The high-stakes labor fight in Wisconsin gets more intense
Wisconsin has seen a lot of political drama over the last couple of months, but in many ways the real fight there has barely begun.
Wisconsin Democrats, for example, are trying to force recall votes against eight Republican state senators, and they claim to be succeeding. They need to throw out three Republicans to regain control of the state Senate, and as the Washington Post reports, they sound pretty optimistic.
“We’re well ahead of schedule,” said Graeme Zielinski, Wisconsin Democratic Party spokesman. “I think in mid-summer, you will have a Democratic Senate.”
That would be quite a turn of events.
However, Wisconsin voters won’t have to wait until summer to make their sentiments known. As it turns out, state Justice David Prosser is up for re-election on April 5, a fact that ordinarily might not mean much. But back in December, shortly after the victory of Gov. Scott Walker, Prosser had aligned himself closely with the new governor, telling Wisconsin voters that his re-election to the court meant “protecting the conservative judicial majority and acting as a common sense complement to both the new administration and legislature.”
With Walker now down in the polls, acting as a judicial complement to the governor suddenly isn’t all that popular. It didn’t help matters when it was revealed last week that in court deliberations, Prosser had called the state’s chief justice “a total bitch” and promised to “destroy” her. He later explained that while he might have overreacted, “it was entirely warranted,” blaming his colleague for “deliberately goading people into perhaps incautious statements.”
In other words, she had it coming.
Finally, there’s the story of one Carlos Lam. On Feb. 19, he sent Gov. Walker an email, lauding him for his stance against unions and offering a bit of advice. Drawing upon his 18 years of experience in politics, Lam suggested that Walker stage on attack on himself, perhaps by someone using a firearm, to discredit the union opposition.
There are a lot of crazies out there, but in this case, the man advocating the staging of a felony attack on a public office is — or more accurately, was — a deputy prosecutor in Johnson County, Indiana. Lam resigned that post yesterday after initially denying, then admitting, that he had indeed sent that email.
It’s impossible to know how often such “false flag” operations are actually carried out. For example, it’s interesting to note that a couple of weeks after the Lam email was sent, while union protests continued at the Capitol, Capitol police reported finding dozens of .22 caliber hollow-point bullets secreted at three entrances to the building.
Nobody knows who put them there, or why. But these days, you can’t take anything at face value.
– Jay Bookman
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636 comments Add your comment
Bosch
March 25th, 2011
11:21 am
George,
Our economy has certainly thrived with tax rates higher than they are now. To me, the problem is the wages people make now. Whether or not people buy stuff has more to do with their wages, than what they are taxed, because we (businesses and individuals) are taxed very low compared to other countries.
George W
March 25th, 2011
11:22 am
Doggone…”and not hiring is not the only CHOICE they have” agreed.
Bosch
March 25th, 2011
11:23 am
““They have enough wealth to go around”?”
Yeah, George I do. That concept is the basis for civilization as we know it, since man stopped wondering the countryside in nomadic tribes and settled into villages. It’s only been in the past three years that people have totally freaked out about that, and I don’t really know why.
George W
March 25th, 2011
11:25 am
Bosch…yes the economy did fine at one time with higher tax rates. However at that time we were not battling out of a recession and a housing market that no one has ever seen before.
Bosch you must be comparing the US to countries that tax higher because their kings live in compounds and 99% of the people live in huts.
Doggone/GA
March 25th, 2011
11:25 am
“Of import, the fact that it happens because self sufficiency is generally inefficient”
Certainly, but nevertheless, it’s still the customer that has to be there first for there to be a demand for a business to do some of that work.
DebbieDoRight
March 25th, 2011
11:25 am
Debbie….it is a tax break not a revenue stream. You are thinking they are making “TONS OF MONEY” off of the tax breaks just shows how far into LA LA land you live
But why give them tax breaks in the first place if they’re not going turn around and more or less do what the states are asking “hire people”? States can’t run on air, they need tax dollars, if they’re not going to get it from the companies, then it has to come from the people; however if the people don’t have jobs……….
