Wisconsin comes to Georgia on Wednesday
Georgia Tea Party Patriots said this evening that they’ll attempt to counter a rally by local unions to show support for public employees in Wisconsin – scheduled for 4 p.m. Wednesday on the front steps at the state Capitol.
Tea partyers are to gather catty-corner from the Capitol, on Courtland and MLK.
Writes Tea Party coordinator Debbie Dooley in an e-mail blast:
Folks, this is the start of the 2012 campaign. In contrast to Tea Party rallies in support of the rule of law and the constitution and election of folks who would vote as we desired, these rallies are against the duly elected representatives of the folks who turned the nation red in November. I’ll let you make up your own minds as to who may be behind that site…. “workers of the world?”…. We cannot let our elected government officials be intimidated by these ill informed people who will show up for these rallies. We must let them see that ‘the folks’ are here to support them in the difficult decisions we sent them to Atlanta, or Madison, or Nashville, or where ever to make.
As always, bring signs that are to the point; humor is usually the best way to make a point. No personalities, no politics, we are about citizen control of our government. Elections mean things. “No more $140,000 per year bus drivers” or “I can’t afford my health insurance AND yours” or “Tea for two means you pay too”. Come on, you can do better than that I am sure.
Here’s the thing. Tea partyers and union members may disagree on Wisconsin. But if they come early, there may be ground for agreement. At noon, a rally in support of Sunday sales of package sales of alcohol will be held on the same spot.
So far as we know, no beverages will be provided – at any of the events. Afterwards, you’re on your own.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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77 comments Add your comment
another Viet Vet
February 22nd, 2011
7:27 am
I agree that budgets should not be balanced on the backs of gov’t employees, but I also agree that gov’t employees should not be allowed to belong to unions.
khc
February 22nd, 2011
7:31 am
uga graduate is correct….while govt should tighten its belt too, most of blame for the deep recession was wall st…..fannie and freddie played a part…and we also need to fix a health care system that costs too much given the results and is a large part of state and national budgets…the blame here is the system design and greedy corporate america
while govt needs a kick in the britches, so does big corporate america. you tea party folks are just one click from being outsourced yourselves and you don’t realize it……soon your children will be facing jobs that pay little more than the folks in the rest of the world and big business will replace big govt as your nemisis and guess what you can’t vote them out
cs
February 22nd, 2011
7:32 am
When labor is at stake, the tea party, the gop and I part ways. I know of no better way to turn red states blue than for government to go on the warpath against labor. Too be sure there are many areas for compromise, but the republican party didnt get the name the stupid party for nothing. Keep bashing common workers and get your arses handed to you in elections down the road.
Bill
February 22nd, 2011
7:40 am
Don’t think for a minute that this is about the budget. Wisconsin state employees immediately agreed to all of the governor’s financial demands.
Taking away the right to collectively bargain will not balance the budget.
Taking away mandatory union dues will not balance the budget, but it will give the republicans a significant fund raising advantage.
This is not about good governance, it is about political advantage
lynnie gal
February 22nd, 2011
7:42 am
The teaparty, is funded by billionaires like the Koch brothers who, of course, are working to disempower unions for their own self-interest. The republicans, supported by the rich who then get payback in the form of massive tax breaks, are using the diversion trick–demonize middle class workers to keep the focus off the bankers, hedge fund executives and wall street traders who are raking in billions in bonuses and sopped up federal tax dollars to save them, thus starving programs for the middle class and the poor. This is called an Oligarchy.
Bill
February 22nd, 2011
7:45 am
I find it interesting that so many people have the perception that government jobs are some sort of gravy train. Traditionally, government jobs have paid less than comparable jobs in the private sector. This lower pay was offset by relative security (that seems to be gone), and good benefits including retirement. If those benefits were too generous to be sustainable, they should be renegotiated. A sustainable system is in everyone’s interest. Wisconsin’s governor seems much more interested in breaking unions and gaining political advantage than he has in the sustainability of the system.
khc
February 22nd, 2011
7:59 am
the gov of state of wisconsin does not even have degree…but he takes his orders from corporate master, where he was a salesman for a while….c student in college….the koch brothers playing him like a banjo…..
repubs smart in blaming govt for all the problems, but the corporate world full of nardellis…..lot of tea party folks are stupid enough to fall for this propaganda….but on the trajectory we are heading, these same tea party folks will be calling for decent living wages in 20 years
Brain
February 22nd, 2011
8:56 am
Yes, Debbie…..Let’s remind these folks in Wisconsin who’s allowed to intimidate elected officials and who is not. Intimidation is the Tea Party’s job , by damn!
