Wisconsin Dems Walk Out

[Jango]

No Wis. union vote as Democrats leave state - U.S. news - Life - msnbc.com

For those who haven't heard, our new Governor is trying to pass a bill slashing public employee wages, including teachers. In this bill, he's also trying to eliminate our union's rights to collective bargaining, effectively rendering them useless. So, our Dems went to Illinois today to stop the vote, and we've got 2500 people at our Capital protesting, along with several school districts shutting down due to lack of personnel.
On a more personal level, if this bill were to pass, my favorite club at school would cease to exist. The teacher who runs our science club already invests a fair amount of her own money in it (rule don't allow her to take from our club bank account), but combined with the wage cuts, two young children, and her husband being laid off, she would have to stop running the club, and frankly no other teacher would be able to make it happen like she does.

 

[ddtonfire]

What is your state's deficit?

 

[Jango]

$3.6 billion, with a buget deficit of $137 million this fiscal year.

 

[ry_z]

Runaway Wisconsin State Senator Wins Internet

Best state-Senator Facebook status update ever.

 

[highlordmugfug]

Runaway Wisconsin State Senator Wins Internet

Best state-Senator Facebook status update ever.

 

[13point9]

 

[Customisbetter]

Our new governor just approve over a Billion dollars in cuts from just about everything. I'm really happy somebody is doing something. If it doesn't work out, then I'll start to protest.

 

[orb451]

Our new governor just approve over a Billion dollars in cuts from just about everything. I'm really happy somebody is doing something. If it doesn't work out, then I'll start to protest.

This. It's simple economics, don't spend more than you're taking in. If cuts need to be made to keep your state afloat, however painful, then they need to be made... end of story.

 

[Randy]

This. It's simple economics, don't spend more than you're taking in. If cuts need to be made to keep your state afloat, however painful, then they need to be made... end of story.

Easier said than done. Our governor's doing this and every single cut he proposes gets him lambasted in the media. It's just like trying to clean out the house of a clutterbug... they complain there's too much shit around but when you go to bring some of it to the dump, every single thing you pickup is an argument. The problem becomes this fucking perpetual 're-election machine' that runs constantly, it's hard not to fall into doing whatever's "easy" instead of "right".

Not saying it excuses things, but it's certainly a trouble predicament. Hopefully the new crop of governors willing to slash the budget to even things out get a little more respect than their predecessors.

 

[orb451]

Easier said than done. Our governor's doing this and every single cut he proposes gets him lambasted in the media. It's just like trying to clean out the house of a clutterbug... they complain there's too much shit around but when you go to bring some of it to the dump, every single thing you pickup is an argument. The problem becomes this fucking perpetual 're-election machine' that runs constantly, it's hard not to fall into doing whatever's "easy" instead of "right".

Not saying it excuses things, but it's certainly a trouble predicament. Hopefully the new crop of governors willing to slash the budget to even things out get a little more respect than their predecessors.

Yeah pretty much. We had a fun run with the Governator out here in Cali for a while, he's pretty much been skewered (perhaps rightfully so, perhaps not) for causing the budget debacle we're in so now it's up to Jerry Brown to get us out of it. And that means cuts...

I think it boils down to that old "having your cake and eating it too". Either you want government programs and all the benefits they offer, which is fine, but that funding *has* to come from somewhere. Or, you want minimal spending and with that, none of the benefits/programs that make communities better. When these clowns are allowed to write their own ticket, or blank check, shit gets out of hand with a quickness.

 

[Randy]

It's true. I just think people, in general, are a little hypocritical with regard to these things. The majority of people think the money all comes out of social programs or something that doesn't much effect them directly, but then they see snow cleanup cut back, funding for schools cut back, road repair cut back, and industrial development funding cut back. As a result, they're the first people to complain when there's snow on the roads, layoffs or programs removed in the schools, potholes, and empty factory buildings. All of those are things that we could survive without, or at least could afford to have scaled back temporarily, but everybody gets up in arms as soon as it happens.

 

[AySay]

I don't think America should cut spending on ANYTHING education related....

 

[Meshugger]

I think a good question should be "How did deficit become that high in first place?"

 

[orb451]

I think a good question should be "How did deficit become that high in first place?"

The problem with this is, it's a slippery slope that ends with people just pointing fingers. It's one of the reasons I can't stand the incessant history lessons in every thread on here, as well in life in general. Nothing wrong with knowing *how* things got fucked up, but the focus really ought to stay on FIXING things and moving forward... not living in the past.

Like I said, in California, the previous governor got a lot of blame for our budget woes. From what I've read, it sounds a lot like Democrats went wild spending and expanding government programs. Maybe it's a mix of his inadequacy and their spending... 69 million dollars spent on EBT... IN FUCKING VEGAS. VEGAS. 69 million spent for low-income, welfare recipients to take their California issued EBT cards and then go spend that money in Las Vegas.

An entire program designed and publicly funded *just* setup a committee that could re-tool the EBT cards. Because there was a social *stigma* attached with using them. So they wanted, and got, a whole new branding campaign just so people could feel all warm and fuzzy about their tax-payer funded EBT/Food-stamp cards. Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.

But that's just here in Cali, I've no idea how good or bad other states or state programs are doing. And I don't mean to imply that it's always one way or the other. But there *should* be some form of balance. Between spending, programs and taxes. Bottom line is still, if you want programs, or services like Randy mentioned, the money *has* to come from somewhere...

 

[Customisbetter]

Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.

This caused a lot of laughter in my office.

 

[orb451]

This caused a lot of laughter in my office.

I'm here to amuse *you* Ed. Like a clown...

 

[snowblind56]

The big thing with this isn't the slashing wages and benefits. The Union is willing to make concessions with that.

This is all about about Gov. Walker trying to nuke the unions and take away all their bargaining rights and using the budget cuts as a smoke screen. Then there is the fact that he is trying to fast track this through the senate as fast as possible and WILL NOT negotiate or make any amendments to this bill.

 

[Customisbetter]

I'm sure I'm not the first person who feels Unions shouldn't exist any more.

 

[ddtonfire]

Then there is the fact that he is trying to fast track this through the senate as fast as possible and WILL NOT negotiate or make any amendments to this bill.

Not unlike our past Congress.

 

[leftyguitarjoe]

I'm sure I'm not the first person who feels Unions shouldn't exist any more.

Unions are necessary for people to fight evil corporate overlords. I think they should be mandatory.