Doesn’t sound like Wisconsin Senate majority leader Scott Fitzgerald was amused by the missing Democratic senators’ request for a meeting today on the Wisconsin-Illinois border to figure out a compromise on the collective bargaining legislation. Here’s the letter he sent today to Sen. Mark Miller, the Senate minority leader:
March 7, 2011
Sen. Mark Miller
Parts Unknown, IL
Dear Senator Miller,
Thank you for your hand-delivered letter with an offer to meet, in Illinois, about the business and future direction of Wisconsin.
Let’s set aside how bizarre that is for a moment.
As you know, this legislation is designed to finally balance the state budget, prevent layoffs and create jobs in the real world. There are hundreds of thousands of unemployed or underemployed Wisconsinites, and at least 1,500 more whose jobs are in the balance because of your media stunt. We all deserve better than this.
In the meantime, members of your caucus have been meeting with the governor’s staff, talking to the media, trying to find a way back to Madison, and contradicting your message in public. In case you don’t remember, you were present yourself at one of those meetings with the governor’s staff. Your grasp of reality, and control of your caucus as minority leader, continues to amaze me.
As you know, your opportunity to compromise and amend the bill was on the floor of the state Senate. As you know, you forfeited that right and opportunity when you decided to flee the state instead of doing your job.
Your stubbornness in trying to ignore the last election and protect the broken status quo is truly shameful. While we wait for you and your colleagues to finally show up, Senate Republicans continue to stand ready to do the job we were elected to do, here in Wisconsin. I hope you are enjoying your vacation, and your vacation from reality.
Sincerely,
Scott Fitzgerald
Senate Majority Leader
CC: Governor Scott Walker
In a press conference today, Gov. Walker called Miller’s letter calling for a meeting “ridiculous.”
“For us to move forward, we need reasonable and responsible officials,” Walker said, according to the Los Angeles Times. “This letter is absolutely ridiculous. He [Miller] is the person standing in the way.”
That's going to leave a mark.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseToo polite, too deferential, but a step in the right direction!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseFacts are facts, and dem's da facts. Way to go Scott Fitzgerald, telling the truth is much easier than playing games.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHoo-Yah!! 14 (or so) thumbs up for the Scotts. Get them matching kilts! Excellent 1-2 combination punch of common sense and sarcasm.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDid Chris Christie ghost-write that letter?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMajority leader Fitzgerald now knows how the rest of us feel in trying to get a government worker to do their job.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseCharm, wit, and the truth all in one glorious package. I love it!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI appreciate Senator Fitzgerald's clear and straightforward style. But it's not the best letter ever - google the '70's letter to the Cleveland Brown's fan complaining about paper airplanes at the games.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThis is absurd. This is childish. Do they honestly think this is a viable offer? This smacks of desperation on their part and will only embolden the Republicans. What world are they living in?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDoesn’t sound like Wisconsin Senate majority leader Scott Fitzgerald was amused...
Oh, I beg to differ. I think he was HIGHLY amused!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe only thing missing from the response was to note how pathetic it is for Wisconsin Dems to try and convene the legislature in another state.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf the courier who is going to wander "Parts Unknown, IL" needs transportation to facilitate the delivery of that letter to the wayward senator, I hear that Jon Stewart has a spare camel.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhat a GREAT letter! Telling it like it is. This is very complimentary to the news conference he had with Gov Walker today.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseStay strong the fiscal future of this state depends on you not caving to these “senators” during their media stunt.
And to you lefties, I don’t want to ever hear about the voter being disenfranchised ever again. The fleeing 14 are disenfranchising every voter who participated in the last election. For those eligible voters who didn’t vote in the last election, who cares about them. .
Finally! This is exactly the response I've been advocating since day 1: "The proper place to debate the bill is on the floor of the Senate, in Wisconsin!"
Any time any Republican is asked by a reporter to respond to something from the Fugitives, they should stick to that response. Why should they debate with a reporter a position they are hearing about 3rd hand? If the Dems want a response to their offer, they shouldn't get one by phoning a reporter from an undisclosed location and then having that reporter press their Republican colleagues on it on national TV. Its absurd.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI think everyone of them should be fired. If anyone in the private sector left their job for 1-2 months, it would be considered a voluntary resigning and the position would be filled by someone who wanted the job.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWisonsin should build a border fence out of cheese and union-free. It will:
1. Keep the dairy industry working.
2. Keep the unions at bay and let the people of Wisconsin experience a Right to Work environment.
3. Keep the Fleebagging tards in Illinois, where they belong.
The cheese thing may be a bit too much.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSenator Fitzgerald's letter is disgusting. Was he unable to respond on the merits? The situation in Wisconsin needs leadership, not childish name-calling. The response was petty and unbefitting a majority leader of any party.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThat letter is awesomeness, squared.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe only thing missing from the letter was a Louisville Slugger logo, and some pine tar.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe response is nothing more than a continuation of the false charges against the Wisconsin 14 and ignoring the reality on the ground. There was no negotiation occurring on the floor of the Senate as the Republicans were causing Tyranny of the Majority and ignoring the Democrats entirely.
This Bill is not about the budget as most of what is in it has utterly nothing to do with the budget. If this bill is about the budget, amend out everything that has nothing to do with the budget and get it passed. Remove the ability of the governor to sell off the power plants without oversight and without bidding, remove any mention of unions collective bargaining, remove everything that isn't about funding the $140 million give away in taxes to businesses and the rich that Governor Walker caused when he had a budget surplus.
I assure you the Bill will pass without problem if that occurs. If that the goal to pass a budget fixer, then pare the bill down to just that.
To the charge that the Wisconsin 14 aren't doing their job.
That job would be to ensure several things. 1 - that they represent the people that voted them into office 2 - That they look out for the welfare of the citizens of the State of Wisconsin and 3 - Ensure that the democratic process happens.
Democracy is the process that occurs when all sides get to have a say. What the Republicans have done is attempt to force a tyranny upon the people of Wisconsin by refusing to hold any debate on this bill. That is not democracy, that is tyranny, specifically it is the tyranny of the majority something our founding fathers were rightly very concerned and worried about. That is why our founding fathers put certain checks and balances on government and the Wisconsin State government is patterned off of that system of Checks and balances. One of those checks and balances is the requirement to have a quorum to vote that way no single party could pass legislation without the other party.
Now it seems that the republicans have come to their senses and have actually been talking with the democrats and some kind of deal is in the works and could come into being tonight. If the republicans hadn't attempted to force tyranny upon the citizens of Wisconsin by refusing to talk and negotiate with the democrats to begin with, none of this would have happened.
The Wisconsin 14 DID THEIR JOBS and they did it very well. They protected the citizens of Wisconsin from tyranny by using the only tool they had left, the final check to the power of the tyranny of the majority, they did the only thing they could to stop that tyranny, they walked out. That was doing their job.
I don't agree with this bill busting unions. Fine, that's okay. And if the debate had been held between both sides and the democratic conversation had occurred, and the bill passed as is, it would have been a right and just outcome and I would support that. Instead it was tyranny of the majority saying screw you buddy we don't have to talk with you we have all the votes we need so there is no democracy anymore just our tyranny of the majority. That isn't a right and just process and that makes any outcome unrighteous and unjust.
These Wisconsin Senators stood up for democracy and that is their job and it is the job of each and every citizen in the State of Wisconsin and the great country of the United States of America. When have you worked to do so?
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