Ât lêást 9 Wisconsin state senators face recall

[Mkitty is pro kitty]

6 in GOP, 3 Dems may face voters; other efforts pending

Recall signatures are expected to be filed in Madison this week against a sixth Republican state senator, a representative of the recall campaign said Tuesday.

Meanwhile, another recall campaign targeting a Democratic senator missed its deadline Tuesday for filing signatures to force the senator into an election.

Come Thursday, when the campaign to recall Sen. Robert Cowles (R-Green Bay) is expected to file, that will leave at least nine state senators - six Republicans and three Democrats - with recall signatures filed against them and facing possible elections.

In all, three Democrats, and possibly four, have now escaped having signatures filed, and at least three campaigns are still active - against two Republicans and a Democrat.

...

www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/120746474.html

[cme1201]

From OP's article: "In all, eight Republican and eight Democratic state senators were targeted for recalls in the bitter fighting over Gov. Scott Walker's budget initiatives. The Republicans were targeted for voting to seriously limit public employee bargaining, the Democrats for leaving the state for three weeks to prevent that vote from taking place."

So they are wanting to remove 8 republican's for doing the job of dealing with hard cuts, and 8 democrats for not being there to vote. Strange reason's for recalling the republicans, I could see the recall of the deems for derilection of duty when they ran from the state to avoid the vote.

People.

[Deleted]

Why is that a strange reason for recalling the republicans? They were not elected to go against unions... they did not run on that platform...

Dems were actually being told while they were away that if they RETURNED their voters would put them up for recall.... because their voters wanted them to do exactly what they were doing.... perhaps they would have faced recalls either way?...

A recall is a way for people to exert force over representatives who are not doing what their voters want them to be doing... ??

Lincoln once leaped out of a window to avoid a vote...

[Deleted]

A recall is normally for gross misconduct in office. Leaving the state........ possibly misconduct. Voting on a bill... no misconduct.
The battle continues.......sigh

[Deleted]

lol... voting on a bill is never misconduct? When a person runs on a certain platform and then acts differently than he said he would... that's isn't a failure to represent the people who voted for him?

I guess we'll see how it progresses....

Lincoln should have been recalled for jumping out of that window i guess....

[Mad Dawg Wiccan]

Recall elections fail far more often than they succede. It will be interesting to see what happens here, how much money the unions throw into it, and how much the special election costs the taxpayers.

[cme1201]

Why is that a strange reason for recalling the republicans? They were not elected to go against unions... they did not run on that platform...

www.factcheck.org/2011/03/wisconsins-baffling-budget-battle/

Summary

The budget battle in Wisconsin has generated much confusion and misinformation, as we have seen in e-mails from our readers in recent days:
¡öThe state is not on track to end this fiscal year with "a slight surplus." It is facing a $137 million deficit this fiscal year and a $3.6 billion deficit in the next two-year budget cycle.
¡öIt¡¯s also not true that "the average Wisconsin teacher¡¯s salary is $100,000." Salaries vary by school district. It¡¯s true, however, that the total average compensation ¡ª salary and benefits ¡ª exceeded $100,000 for Milwaukee teachers in fiscal year 2011.
¡öIt is true that Gov. Walker¡¯s plan would strip nearly all collective bargaining rights from teachers and many other state and local employees, and University of Wisconsin employees would lose those rights altogether. But police, firefighters and state troopers would be exempt.
¡öWisconsin is one of 35 states where teachers have mandatory collective bargaining rights. But it¡¯s not true that only five states do not have collective bargaining. Five states ban it, while 10 others don¡¯t guarantee it.
¡öA claim that Wisconsin ranks second in combined SAT and ACT scores is based on 12-year-old data and flawed methodology. Even the author of that report says it shouldn¡¯t be taken "too seriously."

Read on for more complete answers to reader questions on the Wisconsin situation.
How Bad Is Wisconsin¡¯s Fiscal Condition?

One reader asked us to sort out conflicting information about whether Wisconsin had a surplus or a deficit:


Q: Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin claims that the state is broke with a $3 billion deficit projected. I read an article that claims a budget shortfall double that size was projected last budget cycle but the gap was closed to the point of a slight surplus for the cycle. What are the facts related to this intense battle in my state?

Wisconsin is facing a potential $3.6 billion shortfall for its next biennium, or two-year budget cycle, according to figures released by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau in January. The budget period begins on July 1, 2011, and ends on June 30, 2013. That figure is more than $2 billion less than the $5.9 billion projected deficit that former Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle had to tackle at the beginning of the 2009-2011 fiscal cycle. So, that was not quite "double" the deficit that Walker is potentially looking at, as our reader was told.