It’s going to be tough for humorless half-wits to created edgy, funny signs, Debster. You might want a lower bar for your crowd.
Brain
February 22nd, 2011
9:01 am
Bill, your first point was spot on. Your second point? Not so much. The unfortunate thing this issue has done is to conflate teachers, cops and firefighters with bureaucrats in the DOT, etc. They ARE on a gravy train and the that train needs to be run off the tracks asap.
I have zero problem with the financial demands the Wisconsin Gov made of the teachers’ union. In principle, I believe the teachers’ union to be largely a force of evil, rather than good. However, I have tremendous disdain for the intellectual dishonesty being exhibited here by the Governor of WIsconsin. You are absolutely right: This is ALL about creating a political advantage for republicans on Wisconsin tickets in years to come. I find that repugnant.
HL
February 22nd, 2011
9:18 am
The life and death of the middle class.
Class Warfare indeed. 80% of americans share 7% of the liquid wealth. Bring on the fair tax which is nothing more that a sales tax and maybe then our share of the liquid wealth will drop to 5%.
td
February 22nd, 2011
9:34 am
UGA graduate
February 22nd, 2011
2:08 am
Republicans plan to destroy this country by helping the rich and gutting the middle class. How many Wall Street bankers have been sent to prison? Only Bernie Madoff was stupid enough to get caught in a Ponzi scheme. The rest of the Wall Street frauds keep their money and avoid jail. Is this America?
You should check your facts on this one. Wall street overwhemingly supported Obama in the last election. You can not blame all the on the Republicans. They are both very guilty of these crimes.
Bill
February 22nd, 2011
10:10 am
Brain,
I think it is wrong and very unfair to try to paint this in terms of good and evil. We do way too much of that. I also have no problem with the monetary demand the governor made, and neither do the employees.
Regarding the employees of DOT, etc. If there is a problem, and I am not saying there is not, it is the fault of the management of these functions, and the top managers are appointed by the officials we elect. I don’t think it is fair to blame it on the working stiffs at DOT, or anywhere else. Many of the people at DOT for example, are filling potholes. This is not their fault.
As an aside, I would like to point out that although the Wis. governor wants to break the union, placing the blame on them is wrong for a number of reasons. State employees in states where collective bargaining is allowed make about 5% more than in states where it is not. This does not account for the deficit. Further, states where employees cannot bargain collectively have larger deficits than the ones where they can.
It is not unreasonable to ask state employees to shoulder part of the burden. It is also not unreasonable to ask everyone else to shoulder part of it (taxes). I would particularly like to ask those who have weathered the recession with little effect to kick in some more.
TrishaDishaWarEagle
February 22nd, 2011
10:12 am
anyone who cries “wall street bankers” is automatically blocked out by my brain.
VietVet
February 22nd, 2011
10:27 am
Anyone who watched in 2008 as Paulson, Bush and the Democratic controlled Congress bailed out the hedge funds, AIG, to-big-to-fail banks, and Wall Street brokerage firms with taxpayer money and didn’t get angry doesn’t have brain.
khc
February 22nd, 2011
10:45 am
td, wall st bet on obama, but that does not remove the fact these blanktards were not responsible for the deep recession ….and fannie and freddie
but chamber of commerce is four square for repubs
broaden your horizons and read matt tiabbi’s accounts….if you read the cat food commission and read the entire piece with the repub dissent and you factor everything in you have to agree wall st had a big big contribution to the collapse…
ROBOCOP
February 22nd, 2011
12:26 pm
Everybody out there who works in a nonunion private business or governmnet agency, who works a 40-hour week, who can get health care, eye care, dental care for you and your family, a pension and a certain number of paid holidays and vacation days off, raise your right hand. Then thank the American labor movement in this country because they were the ones who got those benefits for you.