La Land might be a tad bit better than Never Never Land………..just saying……..
Get facts, its eye opening.
March 25th, 2011
11:26 am
The people voted these republicans into office to take care of the government takeover and the republicans did just that. The Democrates ran like cowards they are because they need the unions to make sure they keep power over WE THE PEOPLE. This shows that government does not care what WE THE PEOPLE WANT
George W
March 25th, 2011
11:26 am
Bosch……the past three years???? Really? So you think if a socialist minded or Marxist president attempted to run in say 1940 the American people would not have an issue with it?
ButtHead
March 25th, 2011
11:26 am
WE DO NOT NEED MORE OR HIGHER TAXES, WE NEED TO CUT SPENDING! Why is that so hard, every household in America has had to so why do politicians find it so hard?
jm
March 25th, 2011
11:27 am
Doggone 11:25 – and the other guy has to be there to do the work for the customer. who cares who comes first? the answer is neither, but believe what you want.
Bosch
March 25th, 2011
11:27 am
George,
“Bosch you must be comparing the US to countries that tax higher because their kings live in compounds and 99% of the people live in huts.”
Nope, but I certainly see us heading in that direction considering the wealth disparity we have seen in the past couple decades.
Again, it’s all about the wages people are making, not the taxes. To me, THAT’S the 800 lb. elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about. All we hear from those on the right is “wealth envy” which is a lame excuse not based in reality.
George W
March 25th, 2011
11:28 am
Debbie…..those tax breaks may be what is keeping them in business in the first place. Many companies have failed business models and are barely hanging on by a thread. These tax breaks allow them to stay open, provide services to the public and employ citizens of the community.
Not all business owners are evil rich thugs that you think they are.
jm
March 25th, 2011
11:28 am
Butthead – funny question. As a guy pointed out today: fixing our government, our budget deficit, etc. is not really that hard. All it takes is a set of politicians willing to not get re-elected.
Therein lies the problem.
George W
March 25th, 2011
11:29 am
Bosch……It is all about wages people are not making……Free society you are welcome to go to another job. Or educate yourself and move into a new field.
Bosch
March 25th, 2011
11:30 am
“Bosch……the past three years???? Really? So you think if a socialist minded or Marxist president attempted to run in say 1940 the American people would not have an issue with it?”
Well by today’s standards, FDR was certainly more of what you could call a socialist than Obama.
Again, that concept is the basis for civilization as we know it today. For some reason you people are freaking out about it as if it’s something new imagined by the boogeyman in the White House.
jm
March 25th, 2011
11:30 am
Obama looks very much out of his depth…. the aloof professor has become disconnected from reality and is now floating with his head in the clouds.
Bosch
March 25th, 2011
11:31 am
“Bosch……It is all about wages people are not making……Free society you are welcome to go to another job. Or educate yourself and move into a new field.”
And just how realistic is that? Sure you can do that, everybody is free to do what they want, and opportunities abound, but how realistic is for a family to just jump up and move to a new job, or dad/mom drop their job to go back to school?
That’s certainly a theory vs. reality way of thinking there George.
Scottie
March 25th, 2011
11:32 am
I’ll develop a failed business model for a big enough tax break.
George W
March 25th, 2011
11:32 am
Bosch….the fact is we are not a socialist or marxist society….I dont care if it was FDR, Obama or Mickey Mouse…..that premise scares businesses and most citizens.
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
March 25th, 2011
11:32 am
Don’t have to go thru 7 pages of comments to know that unions=bad/right-to-work=good has been spilled ad nauseum.
Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Tennessee, Ohio, and other states that are going after public sector unions should just be outright honest in what they’re doing. It has nothing to do with balancing budgets. It’s all about the GOP trying to destroy a major part of the Democratic Party fundraising machine. It’s a double-edged sword though. If the end effect is getting the unions to become even more of a fundraiser for democrats, then the GOP will fail miserably. Trying to paint things as class warfare may have bad consequences.
