Paul Revere by Cyrus Dallin, North End, Boston

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Thursday, February 24, 2011

MORE INFO ON WISCONSIN GOVERNOR'S UNION BUSTING

In trying to keep up with all the fast-breaking news around Wisconsin and its union-busting governor, I've been reading the blogs and the Wisconsin newspapers.  Here's a post from the dailykos (go to it to get to the links) on what newspapers around the country are saying about Walker and the unions:

"Much of the early writing was how Democrats and unions were going to get steamrolled. it was inevitable and yet another loss for Democrats. It doesn't look quite like that today.




AP/Houston Chronicle:Wis. Dems not deterred by recall threat, pay issue


National Journal: Bait and Switch? Walker's budget plans don't fix what he says is the crisis.


WQOW/ABC: Phoney call reveals Governor Walker's strategy


Andrew Sullivan: The Pwning Of Scott Walker


Fox News: Indiana Republicans Won't Revive Anti-Union Bill


LA Times: No repeat of Wisconsin labor fight in Pennsylvania, Corbett says


TPMDC: Florida Governor Rick Scott Gives Thumbs Up To Public Worker Organizing


Columbus Dispatch: [Ohio] Senate Republicans say they will not eliminate collective bargaining


WaPo: Unions plan Sat. protests in every state capital


Yahoo: Could Wisconsin controversy boost teachers’ unions?

 
Ezra Klein: How long can Scott Walker hold out?


NY Times/The Caucus: The Caucus: Republican Governors Split on Collective Bargaining


While both sides inevitably will say "we are winning", that Ian Murphy phoney phone call was evening news stuff, carried in prime time across the country.

And for those who still want to pretend that union-busting is the same as budget balancing, there's this, posted on Minnesota Public Radio:




"As a state economist and policy analyst, I was surprised that no one asked me about this proposal. I analyzed it for its economic impact. If public employee salaries are cut (through increased withholdings as proposed) by enough to fill the $137 million budget gap, the resulting drop in consumer spending will lead to: 1) a loss of over 1,200 nongovernment jobs; 2) a loss of about $100 million in business sales statewide; 3) a loss of nearly $35 million in personal incomes of nongovernment employee households; 4) ironically, a loss of nearly $10 million in state tax revenues." -- Robert Russell, economist and analyst, Madison.

Take a tip from the headlines: Walker isn't guaranteed a win, and Republican insistence that they have the upper hand is simply part of the GOP playbook: never admit weakness in public, even when you are losing ground."

13 comments:

okjimm said...

oh... and if anyone still remembers.... The wars have cost over 3 trillion OVER ..."When the United States went to war in Iraq, the price of oil was less than $25 a barrel, and futures markets expected it to remain around that level. With the war, prices started to soar, reaching $140 a barrel by 2008."

Koch Brothers...sell gas and oil.... Let's be expansive here,,,, War Profiteers.

It is estimated that Both Koch Bros made $11BB EACH last year.

Yeah, those goodamm money grubbing teachers and bus drivers and garbage collectors....leeches on society!!!

okjimm said...

Shaw... here is a link you may like

http://www.avclub.com/madison/articles/ians-will-keep-the-solidarity-pizzas-coming-as-lon,52296/

Sue said...

the GOP will NEVER admit to losing when the time comes, they'll just put a little spin on it!

The news is coming in fast and furious, I can't keep up! Great job Shaw!

Dave Miller said...

Regarding your latest Beck notice at the top, he has decided to apologize.

Of course his minions that argued he was being railroaded by the ADL for his idiotic remarks will still argue he only did so because he was forced, as opposed to him realizing he was wrong.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/24/glenn-beck-apologizes-reform-judaism_n_827777.html

okjimm said...

This is pure union busting in Wis....State Workers DO PAY for their benefits, follow the link... and have already accepted, under the previous budget, a pay reduction.....


gees, here's another link.... I do not have time to summarize.

http://www.tax.com/taxcom/taxblog.nsf/Permalink/UBEN-8EDJYS?OpenDocument


plus...they have approx a 3% pay reduction for two years under a previous budget......
The Governor’s furlough mandate, established in response to the State’s projected budget shortfall, requires an effective cut in pay for all full-time, 12-month employees equivalent to 16 days over the two-year period July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2011. The resulting furlough time off (FTO), required by the Governor and approved by the State Legislature, is required for all State and University employees, regardless of the funding sources used for their individual salaries and benefits. The mandatory furloughs result in a 3.065% annual pay reduction.

http://www.uwsa.edu/furloughs/

Walker lies.

kid said...

@Shaw

If you have a account at Daily Kos you should crosspost your articles. There on Kos people can assemble the information from various sources. This will help the left become more prepared for going after the right.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Thanks for the tip, kid.

I don't have an account at dk, but will set one up now.

dmarks said...

"If public employee salaries are cut (through increased withholdings as proposed) by enough to fill the $137 million budget gap, the resulting drop in consumer spending will lead"

So, in effect you advocate the government handing people unearned money so they can spend it and boost the economy.

This is like those silly stimulus checks of the Bush years. Or Khadaffy offering $400 to everyone so they don't overthrow him.

Whatever happened to an honest living?

Shaw Kenawe said...

dmarks,

ever hear of the oil subsidies? farm subsidies? why do we never hear you criticize those, but are quick to jump on anything given to the middle or lower classes?

dmarks said...

Shaw: I oppose all of those, provided they are actual subsidies.

If you show me an oil subsidy in Gov. Walker's budget, I will jump all over it.

I also support government giving to the lower classes, but I don't support welfare payments to the middle class or rich. This includes overpaying government workers "just because".

A very valid point can be made about cutting Gov. Walker's pay from $150,000 to $75,000. He'd still be in the economic upper crust, and the gubernatorial perks he gets would make what he receives far more.

dmarks said...

Also, a correction for okjimm, who said

"The wars have cost over 3 trillion"

The actual cost is less than 1.2 trillion; you are way off.

When people lie with numbers it does need to be pointed out, as was done here quite well on the overestimate of the Obama Safety Tunnel in India.

okjimm said...

the three trillion is what it will cost it total, after the wars are over and all Vet med bills are paid..... and it ain't over yet. Yest 1.2 Trillion has been spent... and I think that figure goes back to 2010.... but you make it sound like oh, just a trivial amount. gees.

okjimm said...

Washington Post 2008

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/07/AR2008030702846.html