Is Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker Right About the Unions?

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Most all we ever hear about is how the poor teachers this or the poor union snow plow drivers that or the poor union state workers are so trodden upon and how all these poor helpless good hard working people are being taken advantage of by the big bad REPUBLICAN Gov. Walker. I'm sick of it. Let's hear from the hundreds of thousands of home owners and property tax payers and renters who's rent is increased to pay these property taxes who are going broke and having to leave there homes because they can no longer afford to pay the taxes- or who must pay these taxes so they now can't afford the other things we all want to buy and enjoy-- let's hear from all the hundreds of thousands of good tax paying citizens who are forced under penalty of forfeiture or death, (try not paying taxes to the nth degree and see what happens), let's hear what they have to say about being forced to pay bloated union "benefits" for those who choose to retire at full pay at 50 years old. OH MY F-ing GOD. No one ever said you were required to work for the Gov't. You may quit at any time. You may not quit paying taxes

Lou Longmire of MN 5:57PM January 22, 2012

Well, it's been nearly a year since Walker took office. The ONLY districts that have laid off teachers were in districts that signed new contracts before the budget tools were enabled. Matter of fact, all but ONE district in the entire state has saved money and has a surplus now, and most have moved to lower class sizes, hire more teachers, and look at a fair way to pay teachers MORE based on performance. All for a 5-8% contribution to their previously-free health care and 5% of their pension, which they get back anyways. They can still retire at 50 and get full pension until both partners are deceased (or go back to work and double-dip, pay $0 for heathcare and pension as they are "retired", cheap loophole that prevents new teachers from getting a job! Why are teachers AGAINST jobs?). The Union hated this because they OWNED the insurance company that was raping the state on charges. THATS where a lot of the balanced budget money came from, not the $40 a month the teachers are paying now in health care costs that were free for 56 years.
Not only that, the budget is balanced, Walker even paid back the illegal theft from the Highway Fund that governor Doyle (D) raided, and also paid back the 1/3 billion he "borrowed" from Minnesota. Dont forget Doyle ran on a "No Vegas-style gaming in Indian casinos in Wisconsin" platform, then after elected, took a $75000 donation and let the Potawatomi tribe get a LIFETIME DEAL to never pay the state a CENT after a few years. Did Doyle just HATE having money paid into the state coffers unless it came from an "evil corporation"? Doyle also started the bogus 'double taxation' (combined reporting). We almost lost HARLEY from that!
Dont forget, you Union thugs (I'm union too, IBEW local 663 Milwaukee, I dont follow zombie-like madness and rabid irrationalism), Walker does everything for the taxpayer, which INCLUDES YOU. Did your property taxes go up 10% this year like mine did EVERY year under Doyle? Mine are going DOWN (in percentage, not because of depressed value). He is under LAW to BALANCE THE BUDGET...so what else was he supposed to do? Crap gold bricks in the amount of 4 billion dollars? Wisconsin would have been Greece if this was allowed any longer.
Stop lying about the collective bargaining as if the Unions would have negotiated. THEY REFUSED OVER AND OVER. You also wanted to vote in an unqualified state supreme court justice ONLY to get Walker's law annulled.
The ONLY reason you people are trying for a recall is because you CANT accept the fact you LOST an election, and you refuse to deal with the law.
Go ahead and try. You won't win. Dont come crying "UNFAIR" when we start doing the same things to YOU (well, we wont use death threats like you whack-jobs do, we arent crazy like you) like recall anyone with a (D) after their name if they get elected. We still wont cheat at the polls, though....but maybe we SHOULD...it's the only way you'll support a real voter ID law

T Sagert of WI 11:12PM November 13, 2011

The study from the National Council on Teacher Quality examines how states handle everything from pay to discipline for public school teachers. Even the top scoring state, Florida, received a C, with most states getting Ds or Fs. A handful of states — including Georgia, Texas and Louisiana — got a C-minus. Your remark implies that teachers in Wisconsin are poor, but the report you cite does not measure teacher quality. A number of your other assertions are laughable but let’s deal with just one: spending money to influence public policy. The Koch brothers have spent more $50 million lobbying the government in the last decade and have given more than $100 million to dozens of seemingly independent organizations through several charitable foundations they control. Maryann, disingenuous use of data does not improve discourse. Everybody else: for pity's sake, don't swallow anybody's information without verifying that it is balanced and accurate. That's what my students learn here in Northern Wisconsin.