Most of the younger workers have no idea or clue as to how unions functioned in the past. If they begin to make the association with stagnant wages and the demise of unions, there may end up being an uptick in organization for unions.
Sometimes, dirty politics has a way of coming back and biting you on the ass. The GOP should be very careful in what they’re doing.
Lynn
March 25th, 2011
11:33 am
Doggone- I dont think so. The Repubs in that state went against public opinion, gave big businesses tax breaks that dont work to create jobs etc. The Democrats finally stood for what they believed. The law will be reversed and sanity will be restored as a result. This Governor and the Repubs. took away collective bargaining rights even though workers were will to pay for more of their pension, health care and other expenses. RECALL RECALL RECALLLLLLLLL
Dave R.
March 25th, 2011
11:33 am
“Sure Dave, I’ll give you all that — but do you think those people would have sank their money into creating and inventing those glorious wonderful things if they thought they couldn’t sell them to someone?”
Hence, the term “risk”.
But you’d never get me to buy the spray-on hair coat.
jm
March 25th, 2011
11:33 am
Bosch 11:31 – actually, George is on target and your thinking is outside of reality. If you want to sit in OK while the dust bowl consumes you, go right ahead. But that’s not very realistic.
George W
March 25th, 2011
11:34 am
Bosch…..theory vs. reality….like it or not that is the REALITY that we live in today.
jm
March 25th, 2011
11:34 am
SoCo 11:32 – it has everything to do with budgets
Bosch
March 25th, 2011
11:35 am
“….the fact is we are not a socialist or marxist society….I dont care if it was FDR, Obama or Mickey Mouse…..that premise scares businesses and most citizens.”
No it doesn’t because we are the richest capitalistic country on the planet. Our economy is number one — and through all that, there are certain parts of our country that are “socialism” or whatever catch phrase du jour y’all’ve come up with.
We will never be totally capitalistic, nor totally socialistic — much like the customer/business symbiotic relationship — you need a combination of both to have a successful society.
TaxPayer
March 25th, 2011
11:35 am
I see poor jm is still jobless. Too much time on his hands.
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
March 25th, 2011
11:36 am
Many companies have failed business models and are barely hanging on by a thread. These tax breaks allow them to stay open, provide services to the public and employ citizens of the community.
Why give them the tax breaks then? If they have a failed business model, then let them fail/succeed on their own work. That gives someone with a better business model a chance to attempt to succeed. Instead, we have cronyism going on to the point that politicians are killing the city/state/country just to keep their buddies in business to keep the campaign donations coming.
DebbieDoRight
March 25th, 2011
11:36 am
GeorgeW: Debbie…..those tax breaks may be what is keeping them in business in the first place. Many companies have failed business models and are barely hanging on by a thread.
Well then it’s just a matter of time before they fail completely – with or without these tax breaks.
These tax breaks allow them to stay open, provide services to the public and employ citizens of the community.
I understand your perspective since you are a businessman, but anyone with a “failed business model” should fail and not be carried by the community. If I were to say “Oh this woman,Martha, who has 5 kids and has worked only minimally in her life, has asked us to bankroll her life with assistance vouchers & programs, (because her two oldest children “give back” the community by helping the elderly cross the street), what would you say to that? I think You’d scream bloody murder.
jm
March 25th, 2011
11:36 am
t all seems rather mad, doesn’t it? The decision to become involved militarily in the Libyan civil war couldn’t take place within a less hospitable context. The U.S. is reeling from spending and deficits, we’re already in two wars, our military has been stretched to the limit, we’re restive at home, and no one, really, sees President Obama as the kind of leader you’d follow over the top. “This way, men!” “No, I think I’ll stay in my trench.” People didn’t hire him to start battles but to end them. They didn’t expect him to open new fronts. Did he not know this?
