Wisconsin protests: Obama goes too far by mobilizing opposition
There are many lessons to be learned from the protests and outright abdication of duty by public labor unions and Democrats (but I repeat myself) in Wisconsin. One of them is that there can no longer be any doubts that President Obama has radical ideas about the proper balance and relationship between the federal and state governments.
From the Washington Post:
President Obama thrust himself and his political operation this week into Wisconsin’s broiling budget battle, mobilizing opposition Thursday to a Republican bill that would curb public-worker benefits and planning similar protests in other state capitals.
Obama accused Scott Walker, the state’s new Republican governor, of unleashing an “assault” on unions in pushing emergency legislation that would change future collective-bargaining agreements that affect most public employees, including teachers.
The president’s political machine worked in close coordination Thursday with state and national union officials to get thousands of protesters to gather in Madison and to plan similar demonstrations in other state capitals.
Their efforts began to spread, as thousands of labor supporters turned out for a hearing in Columbus, Ohio, to protest a measure from Gov. John Kasich (R) that would cut collective-bargaining rights.
By the end of the day, Democratic Party officials were organizing additional demonstrations in Ohio and Indiana, where an effort is underway to trim benefits for public workers. Some union activists predicted similar protests in Missouri, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Let me make my position perfectly clear: The president of the United States has no business whatsoever interfering, especially by using his campaign apparatus, with a state government’s dealings with its employees.
No. Business. Whatsoever.
His eagerness to jump into the fray in Madison, like his ill-advised wading into the dispute over the arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates two summers ago, not only betrays his disturbing instinct to think nothing is beyond the bounds of his office. It actually demeans the office itself. As Matt Welch writes at Reason.com:
Just think — there once was a time (for more than a century, actually), when the president of the United States thought it too imperious to deliver the State of the Union via a speech to a joint session of Congress, since that would smack of telling a co-equal branch of government what to do. Now we have a president not just taking rhetorical sides in a state issue, but actively mobilizing his political organization to affect the outcome(s), even though (to my knowledge) nothing that Gov. [Scott] Walker or any other belated statehouse cost-cutter is doing has a damned thing to do with federal law.
This is not sending in the National Guard to enforce a federal court order to integrate the schools in Little Rock. Despite what you may have heard — from President Obama, for instance — Wisconsin’s governor is not “making it harder for public employees to collectively bargain generally.”
What the governor, newly elected Republican Scott Walker, wants is to sharply curb collective bargaining for benefits — which in that state, like many other jurisdictions, are unsustainably generous and threaten to sink the entire state’s finances — and require employees to contribute less than 6 percent of their salaries toward their pension plan and pay $1 for every $7 that the state pays for their health-insurance premiums.
The horror!
But even if Obama personally finds such a policy as horrific as Wisconsin’s revolting teachers (oops, teachers in revolt) do, the fact remains that it is not the president’s business.
If Obama or his attorney general thinks Wisconsin would be violating an aspect of federal law, then the Department of Justice could sue the state — but only after it acts. Instead, he and his political organization are trying to pre-empt an ostensibly lawful action by the state’s government.
Folks, in case it wasn’t clear before: There is nothing — nothing — that Obama considers outside the purview of the federal government. His meddling in Wisconsin is the logical conclusion of that ideology.
Speaking of which, Welch argues this is about much more than Obama alone:
We are witnessing the logical conclusion of the Democratic Party’s philosophy, and it is this: Your tax dollars exist to make public sector unions happy. When we run out of other people’s money to pay for those contracts and promises (most of which are negotiated outside of public view, often between union officials and the politicians that union officials helped elect), then we just need to raise taxes to cover a shortfall that is obviously Wall Street’s fault. Anyone who doesn’t agree is a bully, and might just bear an uncanny resemblance to Hitler.
The president’s heavy-handed involvement, along with House Republicans’ refusal to sign off on any new bailout of the states, means that this may very well be America’s biggest and most widespread political fight in 2011. It’s a cage match to determine first dibs on a shrinking pie. A clarifying moment.
Indeed.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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130 comments Add your comment
Ted Striker
February 18th, 2011
8:04 pm
Long winded and disjointed. Really kills a column.
