Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin told Fox News Sunday this morning that he will consider “every option” as he attempts to bring Democratic state senators back to the capitol to vote on his budget plan. “We are willing to take this as long as it takes,” he said. “We are doing the right thing.”
“My hope is that cooler minds will prevail,” Walker said. “Democracy is not about hiding out in other states.”
Walker acknowledged that his battle against the public-sector unions has “large ramifications” for the rest of the country, especially as fellow governors grapple with their own budget gaps. “For us, we have to do this,” he said. “For decades, we had leaders who pushed off the problem.”
President Obama, he added, should “stay focused on fixing the federal deficit.”
Walker cited Gov. Chris Christie (R., N.J.), Gov. Mitch Daniels (R., Ind.) and Tim Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor, as fellow fiscal hawks. “They’ve told me to hang in there,” he said.
Oh great. Another Gandhian hippie, another pansy Repooflican.
Nonviolence doesn't work when you're up against experienced Commies.
The only "option" he needs is leadership. Fire the teachers, declare that the legislature has abdicated, and rule by pure executive order until the next election brings in a valid legislature.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"President Obama, he added, should 'stay focused on fixing the federal deficit.'"
ka-CHING:
***!!!JACKPOT!!!***
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThree takeaways:
1. The opposition strategy: to be more sensational in order to dominate the message in news reports. That and they think the tea party's tactics are too tame. After all, teapersons tend to not takeover capitol buildings, etc.
2. Negotiate with the unions since they indicated a willingness to discuss fringe benefits? Sounds like Saddam Hussein wanting to discuss his grievances with Kuwait.
3. Abraham Lincoln most famously did not say, "government of the [unions], by the [unions], for the [unions] shall not perish from the earth." Unions are a special interest and necessarily in conflict with the most crucial and most necessary concept of "the people."
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe "news" reports are all calling it a "right" to collective bargaining. And sure, I suppose there are statutes granting that status -- but a right? Put aside the question of individual vs collective rights (if you can) and ask: who's the counterparty?
Hey NYT -- taxpayers are also going to assert a "right" to collective bargaining. Instead of seniority we'll apportion governing votes according to net "contributions" and our reps will sit at every negotiating table. Our tax-union bosses will bribe the committees and skirt the campaign finance laws just like the bureaucrat-unions do. LOL.
Would be fun (but for that problem of collective over individual rights again, so I'd never join).
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAs long as the WI state senators are AWOL-- out of state, no less, the citizens of WI are without representation. Why aren't these people angry about this abdication of responsibility?
When do demonstrations for redress or examples of civil disobedience cross the line of mob rule? How do these WI union protestors justify their lack of ethics in calling off sick and being protected by deceitful doctors' excuses?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAt what point do the Dem Senators have to declare their intention to change their residency to Illinois? If they do not intend to come back while Walker is governor, it sounds like they no longer want to be residents of Wisconsin. This must have some impact on their ability to be state senators. Thoughts??
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAt what point do the Dem Senators have to declare their intention to change their residency to Illinois? If they do not intend to come back while Walker is governor, it sounds like they no longer want to be residents of Wisconsin. This must have some impact on their ability to be state senators. Thoughts??
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGo Gov. Walker! We're cheering for you. Win this one and we may have a chance taking down those blasted public employee unions across the country! May God speed the day.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSooo...can one of the Republican legislators switch parties for a day or two just to force the vote? That'd bring the chickens back to the coop pronto!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe unions have miscalculated. They have made this too big for Walker to back down. If he did, the municipal bond market would crash.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThere is a right, of course, to freely associate with others and attempt to collectively bargain.
There is no obligation on the employer's part to do so, or any right to force them to. Failure to understand this seems to be causing the confusion for the liberal media. If there is any right involved here, it is the employer's right to not be forced into collective bargaining.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"President Obama, he added, should 'stay focused on fixing the federal deficit.' ”
The more I hear, the more I like this guy Walker.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"President Obama, he added, should 'stay focused on fixing the federal deficit."
"Stay focused," my ass.
No, Governor, President Bambi should START fixing the federal deficit, or get out of the way of those who will.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse@Boozhwa
Don't you realize that anything the left wants is automatically escalated to a "right". Meanwhile, things like the ability of the state Senate holding a vote have been reduced to a "maybe, if we feel like it".
It must all make perfect sense, if you are a current-day liberal. For the rest of us, not so much.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe union bosses say they are willing to "negotiate" around the margins but not over the basic issue, their authority to bargain with the elected representatives of the people. You don't have be very old to remember when people went into public service knowing they wouldn't earn as much money but would not have to work as hard and have greater job security. Now they make far more money and still have far more job security -- and still don't work as hard. What's wrong with this picture? It's upside down. Labor can inveigh against greedy capital in the private sector, but if they are civil servants -- they are neither in many cases -- the bosses are the public. The Third Reich began with the creation of a workers socialist party.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThis is NOT helping the Democrats win back the independent vote. If they think it is-then they are delusional.
Keep it up Dems!!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDo our rights to democratic representation trump public sector "rights" to collective bargaining?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWere I Governor Walker, I would do two things.
(1) say that, on some review, he's seen how some people would see certain portions of the bill as an attack on Union. At the same time, he needs to keep the people's ability to determine their budget and commitments, as well to make operational changes in a timely fashion. Therefore, I'll offer one compromise option. Wisconsin will adopt the Federal system for labor and employment (which is also "worker's rights" and which does not allow bargaining on wages and benefits), with some wrinkles: (a) that the state won't do the dues collection for the unions, (b) after 30 days, any bargaining over the change in conditions of employment would be "post-implementation," and, on impasse, to go to a panel of 3 appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate to choose between the "last best offers" of both sides, and (c) if letting employees review whether they want a Union at all or the current Union in particular each year is too much, do it on 4 year terms, like elections.
(2) If the school closures continue through Tuesday, on Tuesday evening say: this has gone on long enough. You get one more day, after that, any teacher who called out sick who does not have valid medical certification showing that they had a specific medical conditions that incapacitated them for the entire day - including any requisite medical tests, diagnosis, prognosis, etc. - will be fired for illegal striking. Fraud will also be prosecuted.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseConservatives should not back down on this fight one inch.
At the core of the public sector unions is a clear asymmetry in negotiation. If you own both sides of the negotating table by getting Democrats elected in turn for pay-back there is a clear problem.
The taxpayer is not well represented in this battle.
Public sector unions need to go...period.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI seem to recall a tactic the Democrats tried to use to "pass" Obamacare. The Republicans in WI should just "deem" that the bill has passed.
Why not? If the socialists can just make laws without votes, everyone should.
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