Wisconsin Mass Demonstration

[kina]

I couldn't find any Canadian news source that was reporting on this so I though I'd put it on Castanet.

http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/4856

[grammafreddy]

Good for him. Takes balls - and I hope he doesn't back down. If Obama is going to continue to sink the US economy into more and more debt, then the individual states are pretty much forced to cut their over-inflated budgets as best they can.

Is there some part of "We're broke; we have no money to pay for anything" that people are not understanding?

How morally right is it to expect your government to go so deeply in debt for your irresponsible requests for funding that future generations are burdened with debt (to the tune of about $130,000 each so far). Public funding MUST be cut. It's tough decision time, folks.

[grammafreddy]

Governor Chris Christie from NJ is another who is taking a tough stand.

[nolanrh]

The unions agreed to cuts. The protest is because the government intends to restrict their collective bargaining rights.

"I have been informed that all state and local public employees – including teachers - have agreed to the financial aspects of Governor Walker's request," Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Waunakee)said.

"This includes Walker's requested concessions on public employee health care and pension. In return they ask only that the provisions that deny their right to collectively bargain are removed. This will solve the budget challenge. This is a real opportunity for us to come together and resolve the issue and move on. It is incumbent upon Governor Walker to seriously consider and hopefully accept this offer as soon as possible."

However, Fitzgerald said the terms of the bill are not negotiable, and he called upon Democrats who left the state this week to stall a vote on the bill to return to the Capitol.

http://www.biztimes.com/daily/2011/2/18/republicans-reject-offer-by-unions-to-compromise-on-concessions

[kina]

Here's a little update:
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/Police+seek+truant+Wisconsin+legislators/4313981/story.html

And thanks nolanrh for your addition. I didn't find that link before, only UK news sites. It's a bit annoying that it's so hard to find information about news closer to home and yet the politics of Egypt and Libya are front page.

[Glacier]

Someone in Egypt Ordered a Pizza for the Protesters in Wisconsin...

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2011/02/so ... a_piz.html

[grammafreddy]

Here's a little update:
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/Police+seek+truant+Wisconsin+legislators/4313981/story.html

And thanks nolanrh for your addition. I didn't find that link before, only UK news sites. It's a bit annoying that it's so hard to find information about news closer to home and yet the politics of Egypt and Libya are front page.

Those 14 Democrats should go to jail. Stupid fools. Right about now, there's nothing dumber than a Democrat in the States. Nothing.

[steven lloyd]

Right about now, there's nothing dumber than a Democrat in the States. Nothing.

A Republican maybe ?

[Queen K]

Most definitely a Republican.

[Queen K]

http://online.wsj.com/home-page

Wall Street Journal had no problem with putting Wisconsin on their front page. Ironically Afghanistan is there too. Hmmmm, and Egypt. Let's see, expensive American war or some would say, adventurism, in Afghanistan. And just a month or so ago Obama signed over $1.5 Billion MORE dollars to Egypt.

One may conclude that sending that amount of American taxpayer dollars out of the country will have to be curtailed, wait for it, when the average middle class is completely fleeced. When they are all poor workers, there will be no tax base. America had got to keep it's dollars at home and start taking care of their own Third World situation.

[grammafreddy]

http://online.wsj.com/home-page

Wall Street Journal had no problem with putting Wisconsin on their front page. Ironically Afghanistan is there too. Hmmmm, and Egypt. Let's see, expensive American war or some would say, adventurism, in Afghanistan. And just a month or so ago Obama signed over $1.5 Billion MORE dollars to Egypt.

One may conclude that sending that amount of American taxpayer dollars out of the country will have to be curtailed, wait for it, when the average middle class is completely fleeced. When they are all poor workers, there will be no tax base. America had got to keep it's dollars at home and start taking care of their own Third World situation.

Like I said, nothing dumber than a Democrat right now ...

Obama has millions of people in his own country who are hurting - but that stupid Dem sends $1.5 BILLION MORE to Egypt?

And that's ALL borrowed money - which the US citizens will have to pay back - with interest!!!

Does it really come much stupider than that?

[grammafreddy]

Right about now, there's nothing dumber than a Democrat in the States. Nothing.

A Republican maybe ?

Not friggin' likely - although the Republicans also are partly responsible for the financial mess in the States right now. But the Dems just keep making the debt bigger and bigger and bigger!!! That's STUPID.

[nolanrh]

Does it really come much stupider than that?

When your analysis doesn't go deeper than spending money = stupid, of course every expenditure seems stupid. To clarify, Obama has requested $1.5 billion in aid, it's up to Republicans to approve it.

Though, debating the merits of various public expenditures is getting a little broad when the discussion is on the Wisconsin Mass Demonstration where the specific issue is the denial of collective bargaining rights for public employees.

[steven lloyd]

..., debating the merits of various public expenditures is getting a little broad when the discussion is on the Wisconsin Mass Demonstration where the specific issue is the denial of collective bargaining rights for public employees.

Hmmm, I think a Democrat might have figured that out.

[grammafreddy]

Does it really come much stupider than that?

When your analysis doesn't go deeper than spending money = stupid, of course every expenditure seems stupid. To clarify, Obama has requested $1.5 billion in aid, it's up to Republicans to approve it.

Though, debating the merits of various public expenditures is getting a little broad when the discussion is on the Wisconsin Mass Demonstration where the specific issue is the denial of collective bargaining rights for public employees.

I'm sure you have a solution to how the state is going to fund everything since they are out of money for anything.

Where will they find the money to cover anything new or increased in any collective bargaining? Or are you not including that in any "various public expenditures"? Do the unions somehow come before anyone else? Is what they want more important than basic needs for other people? Unionized public employees enjoy a whole lot more than a lot of other people do right now. Of course, perhaps the state could just say, "Sorry, public employee, your job is now deemed surplus. Goodbye." and get rid of a few hundred or thousand to cut the drain from the taxpayers' pockets. That would work, too. Keep just the essential ones and trim, trim, trim ... the fat.