Deb of WI 4:58PM March 22, 2011

In these very difficult times, budget balancing is extremely problematical but the problem was not created totally by government employees and even radical
idealogues should not expect to solve the problem solely on their backs.
The rest of the population should be expected to help even though the "four-
letter"word taxes is so odious. Governor Walker came into offic with pre conceived ideas and is pushing them regardless of consequences.
How would Wisconsin citzens appreciate 45 members of their childrens' first
grade class, poorertrash pickup, or no snow plowing or street cleaning??

Julian J Grossman of CT 10:34AM March 14, 2011

Your boss in a public service job is not the owner of the company, just another employee, like you, trying to make a paycheck and survive. I have worked in the private sector and if the owner doesn’t like you and wants you gone, guess what? You’re gone! Fair enough right?
Difference in the public sector is when your boss doesn’t like you for personal reasons too bad for them. They have not invested their own capital for the right to choose who stays or goes without good reason. They are benefitting from taxpayer dollars every time they get a paycheck. I am through hearing how hard it is to fire bad employees! If someone is too lazy to follow the proper procedures to get rid of lousy workers to the benefit of taxpayers then they shouldn’t have taken a job in management in the first place! Seriously, lousy employees fire themselves!
As for Wisconsin, what is the issue? 160 million dollars or so, the Koch brothers can handle that no problem! I hear that their total worth is 34 billion dollars! Let them pay the difference and that would still leave them 33,840,000,000.00 dollars, maybe they could qualify for a federal bailout! Oh wait, I think Gov. Walker of Wisconsin already gave them a corporate tax break. LOL! (Seriously not funny)
Oh and for you Tea Party Libertarians, These old boys made that money through hard work and the sweat of their brow! They weren’t born a couple of filthy rich white kids whose daddy left them an oil business and that money made it able for them to pay off politicians for the last 40 years in order to keep this country away from renewable energy sources. Seems like the soon to be $5 gas prices are going to suit these fine upstanding Americans just fine! Adios!

Mike N of FL 9:04PM March 13, 2011

Why is it so difficult to follow this story? It seems Charlie Sheen, the royal family, and the NFL labor problem have more importance. I understand there is an awful lot going on right now, but something that affects working Americans, and represents direct political attack on one of 2 major political parties demands more coverage.

Herbert of CA 11:19AM March 12, 2011

Way over due the phoney polticans who want to be realected give in to theis over paid under skilled union workers who spend big money lobbying their unamerican greed good for you GOV. Walker

Nicholas C. Derito of NY 8:48PM March 11, 2011

The above two messages - one a vitriolic piece from the right, the other from a vocabulary-limited left reflect that teachers should do a better job! The only power less wealthy people have against the huge wealth accumulated on Wall St. is the VOTE. Unions allow people to more efficiently vote their interests and compete against the wallet-interests of the fat cats. Work for the preservation of the unions!!!!!!!!!!!! And don't be so cheap that you let your buddy pay union dues and you cruise along getting the pay raises he paid for while you do nothing!

sylvia Woodburne of CA 6:40PM March 11, 2011

Walker is as crazy as Sheean... this is the perfect example of a dictatorship government... wipe out the Middle Class... take away any power of the people to negotiate... only educate the wealthy who can afford the costs... bring in immigrants to work at minimum wage... so we can all go back to what our forefathers fought for... born in a class, work and buy at the company store and die in that class, not to mention an environment with terrible working conditons. Remember only 10% of the population is in the category who will be living well... the remainder will work and live similiar to the third world countries... wake up Americans.

shirley of PA 6:14PM March 11, 2011

I love unions...especially union factories, where a high school diploma can make you 60k a year! Then these uneducated trashy idiots get a pension to boot! Get real people! The days of working on an assembly line making 60-80k a year is OVER. OVER, get it through your heads. Now you need to get paid according to your worth to society, so I figure a factory worker, assembly line man, police, firefighter, is worth about 8-10 an hour. If you want more go get an education. The only problem is most of you cant read. I am so glad this happened. I cant wait to hear how unfair the world has been to these people. FU

Rush of IL 4:34PM March 11, 2011