Linda
February 18th, 2011
8:07 pm
Wisconsin got religion or somptin (Southern for something) in the 11/10 elections.
They voted out Sen. Feingold who had been in the US Senate since ‘93 for a businessman who had no prior political experience.
They elected a gov. who had previously been the 1st Republican voted in as the chief executive of Wis. Co. in nearly a century (not decade, a century), who trimmed the co. employee rolls.
They voted in both a Rep. state Senate & House.
US Rep. Paul Ryan, Wis., became the majority head of the House Ways & Means Com.
The new head of the RNC, Reince Priebus, is from Wis.
Wisconsin voters spoke. They said, “We, the People.” They will not be deterred by mobs.
Uhoh
February 18th, 2011
8:13 pm
Hope that guvna has the stones to look Obie in the eye and say “I won’” like he said to the Reps. Let the schools stay closed until the real citizens have had enough of the union BS.
Rafe Hollister
February 18th, 2011
8:15 pm
On, Wisconsin!
RETNAV
February 18th, 2011
8:19 pm
Max your are working with blinders on. First of all that Wisconson Govenor was voted in because the people wanted the state to get a hold of it’s run away budget. He said what he was going to do during the campaign, and it should not be a surprise. The majority of the people of the state agreed and voted him in. I am sorry but it is time to bust these government unions that don’t bring any profits to the state. Us taxpayers are tired of flipping the bill for sorry results. Just look at our educational system. I know a lot of good teachers who care and just shake thier heads at some of the sorry ones who get to keep thier jobs not because of performance but tinier. That is where unions really suck. Think about it these teachers hold the future of this country in thier hands. If they stink at thier job then our children suffer which in turn hurts our future as a country. But since they are union we can’t do a darn thing the sorry ones keep thier jobs and no one can do anything about it because they are protected..
James West
February 18th, 2011
8:22 pm
This is a bogus complaint. National Republicans, including Republican presidents, have gotten tangled up in state politics without the whining from Tea Party types. Remember Congressman Delay pulling strings to make redistricting happen in Texas just two years after the state map had last been redrawn? Remember Terri Schiavo? So it’s okay if you’re a Republican?
Lots of elected Republicans at the national level have spoken out in support for the Wisconsin union-busting law, including John Boehner. If Boehner can speak out, then Obama can too.
Shouldn’t those complaining about Obama be just as upset about corporate money funding the Governor of Wisconsin’s election or funding anti-union protestors in Wisconsin (Koch Industries, anyone?). This article implies that it’s okay if corporate money is used by Republicans for political purposes, but the Democratic Party can’t be used by Democrats for political purposes.
Pointing the finger at Obama and the national Democrats is a classic case of that old magician’s trick called misdirection. They want you to look in one direction, so you don’t get the facts about the issue at hand.
Here are some facts about the issue at hand. The last Democratic governor and Democratic state legislature in Wisconsin to made some politically difficult decision to balance Wisconsin’s budget. As a result, the corporate-financed Republican inherited a balanced budget. Then, he immediately called a special session to pass tax cuts for his corporate benefactors. Those tax cuts caused a deficit. Now that same Republican governor blaming teachers and other public workers for the budget deficit that he created with his tax breaks.
But don’t be mad about that. Instead, you should be mad at Obama for giving an honest answer to a question from the press about what’s going on in Wisconsin.
OldTimer
February 18th, 2011
8:27 pm
How do you starve a Democrat?
Hide his food stamps underneath his work boots.
Richard
February 18th, 2011
8:28 pm
So it’s good government policy to dictate to all your employees that essentially they have no bargaining rights but the one right to bargain individually if they want to and only at an increase
no higher than the rate of inflation otherwise if they want more it has to go to a referendum vote.
And of course they cannot bargain for pension or welfare benefits and they cannot use the unions
to help negotiate for those things only wage increases. They must decide yearly if they want to
keep the union around to help them basically with no rights at all and they are not obligated to pay
union dues. That ought to put the teachers on par with the rest of the teachers in Florida and them
other right-to-work states. Yessem boss!!! How else can we be goooood Republicans??? What
a bunch of *&^%!! morons.
