« BACK  |  PRINT

RS

FRONT PAGE CONTRIBUTOR

Wisconsin Democrats now owe state $165,000,000.

By: Moe Lane (Diary)  |  February 26th, 2011 at 09:54 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

The American Thinker points out that, thanks to the refusal of the Wisconsin Democratic party to admit that last November’s elections mattered, a deadline for reducing the debt servicing load of the state of Wisconsin by $165,000,000 expires today.  The money was to help pay a court case settlement involving a $200,000,000 raid on the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund in 2007 by the previous Doyle (D) administration; the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that using the fund to balance the budget was unconstitutional, which means that the state has to pay it back. It also means that without this provision in place, the state is not going to have the opportunity to get even a little out from under its 43 billion dollar debt.

$165,000,000 divided 14 ways works out to just over $14.78 million per AWOL state Senator: personally, I say that they should have their paychecks garnished for it.  Forever.  And then send the remainder of the bill to the Wisconsin Democratic party, since they’re so happy to spend other people’s money on their own petulant political gestures…

Moe Lane (crosspost)

(Via Aaron Smith)

Tags: ,

COMMENTS

POSTING RULES  |  LOGIN TO COMMENT  |  REGISTER TODAY
  • z06gal

    could screw up a one car funeral. I have never seen so much irresponsible, sophomoric behavior by a party that what we are witnessing today. The entire party should be impeached and made to recite the Constitution as they are packing their bags. What a joke

  • Goldwater_Conservative

    the more it stinks even to the average un-politically minded american. They were elected to represent their constituants, not run away from the state and hide from voting. The GOP should blare this out over and over until everyone has a chance to hear it.

  • Mike Ferguson
  • steve010

    A friend of mine was a state legislator in FL in the 1980?s. From the end of the Civil War, in 1865 until 1995, the FL legislature majority was Democrat. Since, 1995 the legislature in FL has been (R). She told me that when the (R)s went to the session in March every year, the (D)s told them to sit in the back three rows in the auditorium. The (D) leadership told them to be quiet, don?t raise your hand or make objections, basically don?t say anything and you?ll get along fine. If they had gotten up as a group and left to go to GA, nobody would have cared. This is the way it is being in the minority. Especially if the percentage is 60/40 or better.

    I think these (D) s in WI are going through that grieving process that psychologists talk about. First, there is denial and shock, then anger, then depression, then acceptance. Being out of the majority is rough because your party can?t do anything. Especially, if the other party has majorities in the House, Senate and Governor. You may as well just bring your pillow and blankee. Right now, they are in the denial and shock stage and it may take awhile to get to the acceptance stage. The faster they get over it the better it will be for the Democrat party in WI because right now the public perception is that they are a bunch of sore losers and crying whining babies.

  • annas

    Republicans pulling this stunt when we were SO in the minority in Washington that Democrats locked us out of debates (literally). I heard Van Holland blathering on last night about how it is up to Republicans to honor bipartisanship. The top of my head flew off…..bipartisanship indeed!

  • vonbrick

    …Republicans have NEVER wasted ANY money while serving at the pleasure of the people.

    I mean, come on, guys…this is a problem on both sides.

    I know the site says Red State, but all you’re doing is setting up a juicy link target the next time Republicans are caught screwin’ the pooch.

  • sta46

    puts this out on the radio and tv in a non-stop stream and tells the tax-payers of WI how much they are going to have to pony up because these petulant babies pulled this juvenile stunt. The republicans/conservatives have never mastered the fine art of a ” first strike” in the media and I have never understood why they haven’t. The libs/dems are pros at this and one would think the Rep/cons would have learned a looooong time ago simply from observation… unless they are still clinging to the idea of being the “polite” party or they really are the stupid party (this coming from a woman whose father registered her as a repub before she had enough teeth to chew her food). Best they all take a crash course in same and this would be an excellent place to start.

  • http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

    Your next comment will include a sincere apology, with no evasions, excuses, explanations, or attempts to change the subject.

    Second: when we need apologists for people who only respect the democratic process when it’s their side in charge anyway we’ll let you know.

