What began as a fight over union rights in one relatively small state has now turned into a national issue with the country's most powerful leaders taking sides. The battle over collective bargaining rights in Wisconsin has suddenly become symbolic of a larger political war over who will sacrifice the most in order to balance the budgets. President Obama has publicly sided with the unions and protesters in Madison, while Speaker Boehner is siding with Republican Governor Scott Walker who is pushing a bill to take away the union's negotiating rights in the state.
Through his Facebook account President Obama issued the following statement on the protests,
"Public employees are our neighbors and friends. They are teachers, firefighters, social workers, and police officers. They make a lot of sacrifices and make a big contribution. It’s important not to vilify them or to suggest that somehow budget problems are due to public employees."
More importantly, President Obama's former campaign organization "Organizing for America" has come out very strong for the unions and protesters. The group is helping organize a letter-writing and phone call campaign against Walker's legislation. President Obama officially took a position against Walker's bill in a television interview saying,
“Some of what I've heard coming out of Wisconsin, where you're just making it harder for public employees to collectively bargain generally seems like more of an assault on unions."
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) has come out on the opposite end of the debate. Boehner praised Gov. Walker's "courageous action." Boehner also offered a harsh rebuke of President Obama in the following statement,
"Republicans in Congress – and reform-minded GOP governors like Scott Walker…are daring to speak the truth about the dire fiscal challenges Americans face at all levels of government, and daring to commit themselves to solutions that will liberate our economy and help put our citizens on a path to prosperity. I’m disappointed that instead of providing similar leadership from the White House, the president has chosen to attack leaders such as Gov. Walker, who are listening to the people and confronting problems that have been neglected for years at the expense of jobs and economic growth."
For now the Democrats seem to be winning the fight. Wisconsin's Democratic State Senators left the state, which kept the Republicans from having the quorum they needed to vote on the bill in question. Democrats argue that unions have already made over $100 million in concessions, and that the bill goes to far in permanently stripping the unions of their negotiating power. Republicans argue that the measure is necessary in order to balance the budget. Democrats counter that the budget shortfall was caused by Gov. Walker's recent tax cuts, and that there other ways to balance the budget.
Whatever happens in Wisconsin could set a precedent for the rest of the country. In 2010 Republicans took over many governorships and gained more power in state legislatures. If Wisconsin, traditionally a stronghold for unions, loses collective bargaining rights than other states are sure to follow. Nearly every state faces a budget shortfall which can only be met by raising taxes, cutting state spending on programs like Medicaid, or forcing state workers to bear the burden. The federal government faces a similar, though less pressing issue, with its budget. Wisconsin may therefore set the standard on who pays when it comes to balancing the budget.
Comments
I support Governor Walker's efforts to destroy middle class families in Wisconsin.
Bravo! Maybe Walmart checkers can be shuttled over to be the school teachers and nurses. And, the stubborn teachers and nurses can clean the floors in the Capitol building. And, the other stubborn gov't employees can work at Walmart. And, any leftover gov't employees can get unemployment. And, Governor Walter can give all his corporate supporters more gov't contracts and they can hire low paid unemployed people to do the jobs with no benefits. And then the supporters can all go to Tiffany and buy jewelry and have big foreign cars and vacation in Tahiti, etc. Yeah.
Wisconsin State Journal: "The state's largest teachers union Wednesday night called on all 98,000 of its members to attend rallies in Madison on Thursday and Friday, which led school districts — including Madison — to cancel classes for Thursday."
Depriving our children of their education to chase the almighty $$$, caring more about money and power than they do about educating our children. This is why unions are an evil and antiquated concept.
The unions in WI and elsewhere need to make a choice; accept lower pay and less benefits and ALL keep their jobs, or keep pay and benefits as is and roll the dice on who and how many get laid off.
You wanted collective bargaining, you got it.
Teachers who stand up for their rights hate children.
"Teachers who stand up for their rights hate children."
No rights are on the line, collective bargaining negotiations. Everyone can share or they can rip themselves a part through union greed.