Antonia Godfrey
February 18th, 2011
8:30 pm
I am from West Virginia and Unions saved alot of lives in the coal mines and also gave them fair pay. This isFOR THE PEOPLE at it finest. Thanks President Obama for showing you care. We elected you and this is what we expected.
Linda
February 18th, 2011
8:32 pm
John@6:22& Marcus@7:33, The conservatives definition of marriage is very simple: between one consenting adult male & one consenting adult woman, unrelated.
Is the liberals’ definition of marriage: between or among unlimited numbers of men, women, children &/or animals, both alive & deceased, consenting & non-consenting? What is your definition? You couldn’t possibly exclude polygamy, etc. over gay rights, could you?
OldTimer
February 18th, 2011
8:34 pm
How do you starve a Republican?
It’s never happened.
Richard
February 18th, 2011
8:36 pm
How do you starve an old timer?? Take away his social security fool!!
JEM
February 18th, 2011
8:37 pm
Obama needs to let this one go (although he can’t afford to). He’s definitely overstepping his boundaries.
But Republican’s need to stop whining about all the Hitler references. Don’t be hypocrites, folks.
OldTimer
February 18th, 2011
8:38 pm
I agree with you Richard, Social Security has to go.
Richard
February 18th, 2011
8:40 pm
Most tea party members draw the line at their social security. That’s next on the platter believe me.
JEM
February 18th, 2011
8:41 pm
And stop the whole “Why are you bringing up Bush/He’s not the president anymore/Stop living in the past!” nonsense. Most of you can’t stop bringing up how horrible Carter and Clinton were. And I’m sure as soon as a Republican president is back in office, the Obama bashing/blame game will continue for many a years to come.
bigguy
February 18th, 2011
8:47 pm
@JEM, I think the Obama bashing will continue for centuries. There will be countless books on how such an unqualified person could be elected POTUS.
JEM
February 18th, 2011
8:50 pm
No argument here, bigguy. Let’s hope the next one will be better than the last two.
Here’s to Ron Paul representing the Libertarian Party in 2012!!!
bigguy
February 18th, 2011
8:52 pm
@JEM, I hope Ron Paul will not be Ross Perot part II.
JEM
February 18th, 2011
8:57 pm
He probably will, cause Republicans are going to shoot themselves in the foot an pick Palin to represent their party. Hopefully they won’t but they probably will.
What’s the old adage? “Democrats fall in love, Republicans fall in line”? The reverse may happen next year.
Stephenson Billings
February 18th, 2011
8:58 pm
Fighting for the “common worker” huh?
REPORT: Average city teacher compensation tops $100,000…
Laurie
February 18th, 2011
8:59 pm
As a person who has worked at facilities where unionized labor exists, I would like to remind everyone here that unions have been the most beneficial and powerful tool employees have to ensure the safety of their workplace, and reasonable work conditions. I agree that some negotiated benefits have gotten out of hand. But it takes both sides to sign a contract. If state governments are allowed to limit collective bargaining, how long do you think it will be before the private sector starts lobbying for the same? It’s a slippery slope we find ourseleves on. This type of legislation limits freedom we Americans hold so dear. Why would you want to give up your right to use strength in numbers to hold an employer accountable?
Stephenson Billings
February 18th, 2011
9:02 pm
Guess they didn’t get the “civility memo” (or maybe it only applies to the Tea Party?)
“There is fear for Scott Walker’s safety but also for that of the Republican legislators as well,” said Jefferson. “We’re very concerned when we see signs out there with crosshairs over Scott Walker’s photo, when we see the disgusting comparisons to Hitler. Right now there is a sign hanging in the Senate wing of the Capitol with all of the photos of the entire Senate Republican Caucus and it says ‘Republican Senators Want to Take Your Rights. Don’t Continue to Let Them Walk Through the People’s House Unnoticed.’”
Enquiring Mind
February 18th, 2011
9:02 pm
Not everyone that works in a public job makes any money. I would have made more in the private sector that working for the local board of ed (not a teacher), but felt I was giving back. Now everyone acts like I’m overpaid and lazy. Due to hiring freezes I inherited another whole job of duties for much less money. Nobody getting fat here!
