The occupation of the Wisconsin state capitol continues, as does the two-week impasse over Gov. Scott Walker’s budget-repair bill. Police were scheduled to remove protesters at 4 p.m. Sunday, but Capitol Police Chief Charles Tubbs decided to let the folks stay. No one was arrested and cleaning crews were forced to work around the lingering activists.
“I think this is the best way of dealing with this issue,” Tubbs explained to reporters. “There is no plan to become confrontational,” added Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “We haven’t seen that in over 40 years.”
Walker, for his part, continues to not blink. He is pushing for the 14 Democratic state senators who remain on the lam in Illinois to return to Madison and vote by Tuesday in order to restructure the state’s bonds this fiscal year.
“I do believe that this is our moment in Wisconsin’s history,” Walker said Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press. “It’s one of those where, for year after year after year, not just the last governor, but governors before, legislatures before, have kicked the can. They’ve taken one-time fixes to push the budget problems off into the future. We can’t do that. We’re broke. Like nearly every other state across the country, we’re broke. And it’s about time somebody stood up and told the truth in this state and said, ‘Here’s our problem. Here’s the solution,’ and acted on it.”
Walker plans to deliver his two-year budget tomorrow. If his budget-repair bill does not pass by the time he unveils it, he says that he will have to lay off 1,500 state workers. And if it never passes, he warns that 5,000 state workers could lose their jobs.
Still, Walker hinted on local television Sunday that he would avoid issuing “pink slips” for as long as possible, so the timetable remains relatively fluid. Democrats, however, show no sign of relenting. State Sen. Jon Erpenbach, the vocal leader of the escaped Democrats, reiterated Sunday that he and his colleagues will roost in northern Illinois until Walker gives in.
Meanwhile, celebrities such as Bradley Whitford of West Wing fame and Sixties icon Peter Yarrow from Peter, Paul & Mary came to Madison over the weekend to cheer on the protesters.
I am not sure why Walker thinks that threatening layoffs to state workers would entice the Democratic Senators back to work. I imagine that they, and their union bosses, believe that sacrificing 1500, or 5000, workers is a small price to pay for maintaining the power of the union in perpetuity. The whole premise of a union is to devalue the individual in favor of the collective. The well-being of the union, not the unionized, is what counts.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI've long given up on seeing Democrats act in a responsible manner, with respect for rules, procedures, elections and the will of the people, but this hold my breath till I turn blue juvenile buffoonery is on a whole other level.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt's time to call in the National Guard to disperse the unlawful occupation of the capitol building. All the police refusing to enforce the law should be immediately fired.
The leftist claim of 'victory for democracy' is in reality a victory for anarchy and mob rule.
The electoral process is only 'honored' by the left if their side has won. Otherwise protest!
It seems that a new Civil War is inevitable in this country, sadly.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMeanwhile, celebrities such as Bradley Whitford of West Wing fame and Sixties icon Peter Yarrow from Peter, Paul & Mary came to Madison over the weekend to cheer on the protesters.
Maybe Pacino will show up and start a chant of "Attica! Attica!"
I give the governor a lot of credit for showing restraint. He would be on solid ground if he ordered the building cleared of hippies.
Maybe he knows the longer this circus is on TV, the stronger his position. But, I'd love to see the water cannons come out and wash these deadbeat out of the capitol.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIn the end this is about one thing--the rejection of our democratic system. Both sides can argue until the cows come home on the wisdom of one policy over another, but in the end the people of Wisconsin have learned that the Democratic Party is only willing to participate in a republic if they win the election.
Personally I wish folks on the right would start framing the argument in these terms, rather than go toe-to-toe on arguing against government unions (very important arguments, but secondary to ending our political system). When we skip over the rejection of democracy itself we tacitly give approval to what the Democrats have done. The Democrat legislators are now actually demanding that Republican legislators negotiate with the union mob rather than their elected representatives. It's astounding stuff that deserves about 90% of the spotlight.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseBradley Whitford!!! No, we are doomed, they have called in the big guns, next thing we know Jackson Brown will play a free concert in support of the leftest union members, then what will we do?????
