As the ethically-challenged judge in Wisconsin holds up Scott Walkers’ union-reform law again (for another two months) and AFSCME bullies local businesses and think tanks receive death threats, the fight in Wisconsin (and elsewhere) is becoming clearly about union power, nothing more and nothing less.
On Friday, to reconfirm just how much is at stake for union bosses, near the bottom of a Wall Street Journal piece came this juicy tidbit:
Union chiefs like Mr. Parrett know what that means for their political clout. After taking office in 2005, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels used an executive order to end collective bargaining for public workers—a power granted by former Governor Evan Bayh.
The number of state public employees has since fallen to 28,700 from 35,000. But more important, the vast majority of those employees stopped paying union dues. Today, 1,490 state employees pay union dues in Indiana, down from 16,408 in 2005. Similar declines have played out in Washington State and Utah, when those states gave members the freedom to choose.
This is the prospect that has Wisconsin labor leaders so furious these days—furious enough that they’ll even threaten the livelihoods of local business owners who won’t join them at the barricades. This is the nasty modern reality of government union power.
So, with government employees having the right to choose whether or not to pay union bosses in Indiana, union bosses’ coffers lost over 90% of the dues going in. This, more than anything, likely has unions so worried and why the United Steelworkers stated in a press release:
So far in Wisconsin, conservatives have granted only government workers the right to freeload – the ability to benefit from collective bargaining without paying union dues. In nine other states, from Main to Missouri, conservatives are pushing right to freeload legislation to cripple all unions.
Of course, with substantially less money coming into their coffers, union bosses have plenty to worry about—as do their Democrat puppets. [As an aside, Politico is reporting that President Obama is launching his re-election campaign next week.]
It’s been said that there are two things in life that are a certainty: death and taxes. Even though only one of those should be a necessity, union bosses would love to see a third added to the list—union dues.
_________________
“I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.” Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776
Moe Lane
Dan Spencer
Dan McLaughlin
Jeff Emanuel
And they call capitalists greedy???
lineholder (Diary) Saturday, April 2nd at 6:00PM EDT (link)Keep up with the good work, LUR.
The truth is coming out. Even through events such as what took place over the last few days with Ms. Bobo of Union Grove, WI.
Great Video of Mrs. bobo on Stewart Varney
audax (Diary) Monday, April 4th at 5:18AM EDT (link)http://www.unifiedpatriots.com/2011/04/02/threatening-granny-bobo-backfires-on-afscme-in-wisconsin/
Audeamus pro audere est facere
The problem is
smbn Saturday, April 2nd at 6:43PM EDT (link)Most Americans reading that WSJ piece will fixate on the declining number of state public employees in the years since Daniel’s executive order.
They would rather have a job and pay union dues than not have a job and so they see the union as preferable.
Just for laughs
junkbondtrader41 Saturday, April 2nd at 7:18PM EDT (link)I’d like “Judge” Sumi or one of her apologists to explain to me what’s so magical about two extra months, and why she, a sitting jurist of many years, requires so long to grasp the straightfoward meaning of the statute in question, and that it certainly was NOT violated here. The layperson understands that with one reading and knowledge of the rudimentary facts of the case.
C’mon liberal trolls. We know you’re lurking here. Amuse us with something that can at least pass for coherent reasoning.
Where is Walker?
writeblock Saturday, April 2nd at 7:42PM EDT (link)Why aren’t the Republicans taking on this judge in the press by showing up everywhere? Walker should be doing townhalls like Christie, explaining things, pushing back. He should be out front on this, making accusations, defending democracy against judicial power grabs. Why is he hiding? In lieu of a full court press,, why don’t the Republicans just re-pass the damn thing? Why let the left dictate the terms of this fight? Why is the GOP so SLOW to act? This could have been resolved months ago, days after the Dems left the state. I fail to understand why Walker is so passive.
Re-passing it would grant legitimacy to the false claims of the left (nt)
Neil Stevens (Diary) Saturday, April 2nd at 8:13PM EDT (link)RS contributing editor and “a hardy variety of crabgrass.”
Read the RedState Posting Rules
Unlikely Voter: Poll Analysis, Election Projection.
“I rejoice that America has resisted.” – William Pitt, the Elder
Neil, I agree with this comment, but
lineholder (Diary) Saturday, April 2nd at 8:44PM EDT (link)with each day that the law is inactive, and with each day that we continue to let the Unions put so much a drain on our economy, the hole we are in financially gets deeper and deeper.
As long the individuals involved in the judicial process have any kind of bias at all, they could drag it out forever and a day (figuratively). And we both know that they will do it because we’re already seeing this with Obamacare.