Selah
February 22nd, 2011
1:14 pm
Is “here” the only spot on our society? Have you seen the signs and listened to the Wisconsin “protestors” What aboutthe comparisons to Hitler? The mobbing of private homes?
Southside Shawty
February 22nd, 2011
3:39 pm
Wall Street bet on Obama because they knew ‘we the people’ were about to send the republicans pink slips. Not one Wall Street exec went to jail for basically ruining the economy, and instead we need to stick it to teachers, police officers, and firemen who traded low salaries for a decent pension when they retired. You people are useless.
khc
February 22nd, 2011
4:33 pm
tell that to the girl from the cow college
Bill Orvis White
February 22nd, 2011
4:54 pm
All over the country tea party patriots are organizing in a cohesive fashion that is modeled after the Honorable President Ronald Wilson Reagan’s vision for the party – which is a strong commitment to low/no taxe$, school vouchers in all 50 states, God in whatever public schools are left and in all public buildlings, dismantling of the secular Department of Education, expansion of our military and the eradication of the socialistic Environmental Protection Agency.
Mr. Reagan would be so proud of today’s tea partyers who are standing up the injustices of Big Government and ARE WINNING!
It’s hilarious what’s happening in Wisconsin! Tea party patriots are drowning out the socialistic union thug organizers! Even Hussein Obama is getting in on the act and he’s failing, thank the Lord! Governor Walker is staring down the agitators and it’s a fact that he won’t back down! These lazy Communist cheeseheads are going to have to take a pay reduction and skip the stupid collective bargaining or else the honorable governor will have to fire each and every one of their good-for-nothing butts. I pray that the latter will happen because these Godless souls need to pack their bags and go up to Canada or down to Cuba where they can suck off another’s government’s teet. I also pray that Governor Walker could get each of those Socialist-Democrats impeached.
It’s a fact that the tea party folk will outnumber the union thugs who know nothing about running a business. Union thugs intimidate and bully new hires to cough up their hard-earned dollar$ only to hand them over to the pimps and thieves who call all the shots for the rest of us. It’s high time to stare down these crooks and fight for the rights of the hard-working taxpayers – especially in these great southern states!
Amen,
Bill
lynnbo
February 22nd, 2011
7:44 pm
replace all government employees with illegal workers with no benefits. In Georgia, why should the people who are being destroyed by uncontrolled immigration give the benefit to Government workers of not having to compete and special job security. This would fix our budget problems and make this citizen not feel like the government is not an elitist maffia organization.
Another Gov Employee
February 23rd, 2011
10:51 am
Only 5 states do not have collective bargaining for educators (right-to-work) and have deemed it illegal. Their ranking on ACT/SAT scores:
South Carolina – 50th
North Carolina – 49th
Georgia – 48th
Texas – 47th
Virginia – 44th
Wisconsin currently ranks 2nd. Welcome to the race to the bottom.
Another Gov Employee
February 23rd, 2011
10:52 am
Lynnbo and Trisha the Plains Eagle confirm those statistics
Union to Siege the Gold Dome? — Peach Pundit
February 23rd, 2011
4:19 pm
[...] theory they are there now. Jim Galloway reported that the Unions would be staging a rally to support their Wisconsin brethren around 4:00 P.M. [...]
Joy McGraw
February 23rd, 2011
8:24 pm
Debbie Dooley always makes comments on what Tea Parties are doing but she has yet to ever show up at a protest. We’re not interested in what she has to say. Your opinion means nothing when you can’t even show up!
Innocent Public Worker
February 24th, 2011
10:23 am
Well, these tea party folks showed up with weapons. I saw a group with one rifle and one machine gun. Whoever thought it was a good idea to bring guns to a highly charged political rally should have their head examined and their guns taken away.
Bill
February 24th, 2011
11:35 am
VietVet, maybe you should look at this from yesterday’s rallies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76kUf2g-8FY