But, come on people–you are falling in line just like they want you to. If they keep the working class fighting against each other, you won’t notice who really is screwing you over.
It surprises me that so many people on here are dogging unions–in a non-union state! Georgia used to have mills, lots of mills. Maybe if these mill workers had a union they wouldn’t be dying of bone cancer from asbestos exposure, or not have a pension despite working 40 years in the mill. Maybe they could have kept the mill here in Georgia rather than offshoring the jobs. Go rent Norma Rae–you’ll like it, you’ll really like it.
Stephenson Billings
February 18th, 2011
9:04 pm
Looks like they made it to the big time:
Jesse Jackson rallies protesters at Wis. Capitol
Linda
February 18th, 2011
9:04 pm
James West@8:22, How dare you call Tea Party types “whining” while the nation watches the unions protesting in Wisconsin.
This is not about Obama just speaking out. It is about his mobilizing what the NYT calls his “campaign apparatus,” Organizing for America,” & directing them to bring in thousands of protesters to Wisconsin & directing them to protest at the private homes of the governor & other legislators, where their families & children are, AND influencing teachers to call in sick, lie to the principals &/or administrators, break their contracts with the state & ignore both their moral & legal obligations to their students, causing mass school closings & the cancellation of hundreds of sporting events.
As far as tax cuts, Obama, in his budget, is imposing great tax hikes, not to balance the budget, but to spend them, at the same time, increasing the deficit/debt by $9 Trillion.
Stephenson Billings
February 18th, 2011
9:08 pm
Got to hand it to the union workers though. I wouldn’t have the guts to put my job on the line to keep the status quo, especially in this economy:
“Gov. Walker first introduced his “budget repair” bill a week ago, setting off the firestorm that has swept the Capitol. Besides limiting collective-bargaining rights for most workers—excepting police, firefighters and others involved in public safety—it would require government workers, who currently contribute little or nothing to their pensions, to contribute 5.8% of their pay to pensions, and pay at least 12.6% of health-care premiums, up from an average of 6%.
In exchange, Gov. Walker has pledged no layoffs or furloughs for the state’s 170,000 public employees. He has said 5,500 state jobs and 5,000 local jobs would be saved under his plan, which would save $30 million in the current budget and $300 million in the two-year budget that begins July 1. “
Linda
February 18th, 2011
9:39 pm
Is the fate of Wisconsin unions & those in other states (Pa, Ohio, Michigan, etc.) as a result of sex? That is, the result of no sex, that is, Viagra?
http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/2011/02/18/in-midst-of-financial-crisis-wisconsin-union-sue-for-viagra/
Michele Velocve
February 18th, 2011
10:12 pm
This blog’s author, “Kyle” sure looks and sounds like a closet gay guy who protests too much. I bet if he’s married his wife is getting it elsewhere and has unlimited charge accounts to make up. Not that there’s anything wrong with it but so many of the right wing extremists preach the Republican “values” and secretly practice otherwise in private–until they get caught. You know, like whats-his-name, Larry Craig. And the list goes on when you add the likes of this “Kyle” person.
Be honest and get out.
independent thinker
February 18th, 2011
10:35 pm
Anyone ever wonder how much their local and state taxes could be reduced if those state workers did not have state funded pensions where they can retire at age 55 with most of their existing salary and then be able to go and get another public job elsewhere with even more pension benefits??. These union backed so called public servantse are fast being the upper class not the middle class.
Linda
February 18th, 2011
10:40 pm
Kyle, I’m totally offended with the remarks of Michele Velocve @ 10:12. I’m fed up with commenters like her who trash you. She has gone too far trashing you & your wife. Your associates would NEVER put up with this sort of verbal attack. I request that you remove this person/animal from your blog forever.
I would hit that button “report this comment,” especially since it is a Fri. night, but the one & only time I did that, Dec./09, when a commenter encouraged me to commit suicide, you banned from your blog & never answered my email.
Thank you for your consideration. Maybe someone else will “report this comment.”
Le Bourgeois
February 18th, 2011
10:42 pm
As a local government professional, I am proud to be in a state with little unionization. We have a hard enough time as is firing the incompetents we do employ. However, I’d like to make a few other comments.