He has no happy experience as a rallier of public opinion and a leader of great endeavors; the central initiative of his presidency, the one that gave shape to his leadership, health care, is still unpopular and the cause of continued agitation. When he devoted his entire first year to it, he seemed off point and out of touch. This was followed by the BP oil spill, which made him look snakebit. Now he seems incompetent and out of his depth in foreign and military affairs. He is more observed than followed, or perhaps I should say you follow him with your eyes and not your heart. So it’s funny he’d feel free to launch and lead a war, which is what this confused and uncertain military action may become.
Lynn
March 25th, 2011
11:37 am
Butthead- your right lets cut spending but at the same time tell the big businesses who received bailouts to pay everything back and start employing people. The bailouts were from both parties- the rich got richer and the average middle class got poorer.
jm
March 25th, 2011
11:37 am
What was he thinking? What is he thinking?
Which gets me to Mr. Obama’s speech, the one he hasn’t given. I cannot for the life of me see how an American president can launch a serious military action without a full and formal national address in which he explains to the American people why he is doing what he is doing, why it is right, and why it is very much in the national interest. He referred to his aims in parts of speeches and appearances when he was in South America, but now he’s home. More is needed, more is warranted, and more is deserved. He has to sit at that big desk and explain his thinking, put forward the facts as he sees them, and try to garner public support. He has to make a case for his own actions. It’s what presidents do! And this is particularly important now, because there are reasons to fear the current involvement will either escalate and produce a lengthy conflict or collapse and produce humiliation.
Without a formal and extended statement, the air of weirdness, uncertainty and confusion that surrounds this endeavor will only deepen.
ButtHead
March 25th, 2011
11:37 am
I can save money right NOW for ALL government agencies, impose the FairTax, abolish the NEA, and you would only need 1\10 th of the IRS budget to collect taxes….
jm
March 25th, 2011
11:38 am
TaxPayer 11:35 – not jobless. Just job hunting
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
March 25th, 2011
11:38 am
SoCo 11:32 – it has everything to do with budgets
Bullsh*t!!!! The mayor of LA just NEGOTIATED a new deal with the unions where they’re changing pension plans. Walker himself had the unions agree to the budget demands he asked for, yet he still wanted to end collective bargaining. If it were about the budget, Walker would have accepted the concessions, or countered with an even larger demand. You can peddle that crap somewhere else, jm. I deal with bs artists on a daily basis, and know it when I see it.
Rockerbabe
March 25th, 2011
11:39 am
Don’t you just love the new recall smell? The citizens of WI have had their fill of Gov Walker and I hope he goes down in flames along with those idiots in the legislature.
jm
March 25th, 2011
11:39 am
Taxpayer 11:35 – incidentally though, you just revealed your true stripes as a heartless liberal fraud.
Bosch
March 25th, 2011
11:40 am
“like it or not that is the REALITY that we live in today.”
No, it’s not. As to the topic, it is not the norm for people to change their circumstances where they make a significant amount of money than they currently do. Does it happen? Yes, but it is certainly not the norm.
ButtHead
March 25th, 2011
11:41 am
Lynn, the problem IS the 77,000 pages of corporate tax breaks they call the tax code, the FairTax eliminates ALL of that…
jm
March 25th, 2011
11:41 am
SoCo 11:38 – not BS. I don’t know if I have the energy to explain it. Again. And again.
I’ll summarize: inordinate power wielded by the unions with their collective bargaining rights means as soon as a Dem (or even an R without a spine) gets in office, they will wield their power to fund and re-elect them over them and re-negotiate previous agreements.
Thieves cannot be reformed, only stopped by imprisonment.
Normal
March 25th, 2011
11:42 am
Well Y’all…just got back from a meeting and it was all good. We picked up some contracts and one was for 50+ million. Looks like we will be hiring again when the wheels start turning. There certainly was a collective sigh of relief from all of us. Life is good.
