargaining privileges, you don't have collective bargaining privileges. I suppose you can impose them on the people who pay your salary at gunpoint, but this only underscores the true nature of government.
Anti Gnostic is right: these workers are employees of the people, so the people should decide whether they should be allowed collective bargaining rights: The Gallup results: 61% oppose eliminating bargaining rights, 33% in favour.
ReplyDeleteSource: http://www.gallup.com/poll/146276/Scaling-Back-State-Programs-Least-Three-Fiscal-Evils.aspx
Then I'm sure the people of Wisconsin will happily turn the government back over to the Democrats at the first opportunity.
ReplyDelete