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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: martin_fierro

-GUILTY-


21 posted on 04/09/2011 3:46:56 PM PDT by SIDENET ("If that's your best, your best won't do." -Dee Snider)
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To: rhema

Now enact voter I.D. and other election safeguard laws. These have the Left screaming almost as loudly as union busting laws.


22 posted on 04/09/2011 3:47:22 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: fwdude

Not to be confused with Elenor Holmes Horton of D.C.


23 posted on 04/09/2011 3:47:31 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty - Honor - Country! What else needs said?)
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To: martin_fierro

She bees smoking her Tea rather than drinking it. She’s been feeding her munchies side effects too.


24 posted on 04/09/2011 3:48:08 PM PDT by tflabo
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To: rhema

Now is not the time to get giddy and start popping champagne corks. The left has shown historically that when the going gets tough, they dig their heels in and turn up the heat. We could learn a few things from them.


25 posted on 04/09/2011 3:48:25 PM PDT by SpaceBar
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To: Lando Lincoln

Stratenshardenfreudery = Strategery + Schardenfreuden


26 posted on 04/09/2011 3:48:37 PM PDT by spokeshave (Obamas approval ratings are so low, Kenyans are accusing him of being born in the USA.)
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To: rhema

I just keep staring at the article and the 98 pound comment. I don’t want to navigate away.


27 posted on 04/09/2011 3:48:38 PM PDT by wiggen (The teacher card. When the racism card just won't work.)
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To: UB355

Congratulations! Really, truly exciting.

Maybe you can answer a question I’ve posed on FR a few times since this turnaround. I’ve closed several election polls in VA over the years, and we call our results in to the state electoral board that enters them in the state’s unofficial results.

The media follows that state board’s tallies. We never call anything into the media. I don’t know if it’s forbidden, but it’s just not done. Is there a reason the Clerks call their numbers into AP in WI?


28 posted on 04/09/2011 3:48:51 PM PDT by EDINVA
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To: martin_fierro

Union member puzzled by your post: “So whatz the big deel? Nuthing is rong with that sine.”


29 posted on 04/09/2011 3:49:57 PM PDT by rhema ("Break the conventions; keep the commandments." -- G. K. Chesterton)
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To: Lando Lincoln

Let’s hope he doesn’t throw away his values in pursuit of re-election—the way every other politician does.


30 posted on 04/09/2011 3:50:12 PM PDT by SC_Pete
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To: Terry Mross
I doubt very many will stop paying dues. ... Most of the members will be bullied into paying them “voluntariy”.

Like this:
Union Thugs Intimidate 16 Year Old Worker

31 posted on 04/09/2011 3:50:59 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: LostInBayport
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.

And may it be propagated forthwith to all 57 states.

32 posted on 04/09/2011 3:51:04 PM PDT by spokeshave (Obamas approval ratings are so low, Kenyans are accusing him of being born in the USA.)
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To: Terry Mross

I heard recently that after Gov. Daniels ended mandatory dues collection in Indiana, union dues income from public employees fell by 95%.


33 posted on 04/09/2011 3:51:37 PM PDT by kevao (I)
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To: EDINVA

Sorry can not answer that.


34 posted on 04/09/2011 3:54:17 PM PDT by UB355 (Slower traffic keep right)
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To: Terry Mross

No way. If that were so, why would it have been set up in the first place?

No. I have to believe that once people need to pull out the checkbook and send the money themselves, they’ll figure out real quick that they LIKE being non-union.


35 posted on 04/09/2011 3:54:34 PM PDT by workerbee (We're not scared, Maobama -- we're pissed off!)
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To: Lando Lincoln

Walker for president in 2016. He might even save the country. The guy has serious chops.


36 posted on 04/09/2011 3:55:15 PM PDT by RobbyS (Pray with the suffering souls.)
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To: Terry Mross

If you look to Indiana after they stopped automatic dues collection union membership went from 16,000 to 1,500. Numbers from memory.


37 posted on 04/09/2011 3:57:07 PM PDT by UB355 (Slower traffic keep right)
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To: SpaceBar
We can learn how not to respond to the kinds of defeats they're taking.
38 posted on 04/09/2011 3:57:59 PM PDT by rhema ("Break the conventions; keep the commandments." -- G. K. Chesterton)
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To: RobbyS
Walker for president in 2016. He might even save the country. The guy has serious chops.

Yes, he does indeed.

And if he doesn't run, he needs to put together and teach a mandatory seminary for all Republicans on regaining your gonads.

39 posted on 04/09/2011 3:58:02 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: workerbee

You mean if they can save $1000 a year at a time when their wages are frozen?


40 posted on 04/09/2011 3:59:04 PM PDT by RobbyS (Pray with the suffering souls.)
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