If these signs at these "teacher" protests were seen at a Tea Party rally the full force of the racist Holder/Obama team would have their boot on their necks.
Hitler, Mussolini, Mubarek, what happen to civility the President called for?
What kind of message are they sending the children they are teaching?
That's a lot of stoopid in one comment.
Looks like we fooled you again stoopid conservatives. It was never about being civil. It was all about making you conservatives bend to our liberal will and make you STF up. We have no principles. I thought you understood that.
Collective bargaining is not a "right".
actually it is.
I say we back the unions even if it bankrupts the united states sends our kids into total miserable slavery and costs the lives of hundreds of millions of Americans. Sacrifices must be made,
John Podesta hates children
Once again the democrat criminal party has fled like the corrupt crooks that they are. Just like the last time they flaunted our laws and ran to Texas, just so they didn't have to do their job and vote.
Knowing they couldn't get their way legally, so once again they commit the crime of holding the public hostage.
I wonder what would happen if the Republicans ran away every time they didn't like the way a vote was going to go. Well, what do you expect from the democrats criminals.
Why if the republicans did that we wouldn't be talking about the united states of America anymore. The powers that be are saying take it down.
Too bad my corrupt convict wife is still in jail or she would be there helping to bankrupt the state.
Witt has become a conspiracy nut case.
What? Did you give up on writing about Glenn Beck?
Can't you run another good old, "Glenn Beck still doesn't get it" article? I live for those.
Now if that was a Tea Party protest that took over a statehouse we would be lectured on how bad that was and what an ugly precedent it set. Scum bag liberals who want to bankrupt their state do it and it is a cause of celebration and cheered on by our dirt bag President.
Many states have frozen raises for public employee sector jobs. Most teachers have invested in more education and those with science and computer skills have the potential to make much more in the private sector. The pensions and benefit packages equalized the income disparities.
If the raises have been frozen and positions are remaining unfilled (therby increasing the workload) and now the new package would reduce take home pay by roughly $100 per month - this might be time to find other solutions. How long are we going to be able to keep good teachers and not lose them to the private sector if they see their quality of life going down every year?
Collective bargaining is the ability for employees and employers to work together and find compromises to difficult situations. This law removes that ability from the workers. They have not proven that they are unwillingly to compromise (the bill was introduced one week ago) - they are protesting for their right to have a voice in the conversation. That is what Americans do.
The Democrat Senators left the state so that the necessary conversation would not be cut short. Procedurally, this is no different than a fillibuster which gives the minority party a voice in the process.
@lg_ "The Democrat Senators left the state so that the necessary conversation would not be cut short. Procedurally, this is no different than a fillibuster which gives the minority party a voice in the process."
They could have stayed and attempted the filibuster or used any parliamentary procedure available. The turn tail for Illinois method comes across as nothing more than a cheap political stunt.
As far as the one week time frame, think of it as having a massive health care bill rammed down your throat, without benefit of being able to read it, amend it or know what is in it.
@Paul
The question is valid about whether or not there were, in Wisconsin rules, another procedural method to simply require more debate. I don't know, do you? IF that were the ONLY way to slow things down - would you still feel as strongly about their actions?
Personally, I think the pension issue has got to be resolved. I would like to see a phasing out/cashing out of the current system and go to a funds matching 401K program so that the burden does not cripple state budgets. Having said that, I think those most affected should be an active participant in any long term strategies to accomplish that goal.
My beef is not so much with the adjustments but more with knee-jerk regulation that shows no real commitment to solving the long-term problems. This would be subject of the whims of whichever party was in office. No one, anywhere, is going to move forward to solve problems without real and sustainable reforms.
Secondly, the Health Care debate did rage for 18 months. Many don't like the resolution - and I'm not sure those objections are not valid but......one week and 18 months is a huge difference.
President Obama is having a hard enough time trying to run the country, does he really need to get involved with state matters. Oh wait, he did, his Organizing for America and the DNC helped to orchestrate the fiasco in Madison.
Unions are the devil, they will lead to the demise of industry in the US.
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