First, many people mis-categorize local government employees in Georgia and other right-to-work states with those teat-sucking union employees in the Wisconsin and the like. Our wages are much lower and so too are your tax bills (believe it or not). Of course I’d like to make more money but unionization and subsequent massive employee cost increases is not fiscally feasible long term as we can see from WI.
Secondly, there should be no distinction between the perks, union or otherwise, given to “public safety” such as police, fire, etc. as in the Wisconsin bill. Many state and local governments already give better retirement benefits to them, which is understandable in that you don’t want a 70 year old firefighter. However, anything else such as exemptions to paying more for insurance, no pay cuts, etc. is easily abused by those in public safety as they always find a workaround to the problem in the name of saving the children and elderly. Government workers should equal government workers. If not, public safety costs will eat you up as they form a quasi-union.
My point here, be proud of your local and state employees (yes, including teachers) because most of us are NOT the unionized images you see on TV and hear about on talk radio. Most of us understand that unionization is not good for Georgia and that will at least help keep us all financially healthy in the long run and keep most of us employed in the process.
Now can we buy some alcohol on Sunday please?
-LB
James West
February 18th, 2011
10:44 pm
Kyle Wingfield said that Republican Scott Walker, wants is to sharply curb collective bargaining for BENEFITS because they threaten to sink the Wisconsin’s finances. Wingfield is either mistaken, or he is lying.
Walker’s proposal limits wage increases so they can never exceed a cap based on the consumer price index. So, if this proposal passes, workers can’t bargain for benefits AND they can’t bargain for higher inflation-adjusted wage increases.
Walker’s proposal also contain numerous provisions that have absolutely nothing to do with state finances. It changes the rules for union votes, union dues collections, and many other provisions specifically to make it very difficult for unions to survive.
About the so-called threat to Wisconsin’s finances, as I said earlier, Governor Walker inherited a balanced budget from the Democratic governor. Upon taking office, Walker’s first course of action was to cut corporate tax rates. That’s why Wisconsin has a deficit now. It has nothing to do unions, pensions, or the rest.
The bottom line is that the rich get richer and the middle class takes the hit…again.
Le Bourgeois
February 18th, 2011
11:00 pm
James West, but it does have something to do with unions and pensions. The unfunded pension liabilities increase dramatically each year and were obviously factored into some of the governor’s decision making in balancing the budget. Further, capping annual increases in wages only makes sense as the private sector cannot afford to carry these increases in perpetuity. Most folks haven’t seen a raise of CPI or greater in years now. Why should union employees be an exception?
As for cutting the corporate tax rate, it was a strategic maneuver to attract businesses in Illinois to relocate just north after they dramatically increased all taxes, corporate and otherwise. Also, state governments should not put too much emphasis on corporate tax revenue in their budgets.
Long term Wisconsinite and proud of it
February 18th, 2011
11:09 pm
You stupid bub! The approximation of Hitler is impersonated by Walker who threatens to sic our own national guard on us for expressing our opinion. This isn’t legislation long discussed and compromised. It’s jammed down the throats of the public with barely three days of public announcement supposedly in an emergency session, the emergency brought about by the Governor’s granting of 140 million dollars of tax credits to businesses eliminating a budget surplus. The collective bargaining rights do limit wage increases to inflation rates despite the fact that state employees surrendered 5-10% of their income last year through furloughs which will continue. The unions have offered to give the monetary concessions. This is about people and their basic freedoms which wealthy Americans are trying to steal from us. It is class warfare and our Hitler knows it. Learn something about what you’re talking about before you go spouting off. 40.000 people don’t assemble at their state capitol over nothing.
Linda
February 18th, 2011
11:14 pm
James West@10:44, How pompous of you to ignore my comment directed to you @ 9:04. Only a Dem. would not understand why a governor would cut corporate tax rates in a state. Only a Dem. would not understand that small businesses account for the vast majority of hiring & taxing them would stunt economic growth. Even JFK understood that principle. Write 4 more paragraphs to prove your point.
James West
February 19th, 2011
12:01 am
Bourgeois,
I’m not following your logic. If you’re unhappy about how non-union workers are paid, why is the answer to punish union workers? Instead, how about raising the bar for private/non-union employers? It might be helpful to know that wages and benefits negotiated by unions drive up wages and benefits for all because employers have to compete.
