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Wisconsin Lame-Duck Democrats Bust a Jailbird Out to Vote on Union Contracts

By: LaborUnionReport (Diary)  |  December 16th, 2010 at 02:45 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

[This post has been updated below the fold -- LUR]

Meet Jeff Wood, alleged serial drinker. He’s a Wisconsin “independent” lawmaker who (allegedly) has a drinking problem and, right now, he’s sitting in jail…Sort of.

Being one vote short in their lame-duck session, Wisconsin Democrats were apparently so desperate to shove stalled union contracts down the throats of Wisconsin taxpayers before incoming-Governor Scott Walker can take office that they busted inmate Wood out of jail to vote with them.

Short on votes, Assembly Democrats have turned to one of their jailed colleagues for help.  According to reports, disgraced State Representative Jeff Wood, currently sitting in jail due to multiple OWI arrests, has been allowed to leave jail for the day to return to Madison to vote on the union contracts.  Walker has said passage of these contracts could cost the state up to $154 million, while he is attempting to close a budget deficit in excess of $3 billion.

So we are left with this:  State union contracts being rammed through the Legislature at the last possible moment, by a body that voters threw out of power a month ago, with the deciding vote being cast by a legislator who had to be let out of jail to vote for the agreements.

Wood’s trip down to Madison means the public employee unions are one step closer to getting what they want – locking contracts into place that put the state further into a deficit before Walker can undo them.  We’ll see how many drunks sitting in jail get the day off so they can do a $154 million favor for a powerful interest group.

As Wood was the deciding vote in [almost] passing* the lame-duck Democrats’ gift to union bosses, Wisconsin taxpayers should be doubly pleased to know that, not only did Wood [almost] stick them* with the costs of the union contracts, their tax dollars will go to feeding him if he winds up doing hard time.

Talk about a cheesy thing to do!

* UPDATE: The union contracts did not pass afterall. According to WisPolitics.com
[h/t PaminWisconsin]:

Lawmakers failed to approve 17 state employee contracts after Dem Sens. Russ Decker and Jeff Plale joined Republicans in opposing the deals and deadlocked the Senate at 16-16.

Incensed after the first vote, Senate Dems immediately went to caucus and deposed Decker as majority leader, elevating Dave Hansen of Green Bay to take his place for the final two weeks of the session.

[snip]

This morning, Senate President Fred Risser adjourned the extraordinary session after holding out the possibility last night that Dems could come back to the floor and make another run at the contracts.

Republicans, meanwhile, seethed at the process, accusing Dems of trying to ram through the deals despite being rebuked by the voters at the polls just one month ago.

[H/T: WPRI]

_________________

“I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.” Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776

X-posted.

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  • pizzaguy

    Because a conservative didn’t do it.

  • uselogic

    … was my first thought. But it isn’t. We should be used to stuff like this now from Dems. There is no low they will not stoop to.

  • LibertarianHawk

    …the Democratic Senate Majority Leader (who had lost his bid for reelection) decided to vote against the new contracts?

    If so, that’s some sweet poetic justice.

    • mirac777

      Look for another Dem to switch to the GOP soon. This speaks of the far left bullying tactics used every day. This (senate leader) sounds like a Dem this Independent would vote for here. This is also good exposure of out National Political theme lately.They are one and the same. The far Left have no tolerance or wanting to reach any compromise. This is the true definition of Extremism., IMO.

  • sharonmcp

    there is no depth too low that these people won’t sink to for their own political gain.

    • mirac777

      Kind of brings new meaning to the word Tyrant doesn’t it? If you are in a position of power by the people who elect you, then constantly go against their wishes, this makes you a self-serving Tyrant in my book. Some P/C people don’t like me calling people Tyrants. I say that is just too bad. It isn’t name calling, it is a truthful adjective used to describe someone’s actions.
      Someone has to be tough enough to stand up to these Tyrants and call a pig a pig, no matter what shade of eyeshadow they may be wearing. Our freedoms depend on it. Socialism-pimping Communists depend on us not speaking up with the truth, so they try to control the message, try to deny us the right to call a pig a pig. Not on my watch.

  • NeoKong

    That they would use a jailed criminal as the final vote to put them over the top.
    Was he still wearing his orange jumpsuit ?
    What is even more disgusting is that they don’t give a damn about how awful it looks because they have no respect for the voters wishes whatsoever.

    This has been the most disgusting month in politics that I have ever seen.
    Democrats have dropped every last pretense of respect for the voters and taxpayers of this country by trying to steal every single thing that isn’t nailed down on their way out the door.
    They’re gonna’ stick it to us one last time.

    • edintexas

      Not only that, they have no respect for the voters. Citizens are simply cash cows to be “milked” at their pleasure. Oh, and have their lives run by the Ruling Class.

  • itrytobenice

    The Democrats are so bad it’s hard for the Onion to make a parody that would surpass them.

    I think it was Richard Nixon who said, “There’s an evil party and a stupid party. I’m a proud member of the stupid party.”

  • paminwisconsin

    Contracts were voted done in the State Senate with the Democrat leader of the Senate (who actually lost his seat in the November election) voting no which was the deciding vote. he was a big basher of the business here in Wisconsin. Now that he is out of a job with state government guess who he has to approach to get a “real” job? Those nasty business people he had been bashing for years! Maybe he had already learned a few things about what the private sector can offer in the way of pay and benefits as compared to what state employees get here! Nothing like actually having to work for a living to get an idea of what is happening in the private sector versus the government unions!

    • paminwisconsin

      meant to say “contracts went down’

    • http://www.laborunionreport.com LaborUnionReport

      ..

  • roscopico

    As well as the rest of the contemptible marxo-commies in the state. Russ Decker lost because he was primaried from the left, and is rumored to hate Doyle’s guts (hey, there are some things anybody can agree upon).

    How does any of this harm Governor-elect Walker? It doesn’t. None of the commies or their union pals voted for the guy in the first place.

    This was a huge win for the Land of Cheese and Beer!

  • givemefreedom

    I used to live there. liberal progressive democrats have been in power for ages. I still don’t believe there has been a power change. Although there were many democrats defeated in the last election PLUS the governor, the cheating lying stealing democrats don’t won’t quit. the media will help them as always just like on the national scene.
    I moved to Texas by the way . . . . NO state income taxes.

    ps Wisconsin taxes are ghastly high always in the top ten in the nation.

    • LibertarianHawk

      Jim Doyle didn’t seek a third term. The Democratic candidate was Tom Barrett, the mayor of Milwaukee.

      That said, I suspect Doyle would’ve lost had he run.

  • eldstenorge

    And, last night, our Republicans in Congress screwed us by passing the monstrosity tax cut bill Obama wanted. We need to tax cuts, but not all the rest of what is in it. Sometimes you wonder why you continue to vote Republican as well.

  • methodius777

    I woke up on Nov 3 a proud Wisconsinite. I woke up this morning utterly appalled. Part of me is shocked at what these nut Dems will pull and part of me is not. I say kudos to the Dems who stood against this craziness and put a stop to it. I guess I need to quit going to bed early without watching the news from now on so I won’t miss drama like this. But then again if I do I might not sleep so well . . . .UUUggghhh Democrats give me the red heinie . . ..

  • kenchely

    You can tell that these Democrats aren’t familiar with recent political history. In Tennessee a couple of decades ago, an outgoing Democratic governor, Ray Blanton, pardoned a whole raft of criminals as he went out the door–not the usual handful but thousands. The public reaction was overwhelming; Democrats have had a terrible time ever since in Tennessee.