  • http://scipio62.livejournal.com/ scipio62

    …personally, I say that they should have their paychecks garnished for it. Forever. And then send the remainder of the bill to the Wisconsin Democratic party, since they?re so happy to spend other people?s money on their own petulant political gestures?

    I love it.

  • kowalski

    They owe several billion to the taxpayers of Wisconsin.

    The reason is that anybody who has ever thought of investing any money in Wisconsin looks at the news reports and sees that the publc-sector unions there are willing to assemble an army on the streets of the Capitol to keep their collective bargaining rights, endless salary increases, endless benefit increases, and everything else the protestors there are marching for.

    The people who might want to invest in Wisconsin look at that and say: “Absolutely not.” And that is deferring their investment and causing them to take it elsewhere.

    If you had a few hundred million of dollars to invest in any state, Wisconsin is probably the worst place on Earth you could do it right now. And as a result what we’re seeing is Trumka, Jackson and Obama make the people of Wisconsin substantially poorer over time.

    The people who really should be fleeing Wisconsin are the taxpayers and business owners, not the Democrats in their legislature. Those people are positively harming their own State by camping out in Illinois.

  • jb13

    You haven’t paid attention to Illinois lately, have you?

  • izoneguy

    Is 1650 teachers that need to be let go. After one year they can re-apply at the starting salary.

  • izoneguy

    This problem will take decades to solve. It took democrats 50 years to raid these states treasuries. Look at Michigan and especially Detroit. Detroit has descended into 3rd world status. Most of the New Yorkers that have left have gone to Florida or Texas. The people of Wisconsin and Ohio should get behind their governors and destroy the unions.

  • volunteerstate

    New Jersey, New York ….the list of BROKE DEMOCRAT bastions is a long one. At least, Wisconsin has turned and CHANGED course. They are one of the few states that has a LEADER with backbone. He does not care what the union thugs, corrupt Teachers Unions, and discredited media say or report. It is sad there are not more Republicans willing to take the same course of action.

  • victrola

    is that the polls aren’t more lopsided against Democrats and Obama. When you look at polls for Walker, he has a slight majority support in Wisconsin. The fact that a stunt like this doesn’t have Wisconsin citizens pulling out the pitchforks and torches is troubling.

    I think nationwide, public sector unions have officially jumped the shark, but its maddening that 6 figure teachers walking off the job, union goons behaving badly, and fleeing legislators only moves the needle slightly in our direction.

  • earlgrey

    maybe the country is just sick of it. I don’t know. I am so tried of the doom and gloom, but I would have thought that this would chage a lot of hearts and minds.

  • z06gal

    did Republicans go awol because they didn’t like the legislation? Both parties have their issues but this one is on the idiot democrats

  • rickbull

    because the news media is 99.9% liberal. Here is an example:

    Story on Wisconsin and the budget bill:
    http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/02/25/wisconsin.budget.bill/index.html

    Story on Providence, RI teachers receiving pink slips–all 2,000 of them:
    http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/02/25/rhode.island.teachers.fired/index.html

    In the first paragraph in the story about the Wisconsin bill, the word “Republican” is used as an adjective to describe the bill, and the word is used no fewer than four times in the story.

    In the story on the Providence teachers, the words “Conservative,” “Republican,” “Democrat(ic),” “Liberal” are never used even once in the body of the story, even though both stories are comparable in size (about 600 words). That’s because the mayor of Providence that sent out the 2,000 pink slips is a Democrat.

    It’s hard to get the Conservative message out when the Liberals own the post office.

  • nvrepub

    Does anyone know if it’s legal for them to be reimbursed by the state, party, unions, etc.?

  • aesthete
  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    He was probably taught by union teachers. The Latin will go way over his head.

  • Bill S
  • sta46

    and running the $$$ through the Wisc. Dem Party. The article I read said the donations had already exceeded the annual allowable amount. Hate to be hanging from the gallows till there is any kind of punishment for that infraction. they had raised upwards of 100,000.00 as of yesterday.
    I feel sorry for Walker and the normal citizens of WI. It seems only recently that he had a big push going on to lure business away from IL to try to bolster the economy for the state. Fat chance that will happen now.

