Well, it apparently gets better. Supposedly Wisconsin's CBO equivalent had said that Wisconsin was on track to have a budget surplus... until Walker gave a bunch of tax breaks to big business. And the unions immune to the "union-busting"? They're the unions that supported Walker's election bid.
edited 18th Feb '11 7:33:05 AM by Linhasxoc
I've been following this lately, and the thing about this bill is not only that its Walker's fault that we have a deficit now, but also that he tried to rush the bill so that no one could stop the bill.
While the unions are powerful, that's been a good thing in the past. This budget would remove the rights to bargain anything besides the wages, which aren't bargained nearly as much as benefits and working conditions, and further aren't increased nearly as well as the opposition would have people believe.
Further, a minority of protesters in Egypt have sent pictures of support. Talk about a weird world.
Lastly, as a side note, and feel free to disregard, Sarah Palin is supposed to come to the counter-protest, and as such begs the question: Why do people still pay attention to her? GAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!
Very big Daydream Believer. "That's not knowledge, that's a crapshoot!" -Al Murray "Welcome to QI" -Stephen Fry
The guy with the micropone goes on a huge rant, another guy interrupts him to tell the people in the gallery to stop cheering and actually listen, then he goes on, but his point is, Wisconsin Republicans have adapted voting procedures that do not properly respect their fellow lawmakers. For example, he found out about what they were doing on the radio before he'd been notified.
I wonder what effect the spread of this image
will have on popular opinion, if any.
edited 19th Feb '11 4:12:21 PM by RadicalTaoist
Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.I live in Wisconsin, and I have yet to speak to a person who both a) knows what the bill entails, and b) still supports it in total. Of course, that's on a college campus, but still...
And then I saw that video about how there was almost no chance given for the democrats to find out about the bill before hand, and suddenly it makes sense. Trying to sneak in something unpopular under the radar.
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That link is busted.
edited 19th Feb '11 4:11:48 PM by deathjavu
Look, you can't make me speak in a logical, coherent, intelligent bananna.I think that the schools will peter out, but much slower than directly funded things such as public transport and/or social services. It's helpful that, Wisconsin being a very agricultural state, many smaller, isolated towns have learned to work on their own, so out there it won't be too bad.
Now, in the cities on the other hand, it's going to get worse. And I call that at least one (1) pundit on either side of the issue is eventually going to say something along the lines of "It's going to end up like Arizona all over again!" and then be accused of fear-mongering.
"Mubarak, Ben Ali, now it's time for Seyyed Ali Scott Walker"?
Hmm, doesn't have the same ring to it. :P
ON TOPIC:
I hear that the unions have said, repeatedly, that they're willing to make concessions about pay and benefits, but Walker just insists on crapping on collective bargaining rights.
Heck, even some Republicans have suggested, take away collective bargaining rights but only do it temporarily, and Walker has rejected the idea.
I wonder what would happen if a State Senate Republican switch parties just so that they would technically have two parties represented. What's preventing this shenanigan from happening?
edited 22nd Feb '11 10:44:29 AM by GlennMagusHarvey
Someone at Swing State Project uses Wild Mass Guessing on this whole situation.
Shit, now I'm really going to get all Glenn Beck conspiracy theory; but I wouldn't doubt for a second that this is a very coordinated effort by Koch, Cf G, et all to crush the Dems main source of money to counter the GOP's big spending corporations. I guess the difference is that mine is plausible and is something intelligent people would do. IIRC, Rove had a specialty in fundraising in TX. (I remember very, very vague info on it and here's one stab at it; he worked hard to get a GOP SCOTX majority so they could change campaign finance laws and oil companies could donate unlimitedly to the GOP?)
(my emphasis)
Now I do know that there's a bit of dislike between Rove's American Crossroads group and the Kochs' tea party astroturfing, but they don't seem to be the type to fight over that with such a great strategic opportunity nearby.
Note that Tea Party officials from at least one of the two major Tea Party organizations have been busing in pro-Walker counter-protesters.
FYI for those not in the know:
- Karl Rove is a veteran Republican political strategist, most famous for running George W. Bush's campaigns. He currently leads a conservative political group called American Crossroads.
- The Koch Brothers, Charles and David, are two (very) wealthy businessmen who are active in conservative politics in the United States. Their fortune comes mainly from their company, Koch Industries, which is involved in the oil, chemicals, and other industries. They, along with their father, have long been involved in conservative politics, with their father doing something with the John Birch Society, I think. One of the two brothers is the second-richest person in the USA, IIRC. Their funding has been instrumental in helping the "tea party" movement get going and gain traction.
edited 22nd Feb '11 6:15:41 PM by GlennMagusHarvey
It wouldn't work, because the rule is not both parties. The requirement is three fifths, (or 20 out of 33). But there are only 19 Republicans.
Blind Final Fantasy 6 Let's Play

We have a reversed microcosm of what was happening in Congress before Christmas.