And if you don’t think unions should be able to bargain for something as fundamental as more purchasing power over time, then that’s one thing. But preventing them from doing so in the future has nothing to do with the financial hole that Walker created when he cut taxes for his corporate benefactors immediately after taking office.
Finally, the idea that destroying unions and slashing corporate tax rates will lead to more revenues hasn’t worked in Texas, a state facing a huge budget crisis. Internationally, it hasn’t worked in Ireland, which with all their austerity measures, has an economy that has been sinking for years now. Both used to be conservative darlings elevated as shining examples. Now, nobody speaks their names.
Tim
February 19th, 2011
12:11 am
I would have to agree with James. Why don’t we all pay for all pensions, retire at 55, drive up all wages.
Then we can figure out who is going to pay for all this. It will be a vicious elevation where the poor will be poorer and I will sit back with my comrades and drink the local vodka.
Get real James. We can not afford to pay for everyone.
Le Bourgeois
February 19th, 2011
8:23 am
Exactly Tim. So we have unions to drive up wages for everyone and create pensions everywhere that must compete with union pensions and then it is all supposed to be paid for how? As for the driving up wages in union states, sure, that has happened but look what has happened to the jobs over time. They have moved south leaving Cleveland, Detroit, Buffalo, Milwaukee, etc. to rust in the wake of their dear unionization schemes.
independent thinker
February 19th, 2011
9:01 am
Laurie at 8:59 said:
“”"As a person who has worked at facilities where unionized labor exists, I would like to remind everyone here that unions have been the most beneficial and powerful tool employees have to ensure the safety of their workplace, and reasonable work conditions. I agree that some negotiated benefits have gotten out of hand. But it takes both sides to sign a contract. If state governments are allowed to limit collective bargaining, how long do you think it will be before the private sector starts lobbying for the same? It’s a slippery slope we find ourseleves on. This type of legislation limits freedom we Americans hold so dear. Why would you want to give up your right to use strength in numbers to hold an employer accountable?”"”"
Do she realize that the “company” who is negotiating with public employees is the taxpayer?? and that the elected official conducting the alleged negotiations may owe their job to union bosses who paid for their election? Is she that naive that she does not see the difference with collective negotiations of a private work force?
Every one of those teachers who walked out with their students in Wisconsin should be replaced with other unemployed teachers who will gladly work with no golden parachute pensions.
BW
February 19th, 2011
10:12 am
So you’re going to try to tell us that Obama made the people of Wisconsin mobilize against a radical attempt to strip workers of their union’s rights? That thought is so partisan it’s ridiculous…more to the point it’s childish. The people are mobilizing due to a radical policy made possible by tax giveaways by a Republican administration. Wisconsin has a balanced budget this year and even if there were projected deficits on the horizon then there was another way to go about it. This is redistribution of wealth just the “conservative” way so it’s ok….you’re better than this Kyle
Left wing management
February 19th, 2011
10:17 am
Eric: “You know you’re fringe when Obama looks ‘radical’ ”
So true, that.
You know I have to laugh sometimes. What would these people like Wingfield really do if this president really were left-leaning and not the center-right president he clearly is. Would we see Wingfield ‘abdicate’ his duty and flee the offices of AJC for the hills of Tennessee?
Jenny
February 19th, 2011
10:57 am
It seems to me that the whole “union bargaining for benefits” problem we have all over the United States with everything from teachers to automobile workers to airline employees could have a huge part of the answer solved by a National Health Care system. That would totally take the insurance argument off the table! It seems that medical insurance has been the biggest problem for these bargaining institutions for a long time.
America a National Healthcare System (a REAL one) would solve alot of problems.
Jenny
February 19th, 2011
11:17 am
To Independent Thinker: A friend of mine had this comment after someone told her she was so smart, why was she wasting her time teaching, She could be making so much more money in the private sector. “When I became a teacher – I knew I would get a small salary that would keep me in the lower middle class (at best), I knew if my family relied solely on my salary things would be tough, and I knew I the job would at times be crazy stressful. That being said I also know, I am a good teacher. I love working with kids, and the kids I teach learn. So for my crazy hard work teaching our future, and the tough times my family has endured I figure a reliable health insurance and retirement was going to be my payoff in the end.” Those folks who went to the private sector and got all that money and spent it all on big houses, fancy cars, wild vacations, now don’t want to support the ones who sacrificed a little to teach their kids.
