At Least 12,000 Jobs to Be Lost if Walker's Plan Does Not Pass

Pundit Press ^ | 2/20/11 | Thomas Ferdousi

[therightliveswithus]

The selfishness of the Wisconsin public unions has truly come full-circle. For all of their talk about protecting workers, it appears that their intransigence will hurt many of Wisconsin's employees. This, of course, comes out of the budget deficit that Governor Walker inherited from the Democratic governor that preceded him.

And without reform-- there will be a disaster.

So when shills of the unions scream about such 'unreasonable' ideas as paying for part of their own pensions and health insurance or that union members should have a say if the organization exists, answer back with this. So a teacher can prevent paying into their own benefits, children will go hungry. So a union cannot automatically collect its dues, a hard worker has to stop paying their mortgage. So union fat cats lose some control over the state's government, families will move out of Wisconsin.

On the side of the workers? Let's take a look at the budget and determine if they are:

But Walker said while the state enjoys a lower-than-average unemployment rate -- about 7.5 percent compared to 9 percent nationally -- about 5,000-6,000 state workers and 5,000-6,000 local government workers could lose their jobs if they don't accept changes to their benefits plan.

"I don't want a single person laid off in the public nor in the private sector and that's why this is a much better alternative than losing jobs," Walker told "Fox News Sunday."

Wow. Nice job, Wisconsin Senate Democrats. You've just cost thousands of residents of your state jobs. Not because of some unforeseen circumstance but intentionally through your stubborn stupidity. And if these people don't leave the state, they and their families and neighbors can still vote. And can still vote you into retirement.

[chickadee]

I hope it doesn’t come to this because Scott is inclined to privatize certain facets of municipal government - like cleaning/custodial work, for example. I worked for the State of WI for many years, and one of the things that made me proud was that the State hired many people as custodians who might not be able to find good employment elsewhere. A civil service job gave meaning and dignity and financial security to their lives.

[Paul46360]

All they seek is for themselves.
I don't remember such an OUT CRY when the state was making such deals that caused this.

[ponygirl]

If this bill does not pass, Walker will have to lay these teachers off. Not to prove a point, but to balance his budget. And he knows right where to draw the red lines...through every name that called in sick to protest this past week.

[MediaMole]

Actually, Walker won’t lay off any teachers.

They are all employed by local districts around the state that will be forced to lay people off or cut expenses by the cuts in shared revenue that are inevitably coming in Walker’s yet-unannounced budget.

School financing in Wisconsin is almost irreparably broken and something has to be done or school districts will go bankrupt. At least one suburban district in Greenfield, WI is facing imminent bankruptcy.

http://www.greenfieldnow.com/news/114614789.html

[cranked]

One can only hope the vast majority of jobs lost belong to those of the teacher’s union..... =.=

[FrankR]

My email to the "dirty dozen plus two"...

TO:
Sen.Carpenter@legis.wisconsin.gov; Sen.Cullen@legis.wisconsin.gov; Sen.Coggs@legis.wisconsin.gov; Sen.Erpenbach@legis.wisconsin.gov; Sen.Hansen@legis.wisconsin.gov; Sen.Holperin@legis.wisconsin.gov; Sen.Jauch@legis.wisconsin.gov; Sen.Larson@legis.wisconsin.gov; Sen.Lassa@legis.wisconsin.gov; Sen.Lassa@legis.wisconsin.gov; Sen.Risser@legis.wisconsin.gov; Sen.Taylor@legis.wisconsin.gov; Sen.Miller@legis.wisconsin.gov; Sen.Vinehout@legis.wisconsin.gov; Sen.Wirch@legis.wisconsin.gov

To the Wisconsin fourteen;

In my 65 years on this planet, I have seen a lot of losers elected to various offices, from local to National. As a young democrat - until Jimmy Carter came along, that is - I looked at our leaders with respect and reverence as the people who represent me in this great country. People who would do their job, no matter what, because they took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution, both state and National.

But at some point, democrats thought they saw a better way to do things; dems adopted things I learned about as traits of socialists and communist when I was living through the Cold War years. Somehow - all of a sudden - America wasn't good enough for these people who were migrating to the left. However, hidden under their ideals and brave talk was the same ol, same ol'...the simple, lecherous quest for power.