Bosch
March 25th, 2011
11:42 am
jm,
I thought you had a sweet gig and was moving to Singapore.
George W
March 25th, 2011
11:42 am
Bosch….
“No it doesn’t because we are the richest capitalistic country on the planet. Our economy is number one — and through all that, there are certain parts of our country that are “socialism” or whatever catch phrase du jour y’all’ve come up with. ”
Isnt this the same economy that you are bit@hing about not creating jobs? Come on man you cant have it both ways.
jm
March 25th, 2011
11:42 am
Rockerbabe – Walker can’t be recalled for the time being. wishful thinking on your part.
jm
March 25th, 2011
11:43 am
Bosch 11:42 – not yet. I wish…..
carlosgvv
March 25th, 2011
11:43 am
Bosch – “we are the richest capitalistic country on the planet”
Does that mean we can pay off our national debt? And after that lets do something about our homeless, our crumbling infrastructure and all our jobless. I mean, we are rich. Right?
DebbieDoRight
March 25th, 2011
11:43 am
SoCo: It’s all about the GOP trying to destroy a major part of the Democratic Party fundraising machine.
Paul made the same observation.
we have cronyism going on to the point that politicians are killing the city/state/country just to keep their buddies in business to keep the campaign donations coming.
Yeah. What SoCo said. No doubt.
Bosch
March 25th, 2011
11:44 am
“Isnt this the same economy that you are bit@hing about not creating jobs?”
No.
You must have me confused with someone else.
Mick
March 25th, 2011
11:45 am
Congratulations normal, I just love hearing good news in the middle of the day….it smells like victory…
Bosch
March 25th, 2011
11:45 am
carlos,
“Does that mean we can pay off our national debt?
We could if we really wanted to, but I don’t think most Americans would like or willing to do what it would take.
And after that lets do something about our homeless, our crumbling infrastructure and all our jobless. I mean, we are rich. Right?
Right.
Normal
March 25th, 2011
11:46 am
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
March 25th, 2011
11:38 am
SoCo,
Good morning, my friend. I think Walker said it all in his phone conversation with the pseudo-Koch brother. Walker is mental, period.
jm
March 25th, 2011
11:46 am
Normal is mental. Period.
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
March 25th, 2011
11:46 am
I’ll summarize: inordinate power wielded by the unions with their collective bargaining rights means as soon as a Dem (or even an R without a spine) gets in office, they will wield their power to fund and re-elect them over them and re-negotiate previous agreements.
Thieves cannot be reformed, only stopped by imprisonment
As I said, pure bullsh*t. I don’t hear any uproar over the influence that the Chamber of Commerce wields over politicians. I don’t hear the same uproar over corporations giving limitless money to officials to stack the deck in their favor. If you really believe in the “inordinate power” theory, you would be a staunch advocate for complete election reform to remove ALL outside money. Yet, I haven’t heard you make a peep about that.
DebbieDoRight
March 25th, 2011
11:46 am
Thieves cannot be reformed, only stopped by imprisonment
Tell that to Deal.
Normal
March 25th, 2011
11:48 am
jm
March 25th, 2011
11:46 am
Normal is mental. Period.
Never denied it, jm…
Bosch
March 25th, 2011
11:48 am
Alrighty folks time to run errands and eat some lunch and play with pups.
Check back in later.
jm
March 25th, 2011
11:49 am
SoCo 11:46 – because the government doesn’t pay the Chamber of Commerce. But for the record, I do think there are times when they do wield too much influence.
Corps don’t give limitless money to officials. That’s illegal.
And I have argued that outside money should be gone. But that’s easier said than done.
HDB
March 25th, 2011
11:50 am
SoCo….you’re so on point today!!
jm
March 25th, 2011
11:50 am
DDR – true. Deal being gov is shocking. I hope he goes to jail. One can only hope the guy has a measure of humility though. Who the hell knows.
