OMG! you want us to pay for pensions=fascist pig

[Abby_Normal]

Democratic lawmakers have said they and union members would agree to financial concessions that the Republican governor wants in exchange for allowing workers to keep their collective bargaining rights. But Walker said he wasn't willing to budge, and he expected the bill to pass as is.

This is why I support the protesters. The governor is just being a huge douche at this point.

[Andara Bledin]

Ok, so the governor's new "budget" has been released.

Get a load of this load of this thing:

Full Details at State of Wisconsin Site
An article listing some of he highlights

If you check the bullet points from the second link, you can see that the Department of Commerce has essentially been gutted to funnel funds into the next to last bullet: the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation: A new entity with a $99 million budget and executives appointed by the governor.

I'm not getting into the nuts and bolts, but this seems like a convenient way to advance cronyism.

^-.-^

[Greenday]

Doesn't surprise me, though what he did against those worthless unions was still the right thing.

I gotta say, one argument I keep hearing is how now the governor can strip away all worker's rights and fair working conditions. Sorry, but these are some laws that will never be repealed.

[Andara Bledin]

I gotta say, one argument I keep hearing is how now the governor can strip away all worker's rights and fair working conditions. Sorry, but these are some laws that will never be repealed.

This is the kind of head in the sand, "it'll never happen" sort of attitude that doesn't stop things like that from actually happening.

^-.-^

[victory sabre]

http://www.620wtmj.com/news/local/117248828.html

Capitol Chaos: Resolution Passed To Fine 'Wisconsin 14'
By Jay Sorgi, Mick Trevey and the Associated Press

Story Created: Mar 2, 2011

Story Updated: Mar 2, 2011

MADISON - The 14 Wisconsin state Senate Democrats who left the state two weeks ago will now face fines of $100 for each day they miss, if they miss two or more days.

Republicans remaining in the Senate approved the daily fine on Wednesday morning with none of the Democrats present.

The Democrats left Wisconsin in order to delay indefinitely a Republican-backed bill taking away collective bargaining rights from public employees.

The resolution passed on Wednesday also requires the missing Democrats to reimburse the Senate for any costs incurred during attempts to force them to return. Their salary and other per diem payments can be withheld until they pay back the penalties and costs.

Republicans have already withheld the checks of missing Democrats from direct deposit and denied access to copying machines for their staff.

According to TODAY'S TMJ4's Mick Trevey, there are punishments incorporated into the resolution which would allow for the removal of offices from senators, to downsize their offices, to take away spending capabilities for their offices for photocopies and office supplies, even to changing the way the staffs are run.

The two-day clock would not begin until Thursday, and if senators do not return two days later, the $100 fines and other measures could possibly begin.

If the Democrat Senators don't show up to do their jobs, there need to be consequences for their actions. I'm glad to see that the hammer is coming down on them.

[AdminAssistant]

I suppose by "do their job" you mean, "return, remove pants, and take it in the ass like good little Democrats", right? This is a protest against unreasonable actions taken by a Governor with little foresight who, I'm guessing, probably already has his eye on the White House. As soon as those senators return, the Republicans will set to work on moving this entire country back a few decades.

[linguist]

If the Democrat Senators don't show up to do their jobs, there need to be consequences for their actions. I'm glad to see that the hammer is coming down on them.

How is delaying a vote on maliciously targeted legislation while compromise attempts are made in order to protect the interests of those who voted them into office not doing their job? It seems to me that's the very definition of their job.

By this same logic, we should be fining all politicians (of both parties) who have attempted to delay votes by filibuster. The effect is the same.

[Greenday]

How is delaying a vote on maliciously targeted legislation while compromise attempts are made in order to protect the interests of those who voted them into office not doing their job? It seems to me that's the very definition of their job.

Well, their delaying tactic was not showing up for work. I believe not showing up for work is not doing your job.

This is the kind of head in the sand, "it'll never happen" sort of attitude that doesn't stop things like that from actually happening.

^-.-^

Guess I should stop my head in the sand attitude of Obama becoming the next hitler and starting another genocide since I believe that will never happen.

Republicans are never going to repeal basic workers rights.

[Boozy]

Republicans are never going to repeal basic workers rights.

They don't have to repeal anything to make those laws toothless.

Just because a law is on the books doesn't mean that a magic wand is waved and everyone falls into line. Laws require enforcement. When a governing party doesn't like a law, they don't repeal it. They just cut the budgets of the enforcement agencies. And in this case, remove collective bargaining rights.

[Greenday]

I can see it now. Workers will soon be paid less than minimum wage and will be forced to handle toxic materials without any safety equipment along with all sorts of dangerous things!

Come on, this is just starting to sound like playing on people's fears.

[Tanasi]

I suppose by "do their job" you mean, "return, remove pants, and take it in the ass like good little Democrats", right? This is a protest against unreasonable actions taken by a Governor with little foresight who, I'm guessing, probably already has his eye on the White House. As soon as those senators return, the Republicans will set to work on moving this entire country back a few decades.

But it's OK when the Democrats do the same thing???