At what point do we say, “So what if it gives legitimacy to the false claims of the left? It’s has to be done. We’re in a position to do it now. The other side won’t do it. Let’s suck it up and do it again”.
Another reason to revote
Kyle-MI (Diary) Saturday, April 2nd at 9:10PM EDT (link)If they win the recall battles and the WI Supreme Court, they can rule this law out on a technicality and will block it from passing again.
If it passes on a revote, then it would take a much more brazen ruling to knock it down. That would give the GOP a much stronger political ground on which to fight.
I disagree.
writeblock Saturday, April 2nd at 11:41PM EDT (link)Legitimacy is determined by legislative acts, not by union activism. He needs to do it and be done with it. Walker is way to slow to act. It took him forever to find out the GOP could pass the damn law without the quorum. Now he’s waiting on this judge to make up her mind about the law–which will take her long enough to get someone new on the SC bench. Seems to me he’s allowing himself to be outmaneuvered foolishly.
I know people want to make Walker a hero–but he’s been derelict on a lot of fronts. He kind of meanders to his solutions instead of acting decisively–which gives the opposition plenty of time to devise an effective counter-strategy. I still can’t forgive him for allowing the unions to trash the capitol building without making some arrests–or getting tough with the police for failing to make arrests. Lawmakers were stalked and threatened, their families intimidated, and still he did nothing. I grant he’s been right on the green eyeshade stuff–but he’s all wrong as a decisive leader.
Walker is not hiding. He meets constantly
carolina Saturday, April 2nd at 9:45PM EDT (link)with different groups in different communities all over WI. He is doing the business of the gov. His emphasis is on new jobs and growing the WI economy. (I follow him on twitter). Walker maintains a steady reporting of his activities and he also sends out links to articles that support his positions.
I think his approach is correct.
The Fitzgerald brothers have been doing most of the point work re the legal issues and other legislative business. (one is leader of the WI senate and the other is head of the WI assembly)
If Prosser is reelected I think everything will work out fine. If Prosser loses, I expect the WI battle will drag on for a long time.
Meanwhile, anti-public union legislation grows all across the country (over 700 bills in process now according to the LA Times)
No reason to even try
PowerToThePeople (Diary) Saturday, April 2nd at 10:51PM EDT (link)with this guy Carolina. Since the day he has darkened the pages of this site, he has almost ways repeated the same nonsense day after day. It is either the primary set up sucks and screws Giuliani, Giuliani is the only true savior for this country and we should forget his horrible campaign effort and his past history and just trust the word of Write, Giuliani would have beat God himself in the general had the evil and scumbag farmer scum from Iowa and SC not cheated him, and everyone in office are wimps. Yet he does nothing to change a thing and has never involved himself in any way in politics, only shoot spitballs from the back of class like the school yard coward.
Reason is way above his head and any attempt to show his so ends up falling on deaf ears and will cause him to again repeat the nonsense.
I can only assume he read the back of a shampoo bottle, you know the rinse and repeat part, and made it his purpose in life. I am just surprised he did not add this line to his above post, “If Rudy was in WI he would have swooped down, of course after leaving the apartment of some mistress, blown a great burst of air from his superpower lungs, and righted all wrong that plagued all mankind.”
Thanks power. nt
carolina Saturday, April 2nd at 11:06PM EDT (link)Thanks power. nt
carolina Saturday, April 2nd at 11:06PM EDT (link)Why the personal attack?
writeblock Saturday, April 2nd at 11:20PM EDT (link)Reason, far from being over my head, is at the heart of my posts–and the response to them is usually pretty much like yours–irrational and ad hominem. Now it’s irrational to wonder why Walker is channeling Mr. Rogers? Maybe so–to those who have yet to realize we’re in a cold civil war. And yeah, I despise the primary system that keeps nominating Democrats Lite–the two Bushes, Dole and McCain–but what’s irrational about that? It’s high time somebody called for a reform of the system. And what’s irrational about my support for a major GOP candidate–one who, according to the most recent Quinnipiac poll, is the ONLY Republican who polls ahead of Obama at this point? I’d say that’s pretty rational. I’m from PA–a battleground state. I believe residents of my state should have at least as much clout as the farmers in IA. Is this also too rational for you to grasp? And you wonder why I repeat things? It’s necessary sometimes to repeat something over and over–to penetrate mental density–density like yours.
By the way...
writeblock Saturday, April 2nd at 11:26PM EDT (link)I’ve noticed you never post reasoned arguments yourself. You post personal attacks. Consistently. Not just against me. Others as well. Time and again. Check it out.
All you had to say, PttP, is "Hinz Rule". [nt]
acat (Diary) Saturday, April 2nd at 11:55PM EDT (link)——
Caveat Suffragator
You are right Acat
PowerToThePeople (Diary) Sunday, April 3rd at 12:02AM EDT (link)as always! Not quite as fun though, but it is the proper way.
