Soglin Marches With Madison's Public Employee Unions Against Scott Walker

Late Thursday afternoon, led by bagpipers, many of Madison's off-duty firefighters marched in dress uniform from the City-County Building to the Capitol Square, then into the Capitol via the northeast entrance and all the way through to the southeast entrance. Judging from the gold stripes on sleeves, most of the officers and chiefs were there as well. They were followed by a large contingent from other Madison city unions, and then were joined along the way by many MTI members.

Paul Soglin was standing with several supporters at the head of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd when the parade swung right onto East Main Street. We were all applauding, as was the large crowd on both sides of East Main. As the fire brass made the turn, a senior officer broke ranks to embrace Paul.  Seconds later, several more officers grabbed Paul with shouts of "join us!"  Seconds later, Paul was marching in the firefighters' midst with his flier-laden supporters scrambling to keep up on the fringe.

Here's a video with the firefighters' viewpoint.  Paul appears at about 1:14 into it.

 

The applause and crowd support that accompanied the march around the Square was buoying enough, but the roar that rose in the Capitol Rotunda when the firefighters entered seemed to shake the whole building.

Here's some video of the parade's entry into the Capitol from Channel 3000:

 

It was also energizing to see how many of the firefighters, teachers, and other union members made an effort to approach Paul, shake his hand, and thank him for running. Paul's typical response was to thank them for their work and for supporting each other.

Watching all the kids at the Capitol, many with their parents, and all the teachers, and all the union folks, and all the UW students, I can't help but think that Scott Walker has no idea yet what his overreaching has generated. Walker may ram this union-busting bill through, but the reaction will come in November 2012. Walker has been pushing the political pendulum as far and as fast as it will go, but pendulums always swing back the other way, and the further and faster one is pushed, the further and faster it swings back.

- Barry Orton

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Comments

[Tom Bozzo]

The reaction doesn't have to wait until November '12 -- there's a good opportunity to get organized for April '11, and I'm not talking about the Madison mayoral race. Dumping Prosser would be a major accomplishment, and certainly the usual MO for WMC is to exploit the usually low level of general interest in the Supreme Court elections.

[Barry Orton]

Couldn't agree more, Tom. Go here to help JoAnne Kloppenburg:
http://www.kloppenburgforjustice.com/

[Ty O'Mara]

Is there any place to park in Madison. Seriously, we don't want to get there and have to drive back 10 miles out of town to leave the car.

[Barry Orton]

Parking in the public ramps within a couple blocks around the Capitol Square is more available after 5 pm, when many downtown employees go home. If you're willing to walk a bit further or pay a little more, many private ramps on the second ring around the Capitol should have space. The city ramp further down State St will have space over the weekend (Francis or Lake St.) Not tonight or tomorrow night, tho - hockey games.

[Ty O'Mara]

Thanks, Barry, I appreciate the information. You are so kind to respond to such an inocuous(is that really a word)request. I'm so proud of you, you are my professor.

Thanks,
From another 10 or 20 thousand people who are about to swell the ranks.

[Barry Orton]

Glad to help. Look for Paul Soglin while you are there. He spent the night in the Capitol Thursday, and has been there every day since Sunday.

And when you see members of the Capitol Police, who have been coordinating the efforts of all the other uniformed security forces all week, thank them for their very long hours of hard work. Scott Walker did NOT exempt them from the bill, as he did the State Patrol and local police and fire services. I know many of these great people from their years of patrolling my beloved Westside Community Market, and their force's home base is the Capitol.

[Peter Kubicki]

Paul is correct when he says that "pendulums always swing back the other way, and the further and faster one is pushed, the further and faster it swings back". I hope he and others around the nation reflect on that before 2012 to avoid letting the pendulum swing too far to either side lest the whole cycle repeat itself.

[Brian (neaguy)]

apennyforkids.com
Palin and Walker keep saying that everyone has to be willing to sacrifice and that that's why we need to make these cuts.
Well, regarding schools, a one percent sales tax would raise $850 million for schools.

Now which better fits their requirement of everyone? Cutting pay and benefits for some, or everyone contributing a small amount.

Which is fair? Everybody in? Or just some of us out?

[Chris hapka]

It is interesting that banks can be bailed out and now make 18 million per person for executives Please let us be sensible why are they going after the middle class