Posted on 06/28/2011 3:43:58 PM PDT by Hunton Peck
GREEN BAY - With a publication in the Wisconsin State Journal, the state's collective bargaining law is set to take effect on Wednesday.
In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Governor Scott Walker says he should have done more to prepare the public for eliminating most collective bargaining for most state employees. He admits he was just focused on completing the legislation.
Walker says his office "had not built enough of the case." He goes on to say what he "should have done, from a political standpoint, was build that case sooner."
“The proposals he has been making have been very extreme, so when Governor Walker says he didn't prepare the public enough, I would say that is absolutely true,” said Kathy Rhode with Bay Lakes United Educators or BLUE.
Rhode, who has been against Walker's plans, says the teachers with BLUE are prepared for the financial ramifications of contributing to health care and pension plans. Although, Rhode says there hasn't been enough time to prepare for the other aspects of the law.
“It seems like every day something new has been happening and we are having to adjust so we are doing the best we can to understand what the law is going to mean for us and prepare to deal with it,” said Rhode.
Now that the law is ready to take effect and the state's two-year budget has been signed, Governor Walker says it is time for Republicans and Democrats to start working together.
“We're reaching out, trying to make sure we listen, involve as many people as possible and really get back to the Wisconsin way of bringing people together,” said Walker.
(Excerpt) Read more at fox11online.com ...
>>WooHoo, brothers and sisters?<<
WOO HOO Brothers and WOO HOO Sisters!
Every trend begins with a lead example!
Where else would you find people who bitch and moan when the employer is paying 87% of their health insurance.
There are a lot of people who whine about everything, but only in government can you find people who feel so entitled to be taken seriously.
Ping!
I can give you two Woos and two Hoos and YeeHaw to boot!
Wooo-Hoo, but we need to work on getting rid of that procrastinator, Doug LaFollette. What a creep!
But he’s one of the best Secretaries of State George Soros’ money can buy! (Although, with his name, he might not have needed any help)
First, understand that this is a reduction in take home pay, NOT a salary cut. The teachers in my community retain the full benefit of their entire salary, as the reduction is contributing to their retirement and health care premiums. (Contrast that with my hubby's employer, which last year implemented a 10% reduction in salary IN ADDITION TO an increase in the amount we contibute toward health care.)
3.3% of $40k is approx. $1300, or $50.00 a paycheck if paid every two weeks.
But wait--there's more! It's probably not going to be a full $50 per paycheck due to the pension and healthcare contributions being pre-tax. And I do not know whether or not union dues no longer being mandatory was part of the initial calculation. It could very well end up a wash or a slight increase in take home pay if a teacher chooses not to stay in the union.
And this was cause for all the whining, pissing, moaning, illegal walkout-ing, drum-banging, hysterical "I'm going to lose my house" crybabying that's been going on these past few months?
Having survived two layoffs in the past 5 years, paying big bucks to go back to school and then serving a 3 month UNPAID internship, while my husband's income was reduced you can see why I have very little patience for the slightest complaint from the clueless and pampered teachers in my town.
I’ll point out here that SOS Doug LaFollette is not directly related to the legendary “Fighting Bob” LaFollette of the last century. Doug changed the spelling of his name to make it appeear that he is more closely related to his distant cousin than he really is.
I'm sorry, but on this point Governor Walker loses me. The Democrats in the state of Wisconsin are a bunch of cowards who ran across state lines when they didn't get their way and came back only when they ran out of options.
I don't think Governor Walker should worry what the Democrats think. Propose and pass good legislation and trust the good people of Wisconsin to understand. Every time there is a move to the left, we get screwed! True on statewide as well as national level.
Advice to Governor Walker - move to the right. You will be handily re-elected and you'll doing the right thing for your state.
Notice the way ordinary people who are union fail to mention that they no longer have to pay union dues?
Unfortunately it won't have lasting effect.
New contracts were hurriedly entered into and Walker will be ousted, Dems will retake legislature by the time new ones need be drawn.
It's very plausible Dems can flip up two, maybe three, seats in the recall. They need only three to retake the majority in the WI Senate.
High risk:
Randy Hopper (Fond du Lac) won by only 163 votes in 2008. I'd call that one at very serious risk.
Alberta Darling (River Hills) won by 1% in 2008, just over 1,000 votes. I'd call that one at serious risk.
Some risk:
Dan Kapake (La Crosse) won reelection by less than 3% in 2008, about 2500 votes, slightly smaller margin than when he took the seat. He ran for congress in 2010 and lost by almost 4%. I'd say there's some risk to this seat.
Little risk:
Sheila Harsdorf (River Falls) won by 12% in 2008, over 11,000 votes. Probably safe.
No risk:
Rob Cowles (Allouez) won with 99.35% of the vote. I think he's safe.
Luther Olseon (Ripon) won with 99.35% of the vote. I think he's safe too.
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