Sorry to interject
kstone Sunday, April 3rd at 12:12AM EDT (link)…but what does “Hinz Rule” refer to?
The late Dave Hinz called on people to ignore trolls (nt)
Neil Stevens (Diary) Sunday, April 3rd at 12:31AM EDT (link)RS contributing editor and “a hardy variety of crabgrass.”
Read the RedState Posting Rules
Unlikely Voter: Poll Analysis, Election Projection.
“I rejoice that America has resisted.” – William Pitt, the Elder
You can find out more about him here
Neil Stevens (Diary) Sunday, April 3rd at 12:32AM EDT (link)http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2009/11/munith_man_killed_in_early_mor.html
RS contributing editor and “a hardy variety of crabgrass.”
Read the RedState Posting Rules
Unlikely Voter: Poll Analysis, Election Projection.
“I rejoice that America has resisted.” – William Pitt, the Elder
I will be a monkey's uncle Neil
PowerToThePeople (Diary) Sunday, April 3rd at 12:40AM EDT (link)I remember that wreck and lived not far from the scene back then before moving to warmer conditions. Never knew him but have seen his name thrown out a few times but never made the connection.
Black ice was and is the greatest cold weather fear for Michigan drivers.
Only one of those is a necessity?
tdawg89 Saturday, April 2nd at 8:23PM EDT (link)Unfortunately, we have to choose between anarchy and taxes. You must have meant high taxes shouldn’t be a necessity, which everyone here would agree with.
Why did we let this WI SC election sneek up on us?
aruges Saturday, April 2nd at 8:57PM EDT (link)I mean it was clear for during the fleabagger escapade that they were going to try to turn Prosser’s election into a Walker referendum. Why didn’t anyone start probing out what orgs to give money to fight on his behalf? The WI Republicans stuck their necks out, and where the hell were we?
People on this site have been talking about it for weeks, but
earlgrey (Diary) Sunday, April 3rd at 11:26AM EDT (link)therre hasn’t been any organizing behind it until recently. I would have thought the WI tea party would have been out there about this, but maybe the polls are scaring them off of igetting involved here or the union thug tactics have some people genuinely a little scared.
It is a real shame as I think we could have really raised some money for this,.
Its the dues
rick554 Saturday, April 2nd at 9:31PM EDT (link)THATS the real reason the thugs are in the street. Good job finding those numbers L U R !
Rick554
Mayfair mall allowing union protest in it's food court
wimom Saturday, April 2nd at 10:20PM EDT (link)On Monday Mayfair mall (for those in the Milwaukee area) is allowing WEAC union members to sit in protest in the food court. They aren’t allowed to bring signs but will be allowed to sit and let their views be known. Anyone in the area please stop by and show your support for Scott Walker. It’s an all day thing, with people allowed to protest from opening until close. I thought Mayfair was about shopping, but apparently it’s about protesting.
Do union members ever go to work?
carolina Saturday, April 2nd at 10:28PM EDT (link)I bet a lot of these ‘members’ will be college/grad students. Have a look and let us know.
wimom, we'll be with you in spirit if not in body
lineholder (Diary) Saturday, April 2nd at 11:09PM EDT (link)Hey, if nothing else the folks going shopping can come up with some little signs saying “I support…” like Ms. Bobo over in Union Grove did.
Then again, I don’t know how unstable the environment may be up there right now. Y’all take good care of yourselves, wimom.
I read the WSJ piece, and the thought came to my mind
nivlem (Diary) Saturday, April 2nd at 11:09PM EDT (link)that all those protestors are just pawns in their Marxist (why is that given the dignity of a captal letter?) are only pawns in their grand scheme for control.
It is really sad how they allow themselves to be used. They pit themselves against their fellow citizens for the gain of the union and not their own welfare.
My spouse was raised in Detroit, and the family that remains there are all union members. The most unbelievable things come out of their mouths. We always come home with a deep gratitude that my spouse got away from that life that diminishes creativity
What a shame. My prayer is that the volume is coming fom the minority, and
in the end the best in humanity wins, and this evil gets stomped.
southernsue
southernsue Sunday, April 3rd at 9:44AM EDT (link)ok, let me get this straight:
1-tax payers pay their taxes and the union gets most of those taxes.
2-union members pay their taxes and union dues, and the unions gets the money.
3-the union bosses get big salaries, live in mansions, live high and we little people, taxpayers who subsidies the union bosses life style, are supposed find a way to pay for our rising gas and oil bills .
WOW! what a racket, no wonder they are fighting tooth and nail.