While the Republicans in the Wisconsin Assembly succeeded in adopting the horrendous so-called 'budget repair bill,' a foregone conclusion, the movement to preserve collective bargaining for unions is moving forward.
We have a long difficult struggle ahead, but already there are victories in other states, victories that will make Wisconsin Republicans re-think the proposal of Governor Scott Walker.
Some Republicans soften tough talk on unions
WASHINGTON – With a wary eye on Wisconsin, Republican leaders in several states are toning down the tough talk against public employee unions and, in some cases, abandoning anti-union measures altogether.
Indiana's governor urged GOP lawmakers to give up on a "right to work" bill for fear the backlash could derail the rest of his agenda. In Ohio, senators plan to soften a bill that would have banned all collective bargaining by state workers. And in Michigan, the Republican governor says he'd rather negotiate with public employees than pick a fight...
We have a long way to go but these are heartening signs. No matter what the legislature does in Wisconsin, there is going to be a protracted debate on the role of unions and educating the hundreds of millions of workers, both public and private sector, as to the sacrifices made by union members to get future generations the eight hour day, the weekend, and a chance to spend retirement in something better than a cardboard box.
When a few hundred of us, mostly graduate students, gathered on the steps of the University of Wisconsin memorial Union Saturday February 12, 2011 we knew this would grow. But no one envisioned anything like what we will see tomorrow Saturday the 26th. As the sign says, "Screw us and we multiply."
The devolution of the Republican Party should be in full flame by the middle of March. The decline of the species, Repulicus Wisconsinus, was noted in an assembly vote about the ‘Repair Bill’. Discussion was hampered by the Republicans having lost the ability of language and reason. The devolution from foot to hoof enhanced their running ability as they fled back to the trough at the Koch Swine Pen being constructed across the street.
When did the Republicus start to devolve?
The fossil record is incomplete. Many identify with Sire Ronald Regan, granted, a good looking pig, but forgetful, lazy, harmful and immoral. Progeny, from that line, give us the living fossils of the Cheney line, the Bush line, Mccain line and so on. Diet: Conservatives, Religious true believers.
The Walker line, a hybrid, combining all of the forgetfulness, lazy, harmful and immoral attributes, along with no shame, no limiting sense of concern for the well-being of friends, strangers or even family members. This species is feral with no concept of responsibility, and is a burden on others, even its’ own species. Diet: Gullible fools
Posted by: antpoppa | February 25, 2011 at 12:06 PM
What an opportunity this has been for the union and public workers to educate us "Gullibles." The longer this goes on, the more the curtain is drawn aside to expose the wedge that has been driven between those who are dropping out of the middle class and those who still reside in the middle class. Every day this continues the hideous stategy goes off like a light bulb in people's heads.
As far as Republicans softening, I think that could be just a bit understated. Today, Governor John Kasich(Ohio)told his secretary, "If that Walker calls, tell him I'm out." A representative for Nancy Reagan called Governor Walker's office today to request, "please stop using Ronnie's name." It gotten so bad, that Ulyssess S. Grant's grest-great-great grandson told reporters today, "My family and I are hoping that this Walker thing doesn't taint great-great-great Grandpa's presidency. The final straw for the day, however, came when Charlie Sheen called Governor Walker, "A Bodacious Dude."
Seriously, again, Wisconsin had shown the nation. Wisconsin is Shining.
Posted by: Baron Automatic | February 25, 2011 at 11:34 PM
Even after 50 years of collective bargaining, public-sector unions have failed to convince the State of Wisconsin to pay its employees equal to or greater than their private-sector counterparts. These unions have failed to fight for our public servants, but they haven't failed to take money out of the pockets of those we love. These union leaders are con-artists.
Posted by: Peter Kubicki | February 26, 2011 at 11:54 AM
"Everything the State says is a lie, and everything it has it has stolen."
— Friedrich Nietzsche
Barron A.
A teachable moment? When the wolves are eviscerating grandma, the curtain of intelligentsia must be thrown aside so that rocks can be thrown.
Gullible Fool
The argument of the State is very confused. The State of Wisconsin considers its’ workers over paid. The bodies of workers that have possession of their union through the electoral process use the power of their union to redress the state. Unions can and have been de-certified.
If union leaders are con artists then they will be well met with the Scott Walker cabal. May God help any honest man that enters that arena.
Posted by: antpoppa | February 26, 2011 at 01:57 PM
Baron A.
I posted this awhile back. This is why a candidate doesn't want to run as a populist or express class consciousness.
I wonder if we could substitute Soglin for Manski?
Manski faces the interesting dilemma discussed in Orwell, and Einstein’s ‘Why I am a Socialist .‘
"Large sections of the middle class are being gradually proletarianized; but the important point is that they do not, at any rate not in the first generation, adopt a proletarian outlook," Orwell wrote in 1937 during the last economic depression. "Here I am, for instance, with a bourgeois upbringing and a working-class income.”
The problem lies with convincing the middle and upper class that despite their social position their economic position is tied with the working class. Now, despite being crushed by economic royalty, the middle class still is anti- working class, and chooses Fascism over a social democracy.
Rather seeking environmental, peaceful, and anti- imperialistic solutions that lead to a social unity, the left, being afraid of social stigmatism, defines candidates like Manski and McKinney, Nader and Kucinich as ‘crazy’ and throw in with a Democratic party that backs all of our present evils.
1.“Now the real good question is "Why exactly are centrist parties so vulnerable to protest votes by left of center voters?"
Quick answer....'Centrist Team B parties' are themselves right wing oligarchical marketing fronts that merely act as a safety valve to dissipate pressure that inevitably results from single party rule.”
Let’s all get out the vote for the less silly candidate. We must defeat the right extreme. We must defeat the left extreme. These candidates are merely safety valves to dissipate the societal pressure caused by single party rule. They are marketing tools to front the oligarchy ‘center’ candidate. Sixteen months from now we will wonder why everything remains the same.
1. I don’t know if I wrote this , or if it’s noted from some other source.
Did I help the middle class dilemma?
Posted by: antpoppa | February 26, 2011 at 02:49 PM
It's a shame. It looked like education mught get a boost here. Certainly the lesson here is that Unions are about paychecks at any cost.
Posted by: rickg | February 26, 2011 at 03:21 PM
Antpoppa,
I think you were right the first time--it is not really a good time for teachable moments. Could you excuse me, there's a wolf on my grandmother.
Posted by: Baron Automatic | February 26, 2011 at 05:11 PM
I think that's Collette holding the big suggestive sign.
Posted by: Ozzy | March 03, 2011 at 09:53 AM