I’m hoping he goes to jail and we can elect Sam Olens.
George W
March 25th, 2011
11:51 am
Carlos…..lets not forget about protecting our boardes and getting rid of the illegal alien problem here.
WOW
March 25th, 2011
11:51 am
Hey SoCal and Vet, I have a video for you.
ENJOY!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRBOju_agL4&feature=related
jm
March 25th, 2011
11:51 am
SoCo 11:46 – I think its a bit ridiculous that I would make an argument for so damn long, solely on the basis that I’m trying to feed out bullsh-t. that’s just silly. Try a new counterattack.
George W
March 25th, 2011
11:51 am
Debbie…..what did Deal do?
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
March 25th, 2011
11:51 am
Mornin’ Normal
Walker played his hand way too early. I’ve talked to a few people from Wisconsin, and the one’s I’ve talked to have not been big fans of his. One was a teacher and her husband, and they really were not fans.
DDR
You’re wrong for that 11:46!!!!
RB from Gwinnett
March 25th, 2011
11:52 am
George, BH, and jm, you guys are trying to have big picture discussions with little picture thinkers. Good luck!!
DebbieDoRight
March 25th, 2011
11:54 am
GeorgeW r u serious?
jm: I was for Handel (who should’ve won). She would’ve been a breath of fresh air for ga.
Bill Orvis White
March 25th, 2011
11:55 am
I don’t think Governor Walker would have to stage anything. All he would have to do is walk into the union thug crowd and he would be toast. These union folk are hardcore socialists who are bent on doing whatever is necessary to maintain their lazy lifestyles.
A referendum was set in Wisconsin when the state elected this honorable man: they wanted to REIGN IN GOVERNMENT ON ALL LEVELS! The governor is doing what he was elected to do–HOW REFRESHING! LET THE MAN DO HIS JOB, YOU RED UNION THUGS!
God Bless,
Bill
George W
March 25th, 2011
11:55 am
Debbie….yep.
Mick
March 25th, 2011
11:56 am
rb
Which side is right? Which side is wrong? Well of course my side is right on he other I’ll heap scorn…..
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
March 25th, 2011
11:56 am
WOW
That’s funny!!!
jm
I’m not saying you’re purposely peddling bullsh*t. I’m just saying that Walker was acting with more than his budget issues in mind. To peddle his actions as just budgetary is bullsh*t. You can’t make me see otherwise, no matter how ugly you try to paint government/public union workers.
Mick
March 25th, 2011
11:57 am
bill orvis
Got a second? Want to discuss unions with you…
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
March 25th, 2011
11:58 am
I don’t think Governor Walker would have to stage anything. All he would have to do is walk into the union thug crowd and he would be toast. These union folk are hardcore socialists who are bent on doing whatever is necessary to maintain their lazy lifestyles
Yeah right, some teacher is going to write all over his white shirt with red ink…..
George W
March 25th, 2011
11:58 am
Mick…..I will gladly “discuss” unions with you.
jm
March 25th, 2011
11:58 am
SoCo 11:56 – “You can’t make me see otherwise, no matter how ugly you try to paint government/public union workers.”
Then you’ve been blinded to new ideas and I won’t try to convince you.
Mick
March 25th, 2011
11:59 am
george w
Thanks, but I need bill orvis for a reason…
retired early
March 25th, 2011
12:00 pm
Callahan
GOP simply blew the chance to lead in Wi. The unions agreed to the wage concessions…but that was not the point…they wanted to bust the unions, period…and when they succeeded…everyone saw the mask removed and the real face of the GOP appear…why Mr Koch himself. You can talk it to death, but the fact is the GOP is bought and paid for and middle class Americans are finally seeing the truth. Now, keep pushing that anti immigration agenda beyond what is humane and watch 16% of this country, the Hispanics, “block vote” against you. Now, tell me again how the GOP is going to win future elections. They blew their chance at moderation and continue to alienate the minorities so who’s left besides you Rushes…no one.