  • sta46

    and laissez les bontemps roulee

  • http://slcliberty.blogivists.com randy streu

    If they are unwilling to perform the duties to which they agreed on election, then clearly, it is time they were replaced.

  • http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

    It takes time, though.

  • http://slcliberty.blogivists.com randy streu

    And when all is said and done, probably an even bigger circus than the CA governor recall was.

  • vonbrick

    …being my “next” comment, will include nothing that resembles an apology.

  • vonbrick

    …can’t think of a single modern instance where Republicans have gone AWOL on a vote. But that wasn’t my point. There was one instance in the 80′s when I remember Byrd wanted some Republicans arrested for walking out or not showing up, but I don’t recall what that was for.

    The wasting of money while pretending to serve the voters interest is what I was getting at.

    But, apparently, as the next several comments prove, ANY type of opposing view but that which falls directly in line with others here is unacceptable.

    That was quick. ;(

  • aesthete

    is that it gives the kiddies there a brief reprieve from the absolute garbage that passes for education at our public schools.

  • rickbull

    with vague references and “I don’t recall.”

    http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,966938,00.html

    It was a campaign finance bill that the Republicans were attempting to filibuster, and most of the Republican Senators were in turning in for the night when Byrd did the quorum call. The purpose was to force the Republicans to remain in the session through the night, since they were in the midst of a filibuster. The Republican Senators had not left the district (some had not even left the Capitol Building).

  • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

    In either the “Stupidity” or “Oopsie” category. And I doubt you’ll be invited to the ceremony.

  • http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

    Bye.

  • Finrod

    .

  • rickbull

    It’s been nice (and easy) debating with you.

  • http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

    I’ve had it up to here with Democrats using the Wisconsin thing to let their inner Nasty out.

  • http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

    By now people are starting to twig that if there’s no partisan identification of an evildoer, it’s probably a Democrat.

  • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

    “That” wasn’t debating. It was the discussion-equivalent of fishing in a swimming pool with a stick of dynamite.

  • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister
  • rickbull
  • melbedewy

    If these maggots succeed in this stunt then this should be followed by GOP whenever the Party Of Bankruptcy tries to raise taxes to shovel money to the Public Union Predators.
    Quorum needs to be the new filibuster.

  • rickbull

    I am still mourning the death of objective reporting, though — if there ever was such thing.

  • rickbull
  • http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

    The good news? The Directors feel that it’s unfair to ban someone for the phrase ‘screwin’ the pooch,’ since it’s been legitimized by usage. So, they told me to turn your account back on. Which I have.

    The *bad* news? We actually do not allow something called “Pointy Sticks:” for example, statements like “ANY type of opposing view but that which falls directly in line with others here is unacceptable.” That’s bad-faith argumentation, although I have to admit it’s certainly better than taking a physical swipe at a woman, which is rapidly becoming your side’s favored mode of discourse these days. And, funny thing, but guess what the sanction for that is?

    I know, I know: pedantic. But the Directors feel that it’s important that anti-democratic apologists like yourself be sanctioned for the *right* reasons.

    Again: bye.

    Moe Lane

    PS: The ESL crack was uncalled for, by the way. Not nice of me: sorry about that.

  • rickbull

    the quorum number in the US Senate is 51, and we have not pulled the dems down below that number yet. It only takes 41 on our side to filibuster, and we have a few more than that number, so we can still pull it off even with the defectors from Maine and Massachusetts.

  • earlgrey

    Uh, maybe I should just go to bed.

  • rbdwiggins

    and I remember President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

  • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

    Those of us who are rational thinkers, which encompasses most RS posters, recognize ESL as

    English

    as a

    Serious

    Language

    .

  • rickbull

    and I remember Kennedy. It seemed like news reporting was more objective back then. Maybe they just kept the partisanship better disguised in those days. They sure don’t make any attempt at it these days.

    Thanks for the wake-up call.

  • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908
  • rickbull

    and you’re trying to be funny.

    “I tell ya, I don’t get no respect.”

    Thanks, mbecker908, you’ve successfully cheered up an old man tonight.

