Madison, WI union protests.

[Chai]

Gov. Scott Walker, why must you mess with Wisconsin? 38,000 inquiring minds want to know.



I live three blocks away from where this is happening, and the reports of union thuggery, violence, and such coming from Faux news are incorrect. This is a peaceful protest with lots of chanting, entertainment, and singing.

[Cam_Neely]

Gov. Scott Walker, why must you mess with Wisconsin? 38,000 inquiring minds want to know.

My assumption is it has to do with the lack of a balanced budget, and the state law requiring one. Yeah, we would all love to have fantastic benefits, with nothing coming out of our paycheck, but if he said he was raising taxes to offset the current and future costs, there would be just as many people out there complaining.

Something has to give somewhere, taxs up or spending down.

I live three blocks away from where this is happening, and the reports of union thuggery, violence, and such coming from Faux news are incorrect. This is a peaceful protest with lots of chanting, entertainment, and singing.

I hate, and avoid, most mainstream news. Giving in to a local newspaper and bbc.com. Sensationalism sells, but most stories arnt that sensational, but made to be

[KingOfCheese]

Someone broke into my car and put some Packer tickets and a nice cheese package with 12-year aged cheddar on the front seat. They then locked up the car and took off. Monsters!

I concur--as someone that lives in the area--the media reports of issues appear to be an attempt to create drama where none exists (at least not of that nature--there's plenty of political drama).

[DragonRage40X]

I half-wish that my father didn't have to move to California just to keep his job about two years back, so that he could probably be a part of this.

On that note: Any Teamster's taking part in this protest?

Also, several articles I've seen in the past few days, courtesy of my friends at NPF:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/pos...d=opinionsbox1

http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madr...iberately-spen

http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/20...mocratic-party

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/116474898.html

[Chai]

My assumption is it has to do with the lack of a balanced budget, and the state law requiring one. Yeah, we would all love to have fantastic benefits, with nothing coming out of our paycheck, but if he said he was raising taxes to offset the current and future costs, there would be just as many people out there complaining.

Something has to give somewhere, taxs up or spending down.

How about less allocation to his already filthy rich buddies?

In its Jan. 31 memo to legislators on the condition of the state's budget, the Fiscal Bureau determined that the state will end the year with a balance of $121.4 million.
To the extent that there is an imbalance -- Walker claims there is a $137 million deficit -- it is not because of a drop in revenues or increases in the cost of state employee contracts, benefits or pensions. It is because Walker and his allies pushed through $140 million in new spending for special-interest groups in January.

Barely 6 weeks into term, and a budget that would have normally been in the black is now in the red because of corporate special interests. Go figure.

At its core this isnt a DEM -vs- REPUB. debate, although it will turn into such as each side will try to gain from it. Alot of people have us pegged as a bunch of liberal hawty tawty overeducated hippies, but for every elitist pseudo intellectual we have here in Madison, we have 15 working stiff, greasy jeans and lunch pail Harley riding blue collar labor union democrats and republicans alike (people who are super moderate and barely on either side of the political right/left scale). Try to take away our guns or mess with our cash, and its a hoe down, population your street, with thousands of our closest friends. The number aint shrinking. If a democrat in office tried passing the same kind of bill, the same reaction would occur.

[Loromir]

I don't live in Wisconsin, so I don't know how Walker campaigned. But it is my understanding that he said he was going to do this before he was elected. If that is the case, then maybe all of those protesters should have protested at the ballot box.

The average WI state employee has a salary and benfits package worth over $85K per year. The Average Private sector employee has a salary and benfits package worth $61K per year. That just doesn't seem quite right.

I don't have a problem with what Walker is doing, but since I don't live there, what I think should not matter much.

[freshlysnipes]

I think what people also fail to realize is that Walker tried to do the same thing when he was Milwaukee County exec. It is just on a larger scale. A good friend of mine is a Budget analyst for Milwaukee County so I get to hear all about it. Chai is correct. It doesnt matter the party Republican or Democrat, this is the Wisconsin way.

Another reason why this is such a big deal is that teachers, fire fighters and police by law in the state of Wisconsin can not go on strike. So when school districts were shut down last week it ramped up the finger pointing.

[k1ngp1n]

I applaud much of his move. As an Econ dork, I rather dislike the current state of union organization.

[Loromir]

I applaud much of his move. As an Econ dork, I rather dislike the current state of union organization.

And it was Unions that pretty much destroyed GM and Chrysler.

[Chai]

I don't live in Wisconsin, so I don't know how Walker campaigned. But it is my understanding that he said he was going to do this before he was elected. If that is the case, then maybe all of those protesters should have protested at the ballot box.

The average WI state employee has a salary and benfits package worth over $85K per year. The Average Private sector employee has a salary and benfits package worth $61K per year. That just doesn't seem quite right.

I don't have a problem with what Walker is doing, but since I don't live there, what I think should not matter much.

He didnt say anything about breaking the unions. Many of us here in WI are completely down with fiscal conservatism, but blaming the deficit on teachers, cops, firemen, sewer workers, etc, while allocating the entire surplus + millions more to special interest groups is why the entire protest is happening.

[hityawithastick]

Obligatory liberal comment.

[Tolero]

Avast! Political topics are not permitted on the forums, even in the off-topic area. Thanks for your cooperation!