Will it get Ugly in Wisconsin?

Will it get ugly in Wisconsin? It certainly looks like it:

"You Are F---ing Dead"--WI GOP Assemblywoman Recounts Dem Colleague's Death Threat | The Weekly Standard

 

You'd have to credit Bush with that one since it happened in 2008.

 

Uh huh.. and I'm sure the Obamunists loved it.

 

Walker pretty much just admitted that union busting was at the core of his plan even though he didn't run on that issue, he never mentioned it during the campaign and this is exactly what the Left, myself included, have been saying all along regardless of the other excuses he gave. It's good to be able to see the truth all along through all the lies.

MADISON, Wis — Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker vowed on Thursday never to compromise on the core of his plan to curb the power of public sector unions and said investors should buy the state's bonds precisely because he was taking a tough stance.

In an interview with Reuters Insider exactly two weeks after state Senate Democrats fled to Illinois to stall action on Walker's proposal, he said public sector unions must be reined in to allow local governments to cut costs.

"I want to be different. I want to be unique. I want to be an innovator here and give my local governments the ability to manage their own budgets. On that part, we can't compromise," the newly elected Republican said.

He added that he saw room to talk with opposition Democrats on "the process." He did not specify what that meant, but talks were reported to be under way with the 14 Democrats who departed the state. Various media accounts said the Democrats were seeking minor modifications to Walker's proposal on workplace safety and recertification of unions in exchange for the senators returning to Wisconsin.

Earlier on Thursday, Walker told reporters that unless the Democrats returned, he would begin preparing layoff notices for some 1,500 state workers by the end of this week in order to achieve the necessary budget savings.

Walker said it was "outrageous" that Democrats left Wisconsin rather than debating or voting on his proposal.

"The crisis that is occurring is for one reason and one reason only -- because the 14 left and abandoned their jobs."

The governor said that he has instructed senior Republican lawmakers and his inner circle to reach out to "some of the more reasonable" Democratic members of the state Senate.

"Unfortunately, they go back to their caucus, and extremists in their caucus pull them back to Illinois. We need to find a way for them to break free of that and ultimately come back to the capital," Walker said.

Republicans need just one Democratic senator to return in order to reach the quorum required for a floor vote on the proposal.

Walker's proposal has sparked a major confrontation with organized labor and the largest protests in Wisconsin since the Vietnam War. At least 70,000 people marched in Madison last Saturday to demand he withdraw his union plan.

But Walker showed no signs in the interview of backing down. He said investors should buy Wisconsin debt because its pension system is fully funded and his budget proposal would lower the state's structural deficit 90 percent by the end of fiscal 2013. This contrasted favorably with states such as Illinois and California, he said.

"We made the tough decisions to make the point to the investor that while it was tough doing it, we actually had the courage of our convictions," Walker said. "This is exactly the place you want to invest in because it is rock solid. There's nothing that is going to shake us."

Asked about the delay in refinancing the state's debt that is tied to the union dispute, Walker said he was "cautiously optimistic" that time remained to resurrect the restructuring plan.

"If they (Democrats) came back tomorrow, for example, we'd still try and see if we could talk to our bank and see if we could push this (refinancing) forward because its much better than losing $165 million in savings," he said.

The proposal to curb unions also included a provision allowing the debt restructuring that Walker's administration has estimated would save $165 million, and that has been held up by the larger controversy. Democrats have said Walker is bluffing on the urgency of the debt refinancing.

Walker's union proposal would allow collective bargaining on wage levels only up to the rate of inflation, require rank-and-file members to vote to recertify their union representation ever year, and require union members to assume more of the cost of their health insurance and pension plans.

 

That is awesome! Bust the unions!

 

Nice to see you Lehigh but I gotta ask you just how would busting the unions really help the state of Wisconsin or this country as a whole?

If you've bothered to read the first 16 pages of this thread you'll notice (as usual) it has taken some stupid twists. You might also notice what I said in the OP and following posts.
I'm not a big fan of unions but thought it could get ugly in Wisconsin. Depending on ones definition of ugly it looks like it has.

Take a read and let me know. I actually have some respect for your views.

 

Aren't casinos associated with organized crime on the east coast in the same way oceans are associated with moisture?

 

You should pose that question to the CCC and DGE which are two separate government entities created to regulate the Atlantic City casino industry. Both agencies are fully funded by the casinos in a special tax not levied on other industries but they are still considered state employees. A few years ago, democrat Governor Corzine decided to shut down the state government when the legislature could not pass a balanced budget by the deadline. It was 4th of July weekend, and even though the payroll monies for both the CCC and DGE were accounted for, Corzine shut down the entire AC casinos on the biggest weekend of the year. Because, by law, you can't operate a casino with the state mandated regulatory employees.

