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Landslide! It looks like Waterloo in Wisconsin for government unions.
WSJ ^ | APRIL 8, 2011 | James Taranto

Posted on 04/09/2011 3:26:02 PM PDT by rhema

< snip >

But whereas we thought Kloppenburg had a real chance of beating Prosser, we've always been skeptical to the point of incredulity about the prospects for recalling Republican senators. That's because under Wisconsin law, an official has to have served for a year before being subject to recall. That shields both Walker and all Republican lawmakers who replaced Democrats in last year's election. As Wisconsin senators serve four-year terms, only those who survived the Democratic sweep of 2006 or 2008 can be recalled.

It only gets worse for Wisconsin Democrats. Kloppenburg's campaign implied--though in her "victory" press conference she robotically denied--that she would provide the deciding vote on the court to overturn Walker's reforms. Her defeat means that those reforms will soon take effect unless they have an actual legal defect.

One of the most important reforms is that union dues will become voluntary. State and local government will no longer take money out of their employees' paychecks and hand it over to the unions. This is likely to be the last Wisconsin election in which the Democrats have the advantage of support from organizations with the power to raise campaign funds coercively.

The unions' show of muscle in this week's election was not unimpressive, even though it was insufficient to the task at hand. Starved of the nourishment of forcibly collected dues, they may look like a 98-pound weakling by 2012.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: prosser; union; walker; wisconsinshowdown
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To: fwdude

In other places that allow government unions and dues are paid by the members writing a check, compliance is way way down. I think I read somewhere its like 25%. So a 75% drop in income for government unions would be a huge drop in available Rat campaign contributions. I am sure there will some attempts at coercion similar t the beating up on a 16 year old girl that was posted here recently. No way it would make up the difference and if it got too out of hand the bad PR would make things worse.


41 posted on 04/09/2011 3:59:12 PM PDT by Reily
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To: Reily

Send them Monopoly money. That’s what I’m sending the RNC.


42 posted on 04/09/2011 4:01:13 PM PDT by fwdude (The world is sleeping in the dark that the Church just can't fight, 'cause it's asleep in the light.)
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To: RobbyS

I spoke to a couple of guys who claimed to know Scott Walker personally. This was in the middle of the chaos in Madison, the fleebaggers, etc. They said Walker would not back down. They were right.


43 posted on 04/09/2011 4:02:07 PM PDT by Lando Lincoln (But that's just me.)
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To: martin_fierro

Idiot can’t spell. I hope she’s not a teacher.


44 posted on 04/09/2011 4:04:23 PM PDT by Conservativegreatgrandma
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To: rhema

Great article. Thanks for the link.


45 posted on 04/09/2011 4:06:28 PM PDT by fwdude (The world is sleeping in the dark that the Church just can't fight, 'cause it's asleep in the light.)
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To: rhema
Starved of the nourishment of forcibly collected dues, they may look like a 98-pound weakling by 2012.

I don't know, after a couple visit by the unions goon knee-breakers to members that "forgot" to mail in their dues. Many may be wishing for the days of auto payroll witholdings.

46 posted on 04/09/2011 4:07:26 PM PDT by apillar
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To: apillar

That’s why enacting CCW legislation is so critical.


47 posted on 04/09/2011 4:09:14 PM PDT by fwdude (The world is sleeping in the dark that the Church just can't fight, 'cause it's asleep in the light.)
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To: martin_fierro

Obviously one of our fine Wisconsin “edjamicators”.


48 posted on 04/09/2011 4:10:40 PM PDT by Mygirlsmom (Libs, we thought we made it clear in Nov....CAN YOU HEAR US NOW??????????)
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To: UB355; Terry Mross
Good memory, indeed.

In 2005, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels stripped collective bargaining from state employees through an executive order.

According to numbers from the Indiana State Personnel Office, there were 35,000 state employees in 2005. Twenty-five-thousand of those employees were covered under collective bargaining, and 16,408 paid union dues.

For 2011, Indiana has 28,700 state employees and 1,490 pay union dues, a 90 percent reduction in dues-paying members.

49 posted on 04/09/2011 4:11:20 PM PDT by rhema ("Break the conventions; keep the commandments." -- G. K. Chesterton)
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To: apillar

I think Wisconsin union members yearning to breathe free would prove they’re made of sterner stuff. See post 49 for Indiana’s example when fetters were unlocked.