How is delaying a vote on maliciously targeted legislation while compromise attempts are made in order to protect the interests of those who voted them into office not doing their job? It seems to me that's the very definition of their job.

By this same logic, we should be fining all politicians (of both parties) who have attempted to delay votes by filibuster. The effect is the same.

By not showing up they're not doing their job. Don't you think there are people who voted for these democrats that agree with the governer???
As for your second statement the filibuster is an agreed upon rule, it just so happens that now it's working against the democrats. Where is the rule that running away and hiding???

Personally any teacher or other public employee that called in sick and then showed up to protest should be immediately fired for fraud and prosecuted.

[Racket_Man]

I can see it now. Workers will soon be paid less than minimum wage and will be forced to handle toxic materials without any safety equipment along with all sorts of dangerous things!

I see you see clearly. this sort of thing IS happening all accross the US. the US DOL really does not enforce it own rules and policies. they only seem to enforce the rules IF the violation is so agregious and public that it is in the best interst TO enforce the laws and rules.

see the many stories about Wal-Mart and overtime, working off the clock, locking employees inside the store and making them work off the clock, hiring illegal aliens or contractors who employee illegals, keeping employees just under the minimum # of hours for benefits, Wal-Mart sending out memos on how to get employees on the state Medicade programs, etc.

Look at all of the problems with certain industries such as petrolium and chemical and all of the nasty chemicals the workers are exposed to but the company will deny ANY connection to cancers, terminal illnesses, or such. the Repubs are trying to literally GUT the EPA as we speak.

Heck even the US govenment puts up a wall of denial. at the McMurdo Antartic research station in the 1960's the Navy/Airforce used a poorly maintained nuclear reactor. now the personal who served at the station mostly have developed exotic cancers. BUT NO according to the US the leaky reactor was NOT the cause.

Try filing a wage discrimiation action with the DOL or report stuff to OSHA and see how "fast" action get taken. slow as molassass on a cold day. AND the agency will let slip that an inspection is about to take place allowing the company to "clean up " it act.

companies WANT their workers to earn less and take more crap. it is cheaper for the companies as labor is a MAJOR cost of doing business.

I am waiting for my company to drop my pay by $2 an hour. and yes it will happen.

[Greenday]

see the many stories about Wal-Mart and overtime, working off the clock, locking employees inside the store and making them work off the clock, hiring illegal aliens or contractors who employee illegals, keeping employees just under the minimum # of hours for benefits, Wal-Mart sending out memos on how to get employees on the state Medicade programs, etc.

Other than the illegals, I haven't heard of any of those (I'm not counting the keeping employees at a certain number of hours to prevent them from mandatory benefits because that's not illegal).

Look at all of the problems with certain industries such as petrolium and chemical and all of the nasty chemicals the workers are exposed to but the company will deny ANY connection to cancers, terminal illnesses, or such. the Repubs are trying to literally GUT the EPA as we speak.

We all know they are harmful and the companies are just trying to save dollars. This is what the court system is for. The problem is you can't just say "I've been exposed to chemicals so where's my money!?" You have to prove you were exposed to them enough to warrant it being possible. And yes I realize the republicans hate the EPA.

Heck even the US govenment puts up a wall of denial. at the McMurdo Antartic research station in the 1960's the Navy/Airforce used a poorly maintained nuclear reactor. now the personal who served at the station mostly have developed exotic cancers. BUT NO according to the US the leaky reactor was NOT the cause.

What else were they doing there? What else did they do in their lives? I haven't seen to case but I can come up with plenty of questions that can cast enough doubt to stump a jury or at least confuse them.

companies WANT their workers to earn less and take more crap. it is cheaper for the companies as labor is a MAJOR cost of doing business.

I am waiting for my company to drop my pay by $2 an hour. and yes it will happen.

You have just defined capitalism. It's the system we've chosen. You just happen to be on the crappy end of it.

[Andara Bledin]

Other than the illegals, I haven't heard of any of those (I'm not counting the keeping employees at a certain number of hours to prevent them from mandatory benefits because that's not illegal).

There's plenty of news reports out there regarding Walmart's abuse of their workers. It doesn't take much work at all to find entire sites dedicated to educating people like you about just how bad they can be.

You have just defined capitalism. It's the system we've chosen. You just happen to be on the crappy end of it.

We no more have a true capitalist system than we have a democratic one.

Because both systems, when unregulated and tempered by other factors, works to the detriment of the individual.

^-.-^

[Racket_Man]

There's plenty of news reports out there regarding Walmart's abuse of their workers. It doesn't take much work at all to find entire sites dedicated to educating people like you about just how bad they can be.


We no more have a true capitalist system than we have a democratic one.

Because both systems, when unregulated and tempered by other factors, works to the detriment of the individual.

^-.-^

here is the latest Wal-Mart class action suit. I heard about this on the local news at noon

1.6 MILLION women get class action status for gender discrimination suit against WM

and WM was warned YEARS prior that their practices were discrimintory
Early 1990's internal study details WMs potential legal libabilities