You fourteen have epitomized that bit of history in choosing to cash in what little integrity you possess and any remaining respect by acting not like fourteen Senators, but like Fourteen-year-old kids not getting their way. You were voted into the minority in November, but instead of keeping your heads high and representing the people it integrity and leadership, you chose to tuck your tails and run. You're bullies when you're in power, and cowards when you're not.

Probably using your State credit card, taxpayer money, you chose to run and hide, even with the prospect that if you don't return for the vote on the Budget bill, the Governor will have no choice but to have mass layoffs (12,000 according to a story by the AP) of your union friends because he is going to balance the budget, one way or another. So even though you think you are fighting the "brave fight", you are really just hiding and handing your supporters over to the unemployment office to save losing a few concessions that the rest of the country pays in stride. How stupid is that?

National elections of people like Al Franken shows us all that intelligence is really not a prerequisite to getting elected to office, and your little runaway stunt is right up there for the "Al Franken Hall Of Fame" award.

But there will be more elections, and while I realize those of you from majority democrat districts couldn't lose if you molested a 2-year-old - liberal scruples being what they are - some of you will still lose, and all of you will be loathed by a good number of people, but all of you will be remembered, in a bad way, of course.

For those of you who see your little game as a "tactic"...being a coward is never a tactic; you'll be remembered as those who ran away when adversity knocked. You're the moral equivalent to children who hold their breath until they get their way.

You all actually belong in the hall of SHAME for your little stunt; there is one thing about "swing voters", they actually look at what you do and say based on its merit, and they're watching this little game very closely. The hard left will always vote for you as they are like union people - with whom merit doesn't count, only blind party loyalty based on how many free handouts you vote in.

You were voted into the minority in the last election, and it's going to be even worse for you in 2012. This action has pretty much sealed your fate as democrats all over the country are figuring out the new left and switching sides. Paraphrasing an old saying, "You made your beds, now you have to lie in them.".

We'll be over here on the right, laughing our asses off at you. Personally I'd like to see all of you booted out of office in disgrace, and people are right now investigating the possibilities of such actions. But because we have such a great country and state, you'll probably skate by, at least until 2012.

You can run, but you can't hide.

Sincerely,

[green pastures]

“Democrats offered again Saturday to agree to the parts of Walker’s proposal that would double workers’ health insurance contributions and require them to contribute 5.8 percent of their salary to their pensions, so long as workers retained their rights to negotiate with the state as a union.

Fitzgerald said he was unimpressed given that the offer was something the GOP has rejected for months.”

From an article I saw posted earlier on FR. I couldn’t find it again here, but did a search and found a link to a site here:

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/02/20/2077248/gop-stands-firm-in-wisconsin.html

[MamaDearest]

Rabid union activists don't care about anything except not giving in to Governor Walker. They are fools and bullies following their leader's instructions which will ultimately cause the loss of thousands of jobs.

Definition: Don't cut off your nose to spite your face

A warning against spiteful revenge which results in one's own hurt or loss.

Riminder about violent rhetoric: Obama: 'If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun'

[redheadtoo]

My prayers to Gov. Walker for his success.

I wonder if Walker is willing to donate some DNA. We could use it here in California to grow a backbone for Jerry Brown. Then Brown might be willing to stand up to the public sector unions.

Oh wait, Jerry Brown was the man who originally allowed the public sector to unionize. And his campaign was funded by these same unions. I guess we Californians are out of luck.

[eyedigress]

I believe all Patriots remember the President of the United States threatening the American People with violence. The boy wonder isn’t Batman.

[Paul46360]

Well Brown did ask them to return the cellphones that they were given. That’s a start..maybe next it’ll be that they have to buy their own pens and pencils.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

‘zackly.
Once state support money is cut, school boards will cut teaching staff.
More’s the pity the union can’t see this coming.

[MarkL]

How many airline workers lost their jobs when the unions put Eastern Airlines out of business? And the union bosses BRAGGED about how they had the power to but a company out of business...

BTW, which teachers union boss was it that said a few years ago that he'd worry about the students when the students started paying union dues?

Mark