The political theater under way in Madison invites both Democrats and Republicans to imagine that something more significant has transpired there than is in fact the case: By curtailing the collective-bargaining powers of some government-employee unions, Wisconsin merely joins the ranks of Colorado and Maryland — not precisely hotbeds of right-wing extremism. In liberal Maryland, which extends collective-bargaining rights to some, but not all, government workers, this must all seem particularly overblown: The state is home to a great many employees of the federal government, many of whom belong to public-sector unions that do not enjoy the extortionate powers until now invested in Wisconsin’s union bosses.
Gov. Scott Walker and the sober Republicans in Wisconsin’s state legislature are celebrating a victory, to be sure, but it is in truth a modest one: Under the new law, government workers will vote annually on whether they wish to be represented by a union, and the state will not be compelled to extract union dues from employees’ paychecks on behalf of the unions. Health-care and pension benefits for government workers will be set by the people’s elected representatives outside of the union-dominated collective-bargaining process, and wage increases will be indexed to inflation. Government workers still will enjoy salary-and-benefit packages that in most cases exceed what those workers could hope to command in the private sector, along with such hard-to-price benefits as enhanced job security.
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For this modest reform, Governor Walker has been compared to Adolf Hitler, and progressives have called for his assassination. For adopting collective-bargaining rules similar to those found in many other states and more generous than those found in some, the people of Wisconsin have seen their state capitol under the occupation of bongo-beating misfits while the necessary and essential business of state government ground to a halt, with Democrats fleeing the state in a cynical bid to prevent duly elected legislators from legislating.
Many of our states, and a great many of our municipalities, suffer from precarious finances. Wisconsin, for all of its shortcomings, has seen its fiscal affairs managed with relative prudence, and Governor Walker’s “budget repair” bill is an example of that: dealing with the state’s problems before the point of crisis has been reached, while the state still has adequate resources and options for enacting necessary reforms in an orderly and intelligent fashion. The bill has been called “extreme” and “draconian,” but is in fact the opposite of that: No state worker is set to lose his job, there will be no furloughs or salary cuts. The worst that government employees will endure is a requirement that they pay 12.6 percent of their own health-insurance premiums and 5.6 percent of their own pension contributions. And they all will receive something of value: a regularly scheduled vote about whether to be represented by their unions, which often serve no one’s interests but those of the union bosses themselves.
And that is the real source of the rage on the left: Mandatory union representation, empowered by mandatory collective bargaining and mandatory dues deductions enforced by the state, creates an enormous flow of cash for Democratic political candidates and their pet causes. From 1989 to the present, five of the ten biggest donors to American political campaigns have been labor unions, including public-sector unions such as the National Education Association and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. The overwhelming majority of those donations go to Democrats. The union bosses and their Democratic patrons know that giving workers more of a choice about union representation will diminish that power and reduce that cash flow. That is what this is about, for all of the cheap talk about “civil rights” — as though federal employees in Washington were being treated like second-class citizens because their unions do not enjoy the same princely powers until now wielded by Wisconsin’s.
This is not the end of Wisconsin’s fiscal troubles, only the beginning of a solution. Other states, counties, and cities, many of them in far worse economic condition than Wisconsin, face similar difficult choices in their futures, and no doubt will endure similar political convulsions, if not more severe ones. The pure-hearted idealists on the left will not give in easily — not when there is a great deal of money at stake, along with raw political power and comfortable sinecures for those at the top of the public-sector foodchain. While we celebrate what has been won in Wisconsin, we must be mindful of the much more difficult work that remains to be done.
This was a modest political victory, not a fiscal one. If Walker was so concerned about his budget deficit, he wouldn't have reduced his revenues by $100 million with his tax cuts.
This was a political power play that may have dire consequences to the Republicans in Wisconsin in the long run, perhaps even nationally. By next year, the conservative movement may very well be victims of their own success.
I disagree with ARegularGuy. Two weeks of news stories consisting of Democratic lawmakers cowardly fleeing the state to block a bill, hippie students trashing the state capitol, and union thugs threatening to kill Republicans aren't going to reflect negatively on conservatives.
This was indeed a modest victory in terms of policy. In terms of principle, it was a huge boost to the conservative movement.
Letting people that earn their income in the private sector keep what they create is much different than letting people that are supported solely by those revenues bargain for better pay, benefits, tenure etc.
Governments account for 46% of total GDP spending. Private sector accounts for 54%. In your silly world view those would flip and be unsustainable. Don't worry, they will flip by 2012 and then you have a much bigger problem.
How sad that these modest changes implemented by Gov. Walker caused the left to get so hysterical. This, combined with Rep. King being threatened and called all sorts of vile names just for having (long overdue) hearings on Muslim extremism, really makes me concerned about the future of our country.
Actually, I think this is more than a modest victory. And not necessarily just a political one.
