Wisconsin prepares Nat. Guard to meet union protes

[Deleted]

www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-wi-budgetwoes-nation,0,771747.story
MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Scott Walker says the Wisconsin National Guard is prepared to respond wherever is necessary in the wake of his announcement that he wants to take away nearly all collective bargaining rights from state employees.
Walker said Friday that he hasn't called the Guard into action, but he has briefed them and other state agencies in preparation of any problems that could result in a disruption of state services, like staffing at prisons.
Walker says he has every confidence that state employees will continue to show up for work and do their jobs and he's not anticipating any problems.
His plan would require higher pension and health insurance contributions and remove bargaining rights except in a limited way over wages.

No more..

[Deleted]

Sorry, cannot figure out how to add a t to the end of protes in the title.

Intense, huh?? Are we going to be hearing more stories like this as states slash budgets?

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

Teachers have staged a sick-out today. My suggestion: fire every last teacher that called in sick today UNLESS they can provide documentation. No doctor's note, you're out.

[ugonow]

I bet the kids will back you on that proposal.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

It's also time to start monitoring the web- the tweets, the facebook pages, and other sites used by state government workers for evidence of wrongdoing like playing hooky, screwing around on the clock, and illegal activities. It's time to get serious about cleaning out. We, the tax payers, aren't going to take it anymore.

[billisonboard]

Feb 16, 2011 12:46:24 GMT -5 @krickitt said:

Sorry, cannot figure out how to add a t to the end of protes in the title.

...

There are a maximum number of spaces for titles. Note that when there is a reply, that more of the letters at the end are knocked off when "Re:" is added to the front. Sometimes on a long title, if I change from a "standard" message icon to one like the Exclamation Point in this message I have to erase a letter or three to get it to post.

[Deleted]

Thx, bill. I have not taken the time to figure everything out yet.

[Deleted]

It is all kind of scary to me. States are going to have to do very unpopular things to try to bring things back in line. Here in AZ we have already had a tax raise, another attempted tax raise that got voted down, Our cops and fire are 30% under what they should be, several schools have shut down and combined, furlow days for all state workers, a never-ending battle to crack down on the cost of the illegal situation we have here. But, people throw a fit when it hits their pet project. Yes, I can see things getting ugly. There is going to be hurt, and that includes gov't employees.

[billisonboard]

Feb 16, 2011 13:11:02 GMT -5 @krickitt said:

Thx, bill. I have not taken the time to figure everything out yet.

You're welcome.
Taking a little time is worth it.
There are so many [shadow=red,left,300]cool[/shadow][shadow=green,left,300]things[/shadow][shadow=blue,left,300]here.[/shadow]

[ugonow]

I don't think outlawing unions is the answer. IMO, the union rank and file and their leaders need to realize the extent of the problem and they need to get closer to the private sector benefits. If neither side can bargin in good faith,both are to fault.

[henryclay]

Not long ago a governemnt new hire in the Pensions and Benefits section of the accountuing office sent a letter to the editor of the local newspaper. The letter he wrote taklked about his father who, after 50 years of scraping and struggling to pay his bills, was hoping to last long enough to retire at age 68 on social security.

He also pointed out that we are paying three people to keep up our street corner signs. But only one of them is currently on the job.

One retired 25 years ago and is now 73 years old. We have been paying him for 25 years for working on street signs between 1957 and 1985 when he was old enough and had "points" to retire. The one that replaced him in 1985 kept up the street signs for for 25 years and retired at age 61 last year. Both will be drawing their retirement and taxpayer paid health care for many, many years.

And we have a new 28 year old keeping up the street signs now after he transfered from the water works department.

He showed some arithmetic that demonstrated the ever increasing cost of labor for government employees who are "settled in" with permanent, "recession proof" employment and followed by retirement long before the ordinary working American gets anywhere close to retirement.

I'd say Wisconsin is only the first of all 50 states and territories that will be going through the same cost cutting exercises.

[Deleted]

I'd say you are right, henry.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Feb 16, 2011 13:30:10 GMT -5 ugonow said:

I don't think outlawing unions is the answer. IMO, the union rank and file and their leaders need to realize the extent of the problem and they need to get closer to the private sector benefits. If neither side can bargin in good faith,both are to fault.

Walker has made no attempts to negotiate with any of the unions since taking office in mid-Jan.

[steff]

It's also time to start monitoring the web- the tweets, the facebook pages, and other sites used by state government workers for evidence of wrongdoing like playing hooky, screwing around on the clock, and illegal activities.

***************************

a teacher in our county is suing the school district she was fired from. She was fired for a photo of herself she posted on Facebook. She was on vacation, during the summer, vacationing in Germany and took a picture with a beer in her hand. It's ridiculous that she was fired for something she did on vacation that was legal and wasn't in 'excess'. She wasn't showing her boobs, she wasn't doing this during school session, she was on vacation. She has a VERY good chance at winning her lawsuit.

[bean29]

My DN just called me to ask me if the HS kids in my District walked out in support of the Teachers. He is a teacher in another district. My response was I hope not b/c I don't think most of the kids would even come close to understanding the issues involved. Taxpayers can't afford more taxes. Public sector benefits are overly good. Pay+benes>>anything avaliable in private sector.

I was on JSonline reading the "comments" to try to get a sense of where the public's feelings were going. I failed. I don't have time to read 1100 comments. But let me tell you 1100 comments indicate the people are engaged in the issue.

www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/116301539.html

Most of the people I know (Non-Union Members) support the Govenor. I do think he may get in trouble with the courts though b/c I think he is short circuting the Union's barganing rights.

One union - the local community college was desperately trying to ratify their contract last night so they could get around the new law. That community college had the higest or 2nd highest paid teachers in the country despite the fact that we are not even close to the top on cost of living. And union members wonder why taxpayers voted for Govenor Walker.

[Deleted]

I just saw protesters in Wisconsin interviewed on TV. Young people. When asked what they are protesting, one of them said, "I don't really know." The other said,"Whatever this guy is doing."
Yeah.........

[upstatemom]

Feb 16, 2011 17:25:57 GMT -5 @krickitt said:

I just saw protesters in Wisconsin interviewed on TV. Young people. When asked what they are protesting, one of them said, "I don't really know." The other said,"Whatever this guy is doing."
Yeah.........

I saw that same segment, those students said that their teachers brought them to the rally, yet the kids had no idea what they were protesting. How many of their parents supported the kids protesting something they knew nothing about?

[BeenThere...DoneThat...]

<<< How many of their parents supported the kids protesting something they knew nothing about?>>>

...sadder still, imo, that parents may be equally clueless..