HDB
March 25th, 2011
12:00 pm
jm
March 25th, 2011
11:49 am
“Corps don’t give limitless money to officials. That’s illegal.”
Not with the recent ruling by the Supremes: Citizens United vs Federal Election Commission!! Supremes cut corporations campaign contributions LOOSE…and who’re they paying!!!???
jm
March 25th, 2011
12:00 pm
SoCo – you should know though, that one of the best rated governors in this country ended collective bargaining by executive decree (because it wasn’t a law in his state, just a rule from a previous admin he could end) his first day in office because it could help him most effectively and efficiently run and operate his state’s government.
And Jay Bookman even likes him, because he’s a moderate, reasonable Republican. SoCo, you’ve bought the media story. Congrats.
George W
March 25th, 2011
12:01 pm
Retired…….What the Repubs did in WI was GREAT!! Watch it start to happen all over the country.
George W
March 25th, 2011
12:02 pm
Hey retired….the repubs did a great job of whipping the Dems in November eh?
jm
March 25th, 2011
12:02 pm
HDB – you mean the SCOTUS overturned MCCAIN – feingold bill? Started and sponsored by a Republican.
World’s not as simple as you think. Call your congressman and complain about the SCOTUS all you want then….
stands for decibels
March 25th, 2011
12:03 pm
Rockerbabe – Walker can’t be recalled for the time being.
but he can be in Jan. 2012. for the record.
Mick
March 25th, 2011
12:03 pm
george w
All over the country repub governors have overreached….they have fired up the middle class so we can thank them for that…
stands for decibels
March 25th, 2011
12:04 pm
What the Repubs did in WI was GREAT!! Watch it start to happen all over the country.
I couldn’t agree more, if for 180° opposite reasons.
Gm
March 25th, 2011
12:04 pm
These are your Rep you voted for back in Nov, Rush, Hannity, Palin, rich conservatives tricked you idiots once again, lets make Obama the boggy man, while middle class, poor whites get scared and we line our pockets and go to the back..
Teachers, Fireman, in Wis, Oh, unions are headed to the soup line thanks to the Rep trying to destory unions, they also are trying to pass a bill, if you strike you can not get food stamp, so your kids starve, these are satan Rep party at their best.
George W
March 25th, 2011
12:05 pm
Mick……overreached???? You mean like a president that thinks it is constitutional and legal to force healthcare?
stands for decibels
March 25th, 2011
12:05 pm
I owe Mick a sugared fizzy beverage.
ButtHead
March 25th, 2011
12:05 pm
JM
term limits would fix that, also we could tie their pay to balancing the budget, no balance no pay. I would bet that they balance it every year
George W
March 25th, 2011
12:05 pm
Stands….oh that is right you are for the union gangster thugs? I forgot…..
jm
March 25th, 2011
12:05 pm
As rotten an apple as Deal is, he’s not all sour grapes (bad fruit metaphor mixing, I know). Fruit salad anyone?
By Maria Saporta
Gov. Nathan Deal hinted that progress is being made in the private water negotiations with Alabama and Florida, during a “Meet and Greet” event Wednesday evening at the Georgian Club in Cobb County.
“I’m working diligently,” Deal told the gathering elected and civic leaders invited by the Council for Quality Growth. “This is the kind of thing you can’t even tell your wife about, and I can’t tell you either. I think you are going to be pleased by what we are going to produce.”
Deal said he was encouraged by the latest court hearing on the appeal of Judge Paul Magnuson’s ruling that would drastically reduce the amount of water metro Atlanta can withdraw from Lake Lanier in July 2012 if an agreement is not reached. But Deal said Georgia can’t rely on the possibility of a favorable outcome of its appeal.
Deal said he is focusing his efforts on working with the new governors of Alabama and Florida, initially concentrating on Alabama where talks are further along.
“We are hopeful we will produce significant and positive results on that,” Deal said.