50 posted on 04/09/2011 4:13:55 PM PDT by rhema ("Break the conventions; keep the commandments." -- G. K. Chesterton)
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To: SandRat

I hope that car was a Volt...


51 posted on 04/09/2011 4:14:39 PM PDT by tubebender (Now hiring Tag Line writers. Full time low pay)
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To: SpaceBar

You are right of course but a little celebration is in order. Our supreme court candidate survived a three million dollar onslaught by unions and their supporters.


52 posted on 04/09/2011 4:14:52 PM PDT by UB355 (Slower traffic keep right)
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To: fwdude
Now enact voter I.D. and other election safeguard laws. These have the Left screaming almost as loudly as union busting laws.

Bingo. It's now time for Wisconsin to bring forth Voter ID and end same-day registration.

53 posted on 04/09/2011 4:16:29 PM PDT by LdSentinal
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To: UB355

I must admit I’m surprised by those numbers and thanks to all of you who educated me.

I just know that when I was a member you sure felt intimidated if you didn’t join.


54 posted on 04/09/2011 4:16:56 PM PDT by Terry Mross (Only a SECOND party will get my vote.)
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To: SC_Pete
Not gonna happen. Scott Walker was my County Executive for the past 10 years - if anything he is stronger in his convictions.

I was at a luncheon this afternoon where Steven Hayes of the Weekly Standard was the speaker. He told of having several conversations with Governor Walker during this whole ordeal, and how he would look at a sea of thousands of protestors outside his door and say, "These numbers do not represent the millions of taxpayers of the state of Wisconsin. They are the ones who elected me to get things done for them and I will do that."

55 posted on 04/09/2011 4:18:39 PM PDT by Mygirlsmom (Libs, we thought we made it clear in Nov....CAN YOU HEAR US NOW??????????)
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To: EDINVA

No doubt. Especially after the complete washout the Republican Party in Washington is.


56 posted on 04/09/2011 4:25:12 PM PDT by screaminsunshine (Obama Sucks and so do the RINOS.)
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To: workerbee

Also there should be alternatives to union group premiums for professional insurance. A teacher told me years ago that the ONLY reason he belongs to the union is because of the insurance. If he carried solo, it would be more than his union dues and the insurance premiums through the union combined.

The states should figure out a way to make those insurance rates affordable to teachers. Then it’s absolutely bye bye to the unions. They’ll be left only with teachers whose courses are easily dispensable. I’ve noticed locally that the teachers most engaged with the unions (union reps) are PE teachers, not usually classroom teachers.


57 posted on 04/09/2011 4:25:54 PM PDT by EDINVA
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To: rhema

Hah ! Love how they linked spelled Huffington Post in the HTLM link ......”Puffington Post”


58 posted on 04/09/2011 4:28:58 PM PDT by Popman (Obama. First Marxist to turn a five year Marxist plan into a 4 year administration.)
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To: Mygirlsmom
exactly, those mobs were nothing but bussed in (paid) out of state union thugs. In other words.. they were ASTRO-TURF!

And Astro-Turf doesn't VOTE!

lol

Take THAT Nancy!

59 posted on 04/09/2011 4:30:01 PM PDT by TexasFreeper2009 (Obama = Carter 2.0 The Epic Fail Edition)
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To: Terry Mross
I doubt very many will stop paying dues. All this does is stop them from being “involuntarily” deducted from the paycheck. Most of the members will be bullied into paying them “voluntariy”.

True. However the unions will have to devote much time and resources to make sure they get their coin. Muscle cost money and the unions will definitely use it to get what's theirs. The union rank and file will finally see what is most important to the union leadership. Union dues will be jacked up as will those who refuse to pay.

Just remembered something... In the 80's I worked at UPS and had to go down to the local Teamster's union hall to fill out some paperwork. I was shocked at the building's ramshackle appearance. It looked like a condemned building with the interior offices, sparsely furnished with secondhand furniture. The office I was led to didn't even have filing cabinets but had files in boxes stacked along the filthy wall. I remember at the time thinking, "Where is all our money going?" Now I know.

60 posted on 04/09/2011 4:30:24 PM PDT by vlad335
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