Doyle was able to erase a large portion of his projected gap through a series of spending cuts and tax increases. But funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ¡ª known as the stimulus act ¡ª also played a significant part in easing the state¡¯s budget woes. More than $2 billion in stimulus funds were used to narrow the budget gap for the 2009-2011 cycle. That¡¯s money the state will have to do without this time around, since those funds run out at the end of June, according to Robert Lang, the fiscal bureau director.

And the state¡¯s financial business hasn¡¯t been completely settled for the current fiscal cycle, either. Walker is trying to find a way to fill a projected $137 million gap for the remainder of the 2011 fiscal year. His controversial budget repair bill seeks to do so, in part, by increasing state worker contributions for pension and health benefits, among other things.

A false claim that the state would end this fiscal year with a surplus stems from a misreading by some ¡ª including MSNBC¡¯s Rachel Maddow ¡ª of a memo issued in January by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau showing a $121 million gross balance in the state¡¯s general accounting fund. That figure, however, doesn¡¯t factor in more than $170 million for Medicaid services, or $21 million for corrections programs, that haven¡¯t been funded. It also doesn¡¯t include more than $58 million Wisconsin owes the state of Minnesota for a tax reciprocity deal involving income tax collected from Wisconsin residents who worked in Minnesota. Lang told us in an e-mail that those amounts were not reflected in the January memo, because they would require further action from the Legislature and the governor. Dealing with those costs before the end of June would push the general fund into the negative, he said.

The fiscal bureau says the bill being pushed by Walker would address funding for the Medicaid and corrections shortfalls, but wouldn¡¯t address the outstanding payments to Minnesota, or an additional $3.5 million shortfall in appropriations for the state public defender¡¯s office.


Seems unlike Washington, Wisconsin is trying to deal with an Income/Outgo problem. It was not a battle against unions, it was about getting there financial house in order. But, play a union haters card, I mean paying into your own retirement and health insurance is has to be hard for your average union worker, much harder than the regular working joe, right?

[cme1201]

What Would Happen to Collective Bargaining?

We were also asked who would be affected by Walker’s plan to limit collective bargaining:


Q: Is it true that Wisconsin’s governor is proposing to eliminate collective bargaining rights for only some public unions? Why only some and not all? Is it true that the firemen and police unions would not be affected by the bill?

Yes, some unions will be treated differently than others. Under current law, municipal and state employees are allowed to collectively bargain over wages, hours and employment conditions. Walker’s proposal would limit the bargaining ability of some union employees, and eliminate it altogether for others, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau.

Most public safety employees at the county and city level, for example, are completely exempted from the proposal’s bargaining restrictions. That would include police officers, firefighters, state troopers and sheriff deputies, although there are some public safety officers — such as state criminal investigators, park wardens and university police officers — who are not exempted. Those few public safety workers and all other public employee unions — including teachers and transit workers — would see their bargaining abilities limited strictly to issues concerning wages. A cap would also be instituted so that employees could not — unless approved by a voter referendum — bargain for wage increases larger than the change in the consumer price index.

And University of Wisconsin System workers, and employees of the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority, would no longer be permitted to collectively bargain at all. Neither would certain home care and child care providers.

In addition, Walker’s proposal would ban deductions for union dues from the paychecks of state and municipal employees, except for public safety workers. And it would permit those employees to remain members of the collective bargaining unit, even if they do not pay union dues.


So where exactly is the harm?

[Deleted]

Just another waste of time, energy, dollars as was the recount in the supreme court race.

[Deleted]

I'm not sure i understand what you are trying to say? Maybe if you said it instead of just posting lots of long Q & A s? Is your question what is the harm of the bill passage??

There is also a lot of missing info there... The governor didn't just 'find' that 137 million gap... he gave corporations a tax break that created it. And the 137 million dollar gap wasn't in an of itself enough to trigger an automatic 'correction' bill... the governor started that process on his own. Wisconsin actually has the MOST solvent public retirment fund of all funds... They are not in significant danger. Union members had already agreed to increases in retirement and health care. etc.

[Angel!]

So where exactly is the harm?

He didn't run on a platform of going against the unions & ending collective bargaining. He took extreme measures that were never mentioned in his campaign, which pissed off a lot of people that backed him.

Not only that, but the unions agreed to all his cuts to help balance the budget, but only wanted to keep their collective bargaining rights, but he insisted on taking the rights as well.

