My laugh for the day. HT to tioga.
Posted on 04/22/2016 5:47:15 AM PDT by reaganaut1
Wisconsin’s recent primary election gave Democrats another opportunity to take political shots at Governor Scott Walker’s 2011 signature collective-bargaining reform law, Act 10. Curbing the power of the public-sector unions had damaged the state, according to Senator Bernie Sanders. Not to be outdone, Hillary Clinton declared that weakening collective bargaining was “making it more difficult for families.”
This “analysis” of Walker’s reforms might play well at a political rally, but it ignores the evidence on the ground from the last five years.
It all began on February 11, 2011, when Governor Walker declared that the state was broke. Years of liberal tax-and-spend policies had left the newly elected Walker and Republican-controlled legislature with a massive, projected $3.6 billion budget deficit. Other states chose to fix their deficits with tax increases or cuts to public services, but both were bad options for the Badger State, already hemorrhaging jobs and drowning in taxes.
Instead, Walker curbed state aid to local governments and, in return, gave local governments the flexibility to control their costs. Walker’s most significant reform was the elimination of collective bargaining between local governments and their public employees’ unions. Mayors, school superintendents, and county officials would no longer be forced to accept union agreements. They finally would be able to balance budgets and reform their governments to better serve the people they represent.
After protests that brought more than 100,000 people to the capitol grounds in Madison, the bill (known as Act 10) was signed into law on March 11, 2011.
Opponents claimed that Act 10 would decimate workers’ rights. But the sky has clearly not fallen on public employees. Pension benefits for Wisconsin public employees have remained about 4.5 times more valuable than those at private-sector levels.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
Walker has been a godsend to our state
It is a pity Walker dropped out so early. He was my first choice. I guess showmanship counts more than leadership. Walker wasn’t a good showman
As they have for most private employees, insurance premiums and copays have gone up a bit. Those who can look at the issue rationally and voted for Walker because he was curtailing the unions have been glad to see reduced taxes.
And the article hardly portrays the way the Act 10 protests went down. My cousin’s wife was in the assembly for years. When they were creating and voting on Act 10, there were thousands who regularly protested in the state capital, chanting, beating drums and blowing on vuvuzelas. Every day she went to her office, she walked a gauntlet that jostled, cussed and threatened her. She was one of 60 republicans in the assembly who faced this daily for months. There wer 18 in the senate who faced the same. And then there was Walker himself, facing the abuse and threats. People here can call him all the shit they want, but this guy is quiet tough and great for Wisconsin.
JMHO
This article is from the now-despicable National Review. Could it be that they've given up on Cruz and are striving to rehabilitate Walker as the potential VP choice?
In the age of soundbites and television, showmanship is almost everything. Actual substance is utterly ignored. Ronald Reagan was uniquely capable of combining show and substance. Since his time we have been treated to a succession of demagogues, loud mouthed narcissists, and hapless morons.
Walker has been great for WI and is very popular, despite what his detractors on FRee Republic like to write
FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list.
Wish he were governor when I lived in Kenosha back in the early 1990s.
Ditto here. Walker was the most accomplished of the whole field from a governmental executive standpoint.
It would be an interesting dynamic between these 2 guys
Both have guts but they are very in demeanor and personality
I think Trump Would hire a guy like Walker
Would Walker accept?
Walker endorsed Cruz so how far down the rathole is he prepared to go with him? Walkers campaign manager is now working for Trump,so maybe there is some communicating
Almost for sure if/when trump builds ( finishes) the wall it will be with union labor which is how he will get the democrats to support it
Making a Walker or Chris Christie VP choice interesting!
I wish my state had a Gov. half as strong. It's to bad he didn't catch on nationally. He would be a sensational POTUS.
I doubt it. If Trump wins the nomination I think it's unlikely that any younger conservative is going to want to be associated with him.
I trust Trump to make a real good choice.
I was disappointed to see Walker drop ,but I think that he was under tremendous pressure from the Establishment GOP. First he defended the indefensible John McCain and then there was something else that I can’t remember that led me to think that Walker was trying to play their game. I think he realized that it just wasn’t worth it, that he would lose himself if he kept trying to please the Establishment.
If I remember correctly it was Walkers stance on immigration that made people drop him. Probably a GOPe encouraged stance.
The Cruzbots were merciless in their attacks on us Walkerites here on FR.
*BUMP* :)
“The Cruzbots were merciless in their attacks on us Walkerites here on FR.”
OMG, were they EVER!
Scott Walker has a LONG career ahead of him. I’m thinking God Himself is saving Walker’s talents for when America REALLY needs him. Not that we don’t now, but it’s good to have an Ace in the Hole, just in case. ;)
My laugh for the day. HT to tioga.
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