I hardly think the mob could be anymore corrupt than that.

 

Here's an interesting story which gives a little insight from people on both sides of the issue:

In union strongholds, residents wrestle with cuts - Yahoo! News


I especially like this paragraph from the article:

Harry now blames years of union demands for an exodus of manufacturing jobs from this blue-collar city on the shore of Lake Michigan. He praises new Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker for attempting to strip public employee unions of nearly all of their collective bargaining rights. And he wishes police would clear out the pro-union protesters now in their third week of occupation of the Wisconsin Capitol.

And this:

National polls show that the portion of the public that views unions favorably has dropped to near historic lows in recent years, dipping below 50 percent by some accounts.

 

It's getting VERY ugly in Wisconsin:

Threats against Wisconsin Republicans increasing - Yahoo! News

Threats against Wisconsin Republicans increasing
Kim Linton – Sun Mar 13, 7:29 pm ET

At least 18 Republican lawmakers have received death threats since voting for Gov. Scott Walker's modified budget repair bill -- and the number is climbing. Several suspects have been identified, while obscene phone calls, threatening e-mails and other "thug-like" intimidation tactics continue to be used by union supporters to incite violence and anger toward Republican senators.
One particularly threatening e-mail warned Republican lawmakers to "put your things in order because you will be killed and your families will also be killed due to your actions in the last 8 weeks."
Heated battle
The heated battle started when Walker introduced his budget repair bill, which originally contained fiscal language designed to cover a $137 million budget deficit. Most importantly, the bill also placed limits on collective bargaining rights for state union workers, excluding police and firefighters.
Protests and death threats against Republican legislators intensified after a modified version of the bill passed the Senate and ultimately the Assembly. To make the vote possible in the absence of 14 Democratic colleagues, all fiscal language was stripped from the legislation leaving only collective bargaining restrictions.
Wisconsin protests turn ugly
Since Walker signed the anti-union bill into law, protests in Madison, Wis. have been anything but peaceful.
After causing an estimated $7.5 million in property damage to the State Capitol, Wisconsin protesters are now the stars of amateur videos springing up on social networks like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Earlier in the Wisconsin budget battle timeline, Massachusetts Rep. Michael Capauno told a group of Boston union members that collective bargaining battles were so important "every once and awhile you need to get out on the streets and get a little bloody."
On the other side of the fence, Sarah Palin told Fox News Wisconsin union bosses were "acting like thugs" and it's their responsibility to "turn down the rhetoric and start getting truth out there so that nobody gets hurt."
What happens now?
While recall efforts, lawsuits and political strategies are being discussed on both sides of the aisle, there's one thing Republican and Democratic lawmakers can agree on -- the battle over unions and collective bargaining has just begun.

 

I think that the recall of this guy just got a little easier. These are the type of people that stood with Walker. Birds of a feather.

WI Repub lives outside district with mistress, says wife

By David Ferguson

Protesters who marched at the home of Wisconsin state senator Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) were met with something of a surprise on Saturday. Mrs. Hopper appeared at the door and informed them that Sen. Hopper was no longer in residence at this address, but now lives in Madison, WI with his 25-year-old mistress.

Blogging Blue reports that the conservative Republican's much-younger new flame is currently employed as a lobbyist for right-wing advocacy group Persuasion Partners, Inc., but was previously a state senate staffer who worked on the Senate Economic Development Committee alongside Mr. Hopper. Her bio has been scrubbed from the Persuasion Partners' website, but a screen-grab is available here.

Sen. Hopper has worked closely with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker to implement the state's new anti-labor laws and enact policies favorable to the interests of big business. Like Walker, Hopper is one of the Republican politicians named in a massive recall effort spearheaded by Wisconsin Democrats.

According to Wisconsin law, state elected officials who have served at least one year of their current term are eligible for recall by voters. Hopper was elected state senator for district 18 in the fall of 2008, making him eligible for recall, whereas Governor Walker will not be eligible until 2012.

Blogging Blue also reports that Mrs. Hopper intends to sign the recall petition against her husband. The petition has already been signed by the family's maid.

 

Depending on your definition of ugly I still think it's ugly in Wisconsin.

Gov. Scott Walker To Defy Court Order Blocking Anti-Collective Bargaining Law? - Rick Ungar - The Policy Page - Forbes

 

I think that someone should tell the Republicans in Wisconsin that the recall really doesn't need anymore help. Thanks anyway guys but it's doing just fine on it's own. Ideologues to the bitter end.

 

I wonder why Mr. moen did not object to this one;

See WHDH-TV - MA House votes to limit union bargaining rights

OOPS! I missed that. These are the dips doing the same thing Gov. Walker is doing. I guess whatever the dips do is OK with moen, but whatever the Reps do is vile.