[Mkitty is pro kitty]

So they are wanting to remove 8 republican's for doing the job of dealing with hard cuts

It was not a battle against unions, it was about getting there financial house in order.

Thanks for the "it was the budget!" song and dance. So how many billions does not allowing collective bargaining save? That's what the recall is mostly about, not the budget. Oh, and they didn't seem to have any problems giving corporate tax cuts earlier. You know, because the Conservative motto is "everyone tighten your belts except rich people!"

A recall is normally for gross misconduct in office.

Like passing a law illegally? Passing it even against a judge's orders not to?

how much money the unions throw into it

This message brought to you Korporate Tool Inc. "When you need a useful tool."

[Deleted]

How dare those evil Republicans try to dig their state out of the hole?? Absurd, I say..
Yes, it will be interesting to see what the union thugs do next. Poor cookie. Good luck.
GO, Wisconsin!!

[cme1201]

How Bad Is Wisconsin’s Fiscal Condition?

One reader asked us to sort out conflicting information about whether Wisconsin had a surplus or a deficit:


Q: Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin claims that the state is broke with a $3 billion deficit projected. I read an article that claims a budget shortfall double that size was projected last budget cycle but the gap was closed to the point of a slight surplus for the cycle. What are the facts related to this intense battle in my state?

Wisconsin is facing a potential $3.6 billion shortfall for its next biennium, or two-year budget cycle, according to figures released by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau in January. The budget period begins on July 1, 2011, and ends on June 30, 2013. That figure is more than $2 billion less than the $5.9 billion projected deficit that former Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle had to tackle at the beginning of the 2009-2011 fiscal cycle. So, that was not quite "double" the deficit that Walker is potentially looking at, as our reader was told.

Doyle was able to erase a large portion of his projected gap through a series of spending cuts and tax increases. But funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act — known as the stimulus act — also played a significant part in easing the state’s budget woes. More than $2 billion in stimulus funds were used to narrow the budget gap for the 2009-2011 cycle. That’s money the state will have to do without this time around, since those funds run out at the end of June, according to Robert Lang, the fiscal bureau director.

And the state’s financial business hasn’t been completely settled for the current fiscal cycle, either. Walker is trying to find a way to fill a projected $137 million gap for the remainder of the 2011 fiscal year. His controversial budget repair bill seeks to do so, in part, by increasing state worker contributions for pension and health benefits, among other things.

A false claim that the state would end this fiscal year with a surplus stems from a misreading by some — including MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow — of a memo issued in January by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau showing a $121 million gross balance in the state’s general accounting fund. That figure, however, doesn’t factor in more than $170 million for Medicaid services, or $21 million for corrections programs, that haven’t been funded. It also doesn’t include more than $58 million Wisconsin owes the state of Minnesota for a tax reciprocity deal involving income tax collected from Wisconsin residents who worked in Minnesota. Lang told us in an e-mail that those amounts were not reflected in the January memo, because they would require further action from the Legislature and the governor. Dealing with those costs before the end of June would push the general fund into the negative, he said.

The fiscal bureau says the bill being pushed by Walker would address funding for the Medicaid and corrections shortfalls, but wouldn’t address the outstanding payments to Minnesota, or an additional $3.5 million shortfall in appropriations for the state public defender’s office.


Filling a tax gap for FISCAL YEAR 2011

How about the 3.6BILLION that Doyle piled up using fed money to balance the states budget for 09 and 10? You are looking at 1 small part of the picture.

More than $2 billion in stimulus funds were used to narrow the budget gap for the 2009-2011 cycle. That’s money the state will have to do without this time around, since those funds run out at the end of June, according to Robert Lang, the fiscal bureau director.

Walker is trying to fill a gap caused by Doyle, and has to deal with the 3.6b deficit that they have to face for the 11-13 budget cycle, but, blame on, offer nothing except party loyalty.

[Politically_Incorrect12]

May 4, 2011 10:51:29 GMT -5 oped said:

Why is that a strange reason for recalling the republicans? They were not elected to go against unions... they did not run on that platform...

Dems were actually being told while they were away that if they RETURNED their voters would put them up for recall.... because their voters wanted them to do exactly what they were doing.... perhaps they would have faced recalls either way?...

A recall is a way for people to exert force over representatives who are not doing what their voters want them to be doing... ??

Lincoln once leaped out of a window to avoid a vote...

Strange that if they showed up to vote, people who wouldn't like the outcome would complain that they weren't doing their jobs.

[burnsattornincan]

Like passing a law illegally? Passing it even against a judge's orders not to?

Illegally? If they can't pass a law as such then who is running the State?