Also, Deal mentioned his commitment to providing funding for future water supply, including reservoirs. But he added that the funding also could go to other water projects — “short-term proposals that don’t cost nearly as much money or take as long” to build.
Deal also spoke out strongly in favor of the 2012 regional transportation sales tax referendum because of the need for a new revenue source.
“We have got to be willing to go out to sell this idea to our constituents,” Deal said. “That’s not going to be an easy sell.”
Specifically, Deal said the failure of voters to pass a trauma care tax was of concern.
“You can’t taken anything for granted,” Deal said. “I think we have a good case to make.”
Then the governor made one of his strongest appeals for regional cooperation that he has made to date. Several key issues, such as water and transportation, “have regionalism attached to them.”
But with Georgia’s 159 counties, sometimes regional cooperation can be challenging.
“By the time you’ve said the word regionalism, you’ve crossed the line and you are in somebody else’s county,” Deal said. “The worst thing in the world would be to build roads to nowhere” because counties had not coordinated their plans.
Deal also said that building reservoirs without regional cooperation also would be a mistake.
In the funniest line of the evening, Deal recognized his former congressional colleagues, including U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson and U.S. Rep. Tom Price. “I don’t miss being with them, quite honestly,” Deal said.
TaxPayer
March 25th, 2011
12:06 pm
incidentally though, you just revealed your true stripes as a heartless liberal fraud.
I’ve been had. I cannot deny it — I am neither heartless or liberal.
George W
March 25th, 2011
12:06 pm
Gm….blah blah blah blah.
Mick
March 25th, 2011
12:06 pm
It’s constitutional and legal to force car insurance, homeowners insurance, why not health?
jm
March 25th, 2011
12:06 pm
Butthead 12:05 – agreed. wholeheartedly.
DebbieDoRight
March 25th, 2011
12:07 pm
ookkkkkkayyyyyy
1) Deal’s ethics violations in the house:
“It is undisputed that as a ‘public servant,’ Representative Deal took active steps to preserve
a purely state program, one that had generated financial benefit for Representative Deal
and his business partner. Further, while taking these steps, Representative Deal used
resources of the House of Representatives”
– United States House of Representatives
2010 Office of Congressional Ethics Report
PS: he claimed to have been acting on behalf of his constituents: his business partner and the “fellows who work in [his salvage business] office
2) Deal not disclosing the fact that he had declared bankruptcy on his application for governor, (even though he was supposed to — said he forgot)
3) Deal named one of the “15 Most Corrupt Members of Congress”
4) Almost immediately after Deal’s personal financial distress hit the front pages, the Associated Press reported that Deal and a business partner are on the hook for another $2.85 million in loans for their auto salvage business. Deal failed to report that loan on the required state financial disclosure form.
and on and on and on…..
I can’t believe you really asked me “what’s wrong with deal!”
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
March 25th, 2011
12:07 pm
jm
You forget, you’re talking to a public sector union worker here. I KNOW the story. I know how negotiations go. You’re the one who’s been had. I’ve never been blinded by new ideas. I have learned how to see things from different perspectives as to broaden my own personal perspective.
As I said earlier, I deal with bs artists and liars on a daily basis. Walker’s actions come nowhere near matching his words. That’s the true test of a REAL MAN, and he fails miserably.
Mick
March 25th, 2011
12:07 pm
george w
Union gangster thugs vs capitalist banker thugs?
George W
March 25th, 2011
12:07 pm
The funny thing is…..these Dem and Repub discussions we have are hilarious. While we debate politics….they go out and play golf and enjoy their boats together.
George W
March 25th, 2011
12:08 pm
Mick….I will take the later any day!
stands for decibels
March 25th, 2011
12:08 pm
But he added that the funding also could go to other water projects — “short-term proposals that don’t cost nearly as much money or take as long” to build.
that’d be the ever popular “piss on us and tell us it’s raining” option, right?