  • Duke

    and knowing many of the (R) people and a few of the (D) people, I have to think that by the time the Dems get to the acceptance stage it will be too late.

    Already there are recall petitions circulating against at least two of the Dems in swing districts. It takes 60 days and about 12K signatures to force another election for State Senator, which could be held as soon as July or August.

    The Dems are retaliating by fecklessly attempting to recall Republican Senators in fairly safe districts…, yawn…, while the energized Republicans are joining with the Tea Party campaigaholics and preparing to hit the doorbells hard. If the union thugs make enough of spectacle of themselves they could pretty well finish off the Democrat Party in Wisconsin over the coming summer. And if Scott Walker succeeds in passing legislation currently in the mill, and some not yet revealed, he will not only drive a stake through the heart of the Labor-Democrat tax laundering machine, but will move Wisconsin out of the blood red of deficits and debt into the sunshine of prosperity.

  • donnybrooke

    That the “Huntley-Brinkley Report” merely reported the news in the early sixties. I guess newsmen were actually newsmen,/i> back then, and not journalists.

    I enjoy a quote from Huntley in this article:

    http://montanakids.com/cool_stories/famous_montanans/huntley.htm

    …Huntley crossed an American Federation of Television and Radio Artists’ picket line claiming that news anchors did not belong in the same union as ?actors, singers, and dancers.?

    Imagine any journalist doing that today!

  • grandma

    to be able to sort out what is going on. I have no faith in the media. I really fear that the gang of 14 will get away with all this because the union goons will start street wars to deflect. The sheeple will not back up Walker and want him to cave because of their ignorance.

  • rbdwiggins

    would you be able to recognize the bias that is so prevalent today?

    My grandfather was a strong conservative Republican. I didn’t know they even existed until he bestowed his considerable knowledge and wisdom upon me. I knew without a doubt that he was right and realized that I too was a Conservative after listening to “The Speech.”

    ‘Camelot‘ was a prime example of early media bias. So was the cover-up of the string of events that lead to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

    Their bias increased exponentially from that point forward.

  • rbdwiggins

    would you be able to recognize the bias that is so prevalent today?

    My grandfather was a strong conservative Republican. I didn’t know they even existed until he bestowed his considerable knowledge and wisdom upon me. I knew without a doubt that he was right and realized that I too was a Conservative after listening to “The Speech.”

    ‘Camelot‘ was a prime example of early media bias. So was the cover-up of the string of events that lead to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

    Their bias increased exponentially from that point forward.

  • southernpatriots

    Sure, bill them. Then make a bronze plaque to go on the wall of the chamber to commemorate this un-Consitutional series of events, to remind all future legislatures they are to conduct the people’s business, not their own.

  • goodforall

    This has become the party of irresponsibility and unaccountability. I believe if JFK were here he’d switch parties. For all the world to see-this spinless behavior in Wisconsin should be the final straw that sticks a fork in their fat backsides!

  • themarathonman

    …love to see you go……

  • steve010

    in WI. Just ignore the senators who fled the State and go about the recall process. Walker should just quietly go about his business and explain to the people through the media that in America we have a system were we elect people to vote for us. These representatives were elected in Nov 2010. They are supposed to come to the place where they are supposed to vote and they get paid for that job. These people have chosen not to do this. Life is about choices. They made their choice. The choice that they have made will either be approved by the people or it won’t. We’ll see.

  • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine
  • The_Gadfly

    is that since they haven’t passed the new budget, the governor is going to have to start massive layoffs, not furloughs. That’s going to cause all sorts of additional and unnecessary problems for the state, which was essentially the whole intention of the fleebaggers. So they need to keep working on getting those Senators back to the session, and I’d say given the gravity of the situation, by any means necessary. And Walker needs to make clear that the layoffs are the fault of the fleebaggers, not the congresscritters who are doing their jobs.

  • The_Gadfly

    There are more people joining the fleebaggers than just the state party. Let them split the bill with the DNC, OfA, SEIU, and AFL-CIO too. Hey, maybe they can even get Spooky Dude to pay it for them.