By the way… private school teachers are just as bad off as public school teachers – they don’t get paid as well and have the same problems with insurance and retirement.
So National, State and Local governments need to Man-up and do what’s right by the people who serve our society, all the tax breaks to the private sector just take away from the public service employees.
Left wing management
February 19th, 2011
12:03 pm
Well said, Jenny 11:17.
Unfortunately though, your anecdote is likely to fall on deaf ears here with our Kyle, who’s an apologist for the union-busters up in Wisconsin who are trying to give the coup de grace to unions in this country once and for all, wiping away decades of labor history in a single blow.
As the New Republic points out:
Contrary to Walker’s assertion, there is no direct correlation between public-sector collective bargaining and yawning state budget deficits. According to data gathered by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, while Wisconsin projects a state budget deficit of 12.8 percent for FY 2012, North Carolina, which does not allow government workers to bargain, faces a significantly higher deficit: 20 percent. Ohio, whose Republican governor John Kasich has also made clear his desire to roll back collective bargaining, has a deficit that is only about half the size of non-union North Carolina’s. Clearly, then, state budget deficits we are now witnessing are not the product of collective bargaining …
Such facts apparently matter little to Walker, Kasich, and their ilk. … [who] are seeking to turn hurting private-sector workers against their supposedly “privileged” public-sector counterparts in a perverse new form of class warfare, the end results of which will only accelerate the downward pressure on incomes and benefits that has contributed to a new gilded age of wealth inequality in America.
Republican Haters
February 19th, 2011
12:15 pm
People with crappy working conditions or no job prospects are turning their anger & resentment against teachers. Attacking and vilifying teachers has become an easy wage to vent resentment. A person doesn’t stand a chance in hell of going against billionaires, multi-national corporations, or Wallstreet thieves, but the one thing they can do is beat up on their neighborhood teacher who has health insurance or a job. & rich Republicans, such as Sarah Palin, or people that want to become rich Republicans, use and misdirect this boiling hate to gain power.
I support the teachers of America!
Left wing management
February 19th, 2011
12:56 pm
Republican Haters:
Indeed. As Warren Buffet himself has said, and which the Rupert Murdoch hatchet crew – and Kyle Wingfield – don’t want you to realize:
“There’s class warfare, all right, but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.”
James West
February 19th, 2011
1:30 pm
Bourgeois@8:23 said, “So we have unions to drive up wages for everyone and create pensions everywhere that must compete with union pensions and then it is all supposed to be paid for how?”
To answer that question, let’s look a Koch Industries. They’re an excellent example because the Koch brothers’ front organizations, disguised as grass roots organizations, helped elect Scott Walker, advise Scott Walker, and are now using their money to bus in counter-protesters.
At the same time, just in the last year, Koch laid off scores of Wisconsin workers from one of the Georgia-Pacific plants they purchased a few years ago. The Koch brothers, who inherited their company, gave themselves a raise of millions last year for their services as executives of the organization. That’s quite a pat on the back.
So, how do you pay for union wages and pensions or union-like wages and pensions? The same way they did for decades before Ronald Reagan was elected. By compensating executives reasonably.
Executive compensation for large corporations used to be, as I recall, in the neighborhood of 10 or 20 times the average compensation for their employees. Today, this statistic is somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 or 400 times.
Most investors would agree that executive management is overpaid, but most owners of large corporations own primarily through 401(k) and IRA mutual funds, and can’t do anything about executive compensation. The system is structured with executives sitting on each others’ boards and determining how each other should be compensated.
Costco is a perfect illustration of how to run a company and maintain/grow our middle class. They limit the compensation of top management allowing them to provide decent wages and benefits to their employees.
Southwest Airlines, fully unionized throughout, is another great example. Southwest beats their competitors year in and year out, in part, by building a loyal staff and compensating them well.