This law effects a structural change in the relationship between government employers and their union employees.
This change will shift power in negotiations and in political influence in ways that may well have the effect of making government more nimble, accountable, and transparent,
In that shift, there is the potential for signficant policy advances by removing many of the impediments to such things as education reform.
In the big picture this is a small step. But it is a step that can have long and cascading benefits.
You are missing the point with your analysis. It is a defensive battle. Look at not was gained, but at what was not lost. There was a nationally orchestrated attempt to nullify 2010 elections. It was defeated. The political victory is huge and comparable to PATCO busting and Thatcher's standing up to Newcastle miners. The national imagination was captured. The hero(s) was born. The national narrative was set.
The problems the unions have going forward is connecting their overheated rhetoric to the reality that in the months and years to come, the citizens of Wisconsin will observe that nothing of any particular consequence has happened here. Teachers won't be starving in the streets. They will be teaching in the classroom, just as they always have. School boards will still have multiple applicants to chose from for every new teaching position.
And all the while, the histrionics we've been observing in Madison for the last few weeks will seem more and more absurd as they fade in memory.
I, for one, hate seeing my union dues going to candidates and positions that I do not support. Perhaps this victory will take away this seemingly mandatory Democratic political contribution.
Burton: I would like to believe that most Wisconsin teachers - the people to whom thousands of parents entrust their children - don't like the behavior that's taking place in Madison on their behalf, but are too intimidated to say so. What bothers me - and what should bother thousands of parents - is the possibility that many of the Wisconsin teachers are just fine with the clenched fists and Hitler signs and would prefer that 1500 of their colleagues lose their jobs than give up one thin dime of what they believe they're entitled to. But what's down right scary is the possibility that those 1500 teachers who won't be losing their jobs thanks to Scott Walker are cheering on the misfits in Madison right along with their colleagues who were ready and willing to throw them under the bus.
I reserve judgement on the size of the victory until we see how many public sector employees continue to pay union dues. If the number is small then the victory is large.
Well Wisconsin, at least you got a start. Last year public sector ees in IL marched on the state capitol urging lawmakers to RAISE taxes to pay off their bloated contracts. In a classic Obama/Reid/Pelosi Obamacare maneuver in Jan the lameduck IL Assembly with a ringer in place barely passed a 67% tax increase in the middle of the night mere hours before newly elected legislators were to be sworn in. Gov. Quinnocchio signed it into law after which he proposed taking out an $8.75 BILLION loan to pay the state's overdue bills and using perfect Obama doublespeak said "It's not NOT borrowing." We in IL can only dream of Repubs running the state again some day. We've had the same Dem as House Speaker for 13 of the last 14 assemblies in 28 years. At least finally we're getting rid of WI's fleebag Dems. Thank you Gov. Walker & WI legislature.
ARG continues in the common (on the left) misunderstanding about the business (or as we in "Open for Business" newly-business friendly Wisconsin call it) tax incentives. These modest incentives to draw new employers to the State - reducing unemployment for my friends on the left - -------are not part of the budget that was in conflict in this standoff.-------
Those tax cuts for "evil businesses" are include in next year's budget - which Walker revealed last week.
If Walker can fiscally manage Wisconsin out of its 3.6 billion deficit, he will be a hero and conservatism will have proven itself.
It is easy enough to call it a modest victory when you are sitting comfortably on the sidelines. For the guys who were in the amphitheater, it was a huge struggle against an opponent (including prez 0) all in, willing to do anything to defeat the Right.
It was a big victory because it is a game changer. When was the last time that fiscal sanity prevailed and union rights got rolled back in a state as lefty as Wisconsin? For too long Republican politicians have been unwilling to fight for what they believe in.
The Wisconsin Republicans, led by Governor Walker, had a very tough fight with corrupt Dems who were willing to violate the Wisconsin constitution and willing to physically invade the capital building to physically prevent votes from occurring. That is, they shut down democracy to try to win.
Despite overwhelming pressure and death threats, Walker and the Republican legislators hung in there to win.
These guys are heroes and should be treated as such. Shame on NR for such lukewarm praise. BTW, who wrote this editorial?
You say: "progressives have called for his (Walker's) assassination". I have read a lot of articles on the Wisconsin thing, and have never seen this charge before. Did you mean "death threat"? If each death threat (most of which are anonymous, by the way) is considered a call for an assassination by the opposite party, then how many calls have there been for the assassination of Obama by the Republicans or the conservatives? Such phrasing is irresponsible - neither party has called for assassinations.
You say "it is in truth a modest (reform): Under the new law, government workers will vote annually on whether they wish to be represented by a union, and the state will not be compelled to extract union dues from employees’ paychecks..."
Well, those provisions, if they stick, will in fact result in the extinction of the unions in WI. One year after the bargaining and dues deduction rights were taken from the public employee unions in Indiana, membership was down by 90%.