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe good news is that, the longer they stay there, the more people realize the state really can survive without these super-vital employees being at "work"
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDeclare their senate seats vacant and call for special elections. They'll be back in no time.....to sue most likely, but they'll be back.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseActually, I think this was a smart move on the part of the authorities because it robbed the protesters of the coveted arrest record that would cement their reputation as freedom fighters in the mode of the 1960s civil rights movement. One mother, proud of her 1960s activism, brought her daughter specially for the confrontation late Sunday afternoon as a lesson in "how democracy works." Although it is now little more than a kabuki theater in which each side knows how to play its role, no kabuki is better. One of the protesters was quoted as saying "Wisconsin is our Selma." Really? "Madison is our Resurrection City" is more like it. Eventually the protest ends. The less political theater the more focus on the issue not being about "worker justice" but "taxpayer justice."
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Meanwhile, celebrities such as Bradley Whitford of West Wing fame and Sixties icon Peter Yarrow from Peter, Paul & Mary came to Madison over the weekend to cheer on the protesters."
- I guess Randolph Mantooth and the bass player from Procol Harum must have been busy.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe behavior of the protesters - making a mess and expecting taxpayers to pay for the clean-up - is what the fight in Madison and elsewhere is all about: public union employees getting their way and expecting taxpayers to silently suffer the consequences.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseRightEveryTime: You have been so far (but it's only the 1st post of yours I have read). My only quibble - New Civil War? Yes, figuratively, not literally.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"If his budget-repair bill does not pass by the time he unveils it, he says that he will have to lay off 1,500 state workers. And if it never passes, he warns that 5,000 state workers could lose their jobs."
Wisconsin's Democratic State Senators should be included in these numbers.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbusePeter Yarrow? He's a-live? Whoa, I thought he died years ago.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAm I the only one who is somewhat happy that the WI Capitol Agency allowed the protestors to stay last night?
My biggest fear is of the cameras rolling while protestors, as disgustingly annoying and childish as they are, are being carried out of the Capitol for not violating any major laws. The last thing Walker needs is to be seen as a tyrant and for the protestors to begin crying "Egypt, Egypt," as they are dragged away.
Personally, this is a fight I dont mind capitulating over. As Walker himself said to "Koch" last week, let them protest all they want. Do not be afraid of losing an insignificant battle here or there if it means winning the war, and so far Walker IS winning the war.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe mayor of Madison reports no trash problem on Capitol Square, so already the T-Partiers have changed the world. I am proud of my home State and the restraint practiced by all concerned. I would like to see the Wisconsin Senate act on bills that require only a simple majority.
Let the various State Senate Districts deal with their own absent representatives. I am sure their staffs are carefully watching the trends in email and phone calls. Since they represent Democratic strongholds (often UW cities) they are between a rock and a hard place. Let it play out. As a popular chant in Madison goes "What does Democracy look like? This is what Democracy looks like."
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseCraig,
Interesting point. Looks like there may be cold-blooded calculation on the unions' part that they can take an acceptable number of casualties.
Alas, 'tis a pity the public unions are still doomed even if they "win" in Wisconsin--even Donk governors in Blue States are now waking up and smelling the freshly-ground, cooperative-grown, Fair Trade coffee.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIndy82, the New York City experiment conclusively proved that stopping violators of "minor" laws leads to a reduction in violations of "major" laws. If these people tried to occupy a school building after hours they would be escorted out by the police. What makes them so special that they should be treated differently here?
I can see that the police might want to avoid direct confrontation, but people who don't want "their" capitol building trashed might feel better about the current state of affairs if there was some plan for turfing these people out. It might also help reduce the size of the daily demonstrations by making them more expensive for the unions to support.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt is kind of telling isn't it? There is a mess that needs to be cleaned up. Public employee union members refuse to get out of the way to allow the mess they made to be cleaned up, so the cleaning has to work around the unions.
So, am I talking about the fiscal situation, or the physical situation in the Wisconsin Capital building?
Also, typical police response to anything. Don't deal with the offenders. Wouldn't want them to do their jobs. Surprised they didn't knock on random people's doors and tell them to go home when they are already home.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt's time for the nuclear option.
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