Anybody who claims that cutting corporate taxes is the be-all/end-all, and busting unions is the key to life, isn’t paying attention.
Linda
February 19th, 2011
3:18 pm
FOLLOW THE MONEY:
Here’s a breakdown of what some of the top unions donated to the Democratic Party in the 2008 and 2010 election cycles:
* The AFL-CIO, whose president Richard Trumka is orchestrating much of the protests in Madison this week, donated $1.2 million to Democrats in 2008 and $900,000 in 2010.
* The American Federation of State, County and Municipal employees donated $2.6 million to the Democrats in 2008 and another $2.6 million in 2010.
* The National Education Association donated $2.3 million to Democrats in 2008 and $2.2 million in 2010.
* The Teamsters union donated $2.4 million to Democrats in 2008 and $2.3 million in 2010.
* The SEIU donated $2.6 million to Democrats in 2008 and $1.7 million in 2010.
* The Carpenters and Joiners union donated $2 million to Democrats in 2008 and $2.1 million 2010.
* The Laborers union donated $2.6 million to Democrats in 2008 and $2.2 million in 2010.
* The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers donated $3.8 million to Democrats in 2008 and $3.2 million in 2010.
* The American Federation of Teachers donated $2.8 million to Democrats in 2008 and $2.7 million in 2010.
* The Machinists and Aerospace union donated $2.5 million to Democrats in 2008 and $2.1 million in 2010.
* The Communication Workers of America, which includes employees from several television and radio stations and other publishing platforms, donated $2.2 million to Democrats in 2008 and $2.1 million in 2010.
* The United Autoworkers union (UAW) donated $2.1 million to Democrats in 2008 and $1.5 million in 2010.
* The United Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW) donated $2.1 million to Democrats in 2008 and $1.9 million in 2010.
Most unions gave a negligible amount, if anything at all, to the Republican Party over the past two elections.
Although staggeringly large, these cash contributions represent ONLY A PORTION of the contributions that the unions make to elect lunatic-left d-crat socialists. The unions also fund the creation and broadcast of their own TV and radio ads in support of the d-crat socialists, they provide massive amounts of labor to help staff the d-crat socialist campaigns, they fund the creation and all costs associated with mass mailings in support of the d-crat socialists, and they fund and supply transportation and other help to the d-crat socialists during the voting process. It is a truly an insidious and incestuous relationship that is very harmful and destructive to “free and open” elections in the American democracy.
Left wing management
February 19th, 2011
4:04 pm
Linda 3:18:
You could hardly be more deluded.
You want to talk about “free and open” elections? How about the Wisconsin governor as an astroturf front man for the Koch brothers and their rightist agenda. $43,000 in campaign funds from the Koch bros to Walker, plus $65,000 from the Koch-funded Republican Governors Ass. Plus, the whole budget deficit is overblown to begin with. It’s a trumped up crisis to enable an attack on unions, pure and simple. As a report from Wisc has it:
More than half of the lower estimate ($117.2 million) is due to the impact of Special Session Senate Bill 2 (health savings accounts), Assembly Bill 3 (tax deductions/credits for relocated businesses), and Assembly Bill 7 (tax exclusion for new employees).
So why are the Koch brothers so focused on Wisconsin specifically? From Talking Points Memo:
Koch owns a coal company subsidiary with facilities in Green Bay, Manitowoc, Ashland and Sheboygan; six timber plants throughout the state; and a large network of pipelines in Wisconsin. While Koch controls much of the infrastructure in the state, they have laid off workers to boost profits. At a time when Koch Industries owners David and Charles Koch awarded themselves an extra $11 billion of income from the company, Koch slashed jobs at their Green Bay plant:
Officials at Georgia-Pacific said the company is laying off 158 workers at its Day Street plant because out-of-date equipment at the facility is being replaced with newer, more-efficient equipment. The company said much of the new, papermaking equipment will be automated. [...] Malach tells FOX 11 that the layoffs are not because of a drop in demand. In fact, Malach said demand is high for the bath tissue and napkins manufactured at the plant.
Now that’s what’s truly “an insidious and incestuous relationship that is very harmful and destructive to “free and open” elections in the American democracy”.