Over at Hit & Run, Matt Welch reviews the SEIU chief's reasons for ignoring the voters in Wisconsin and is it really necessary to go beyond argument #1? "Wisconsin's budget deficit is far from the nation's largest."
This is like saying: "I'm gonna have another piece of cheesecake because I'm not as fat as Michael Moore." By Stern's own admission, the budget deficit is $1.8 billion in Wisconsin; a gap that must be closed by state law. As George Will noted today, governor Scott Walker campaigned and won election on making these changes and now a "minority of the minority" wants to silence the vox populi. Color me unsurprised.
15 comments:
Wow, just imagine how greedy and budget-destroying the unions would be if THEY HADN'T ALREADY AGREED, IN FULL, TO THE GOVERNOR'S FISCAL DEMANDS.
Or if there was any correlation between the states that have collective bargaining and the states with the toughest financial outlooks.
But no one is a child here. It's all about the 2012 elections. That was the plan, anyway. The best part is that this coordinated assault is so overt, and the excuse so phony, that it's likely to cost the GOP votes in '12, and give a boost to what had been waning national support for unionism in the long term.
I'll take that bet. Taxpayers against the Public Employee Unions - particluarly the main event against the almost 2 million federal "civil servants".
Earners vs. lofers. The host versus the parasites.
During a near depression, that is a winning formula for the GOP if they have the guts to go with it.
As long as you're pleasuring yourself, Bram, here's some good whacking material for you.
http://assets.motherjones.com/politics/2011/inequality-p25_averagehouseholdincom.png
The chart may not contain the intense fantasy you obviously prefer, but you're sure to enjoy the happy ending.
Whaaa! I want other people's stuff! Whaaa! The government has to help me!
During the period of your chart, government spending as a % of GDP and inflation adjusted per capita has increased dramatically.
So you can argue that there is a direct correlation between government spending and income disparity. I'm guessing your solution is... more government spending.
http://research.stlouisfed.org/publications/review/06/01/GarrettRhine.pdf
That is a really stupid response. Your link offers nothing. You could just as well have said there's a correlation between income disparity since 1979 and rap music, or income disparity and cable television.
More fiscal conservatism from the serious grownups:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/22/walker-unions-wisconsin-protests_n_826908.html
http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/Federal-transit-funds-could-be-lost-in-the-budget-bill
WASHINGTON -- Budget referees and transportation officials in Wisconsin have informed Gov. Scott Walker (R) that if he were to pass his controversial anti-union legislation into law, he could be forfeiting tens of millions of dollars in federal funds for transportation.
Under an obscure provision of federal labor law, states risk losing federal funds should they eliminate "collective bargaining rights" that existed at the time when federal assistance was first granted. The provision, known as "protective arrangements" or "Section 13C arrangements," is meant as a means of cushioning union (and even some non-union) members who, while working on local projects, are affected by federal grants.
It also could potentially hamstring governors like Walker who want dramatic changes to labor laws in their states. Wisconsin received $74 million in federal transit funds this fiscal year. Of that, $46.6 million would be put at risk should the collective-bargaining bill come to pass -- in the process creating an even more difficult fiscal situation than the one that, ostensibly, compelled Walker to push the legislation in the first place.
The governor is certainly aware of this. While the potential loss of funds may have escaped the attention of many observers, sources familiar with the state's transportation policy tell The Huffington Post that Walker's office has been informed of the relevant legal language.
Good one. You said fiscal conservatism then linked to Huffo. Since I don't believe states should get grants from the feds, this hardly breaks my heart.
Want some liberal links to Rush Limbaugh?
"No, no, no! It isn't true until we let it inside our echo chamber!"
Man, somebody took their dopey pills this morning.
The conspiracy is much bigger than HuffPo. The filthy lying minority of the minority at the Stevens Point Journal:
http://www.stevenspointjournal.com/article/20110223/SPJ0101/102230697/End-of-collective-bargaining-might-put-brakes-on-bus-system-funding
Those leftwing loons at WLUK-TV, Fox Television's northeast Wisconsin affiliate (and you know we can't trust the yippies at Fox):
http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/Federal-transit-funds-could-be-lost-in-the-budget-bill
The deluded lamestream troublemakers at the LaCrosse Tribune:
http://lacrossetribune.com/news/article_e3043338-3be4-11e0-9e78-001cc4c03286.html
WOAW, the Wassau television station that reports whatever George Soros tells them to:
http://www.waow.com/Global/story.asp?S=14071967
The fiercely partisan Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, sowing the savage seeds of liberalism two months ago... so the fiends have been planning this attack on democracy for at least that long:
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/111361754.html
The state officials say the deficit in the road fund will be mitigated by a likely increase in federal aid, but that money can't be counted on.
Also, the current budget, which runs through June 2011, faces a shortfall of $90.7 million. If lawmakers don't fix all of that problem, it will be added to the looming deficit in the budget that runs from July 2011 to June 2013.
If new federal aid doesn't materialize, Walker and Republicans who will run the Legislature in January have few options, none of them popular. They can delay some road projects, borrow more, raise the gas tax and vehicle registration fees or take money from the general fund, which would force deeper cuts for other state programs.
Walker supports helping to shore up the transportation fund by taking a portion of the sales tax generated from vehicle sales and directing it into the transportation fund. That might have to be phased in over a few years because of the state's overall budget problems, he said.
"You've got problems in both spots," Walker said of the deficits. "No easy choices in all of this."
Ahhh, that's okay. Wisconsin won't miss that $46 million this year. Or the $46 million next year. Or the year after that...
Can I get in on that bet, too. I can retire early if someone is dumb enough to bet me this will cost the GOP votes in 2012. Yes, they may lose the Barbara Streisand/Rahm Emanuel coalition, but I suspect they will make it up elsewhere.
You know who WON'T take that bet? Gov. Rick Scott of Florida. And Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey. And Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana. And Gov, Rick Snyder of Michigan. These guys and others aren't making a public point of backing off because they can't read a poll. Understandably, none of them want to be the second politician to get Walkered.
Really, $46 million? That's a rounding error in this fight.
I'll also take that bet: I doubt this temper tantrum by the unions will play well among working Americans paying much, much more for pension and health costs. A boost for unionism? Uh-huh.
I hope Governors Christie and Daniels and Scott and Snyder are getting the counseling they so obviously need. How bizarre to see all of them reverse gears, rhetorically and legislatively. And in the same 24-hour period. Even though the nation is robustly behind them, and against the Wisconsin workers.
They're all so suddenly, simultaneously wrong! Don't they read this blog?
We can now add Terry Branstad (Iowa) and Tom Corbett (Pennsylvania) to the list of Republican Governors who are publicly declining to copy the incredibly popular actions of the incredibly popular Scott Walker.
The fools!
In response to this week's rule change that allows for closing the Capitol and ejecting the protesters, the Wisconsin Police Association (which is unaffected by the legal wrangling) has asked its members to come to the Capitol to sleep amongst the protesters. Meanwhile, the faculty of UW-LaCrosse has just voted to join the United Federation of Teachers.
The fools!
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-02-26-wisconsin-officers_N.htm
Up to 600 cops are with the protesters now, tonight. They have officially refused to obey the Republican legislators' order to clear the building. Uh oh! Gov. Walker's gonna need a lot of pink slips for the men in blue. But with the support of the citizens, this brave man of principle can't miss.
The fools!
Post a Comment