Anyone else notice?

[desertdarlene]

I heard a small blurb about it way out here. Very interesting, I think the national press should follow it more as this is pretty historic.

 

[Lostbody]

Quote:
The union, brought to you by the same people who brought the weekend

And the 8-hour work day.
And child labor laws.

I've been hearing about it, but that's really only because I'm a dirty, California hippy.

And since all us Calli liberals are really just tree-hugging, alien-harboring, feminist-preaching socialists, I love hearing about labor movements and stuff like that.

I did see a video clip online, and was thrilled that some of the firefighters and their families came out to protest in solidarity with the teachers.

: An end to collective bargaining rights would be such a tragic step backwards for us as a society.

Speaking of tragic steps backwards... has anyone heard about the GOP's attempts to legally re-define rape.

:
If you're not aware of the proposal, and you're a woman, or you're a person who cares anything for women's rights in this country, please inform yourself on the subject. Better yet, learn about it and then write to your government representatives!

:

P.S. If you're looking for full coverage of the protests in Wisconsin, look no further: www.democracynow.org
P.P.S. If you'd like to know more about the whole "re-define rape" thing, PM me.

 

[Royd]

I have WHAT in my yard? :

The strange lack of coverage of the protests in Wisconsin? Whatever side you take and I don't care which you personally take, the lack of coverage is something that should concern you.

No. It's front and center on Drudge Report. That's where I get my news.​

 

[Royd]

Quote:
The union, brought to you by the same people who brought the weekend

And work slowdowns, and empty steel mills and auto factories, and last winter's intentional sabotage of NYC snowplowing.

 

[Amyable]

It's all over the news everywhere I look, national media too.

Here's the deal:
WI has a billion dollar budget deficit. The governor has a budget-fixing bill to be voted on by legislators this week. It calls for state employees to contribute modest increases for their pensions and health care premiums, and ends collective bargaining except for wages (police & firefighters are exempt from the collective bargaining provision.)

He has the votes to pass the bill. Instead of showing up and voting yea or nay, 19 Democrat legislators left the state Thursday to stall the process. They are still not back. Union leaders and teachers have been protesting at the Madison capitol all week; many schools around the state have been canceled because the teachers walked out, and encouraged students to do the same.

The state is nearly bankrupt. It cannot continue to pay for almost 100% of the benefits of state workers. There is simply no more money. There are a lot of protesters, but the majority of WI is supporting Gov Walker.

 

[Organics North]

The "majority" being what? 51% support it...

The other 49% do not support it...

Our school system was closed today...Our teachers are down in Madison.. My viewpoint is our teachers work hard for what they get. Education is our future without it we are lost for sure. We believe 200% in PUBLIC education.

Starting to deal with deficits by cutting teachers benefits first, prior to closing tax loopholes on the wealthy which just keep getting wealthier in this state is not the best choice. Governor Walker would gladly waive taxes for Walmart to build some new super center...But not be supportive of education... I guess we will need more Walmarts, for jobs, since it looks like we are downgrading education as a priority.....

Our last Governer was able to balance budgets without putting education on the chopping block....

Maybe Walker should hire him to see how to run a state that has been traditionally proud of being progressive...

THIS is not a progressive move!

ON

 

[Royd]

Quote:
>That's why the majority of the teachers called in sick, and either cajoled or coerced some students to join them, in the protest......Everyone of them should be fired, for derelection of duty. Then, bring in some teachers who are actually concerned, FIRST AND FOREMOST about the education of the student, and not about whether they are going to have to put a little bit of their paycheck into a retirement and health insurance account.<



to deal with deficits by cutting teachers benefits first, prior to closing tax loopholes on the wealthy which just keep getting wealthier in this state is not the best choice. Governor Walker would gladly waive taxes for Walmart to build some new super center...But not be supportive of education... I guess we will need more Walmarts, for jobs, since it looks like we are downgrading education as a priority.....

Our last Governer was able to balance budgets without putting education on the chopping block....

Maybe Walker should hire him to see how to run a state that has been traditionally proud of being progressive...

THIS is not a progressive move!

ON

When those progressive thinkers have confiscated all of the money, from the private sector, which they think they deserve, who's going to pay the bill, then...I'm sure you won't be hitting up the thugs, who are running the unions, and scraping off the cream.

That's the first place, union members need to look, to see where their retirement money is disappearing to....Spending it on political action and good living, that's where.

 

[Organics North]

So I just got an auto dialer call from a conservative/republican group in WI. "Stating my Democratic state senator was missing, and the state patrol is looking for him.. If I know where he is I should report it... That because of him thousands of kids are out of school, and he should come back and do his job."

Da.... He is doing his job! Stalling the vote to buy time for the demonstrators and the public to mount opposition....

Wow politics stink, and this recent hatch of Republicans are the lowest and stinkiest of them all.

Royd,
Whatever...

Lets compare numbers then.. I think the "progressive" state of Wisconsin will blow the doors of Florida any day of the week.... What do you have Disney, and a bunch of retired people from New York....

I sure do not see much come out of the university of Florida... Do you even have a school?

(By the way I am not a huge union fan, but how do you suggest people organize to be represented then? Or should we just go back to slave labor?)

ON

 

[Royd]

Quote:
It's called competition, or in the case of education, they could use a merit system....Do away with tenure. It propagates indifference and laziness. At the end of each year, depending on the actual progress of students, they are awarded a raise or bonus, above a base pay. If the next year, they decide to rest on their laurels, and the results show, they get nothing but their base pay, and if the progress of their students continues to deteriorate, year to year, they are simply fired.

Their retirement and health benefits should be based on the same methods as the private sector.

This nonsense of retiring at 20 years, with a healthy pension and then, going and grabbing another government job, only to do it, again, should be illegal. ON

 

[seedcorn]

Quote:
The union, brought to you by the same people who brought the weekend

And work slowdowns, and empty steel mills and auto factories, and last winter's intentional sabotage of NYC snowplowing.

All management (or should I say LACK of management). Interesting bosses making millions complaining about someone actually doing the work making $50,000.....neither management nor workers own the companies.

Those of us old enough remember how things were before unions. NOT good for workers as I have a friend dying of brain cancer due to working conditions in a non-union shop of the 50-60's. Of course the company files BK so the money men are untouched....america's legal profession at it's finest....

While some unions have too much power, without unions, we would still be country of slave labor without a guaranteed home/food.