13,000 protest Governor's plan to change collective bargaining for public employees

They can't afford to pay the overpriced negotiated salaries and benefits. It has to change.

Using sick leave and encouraging students to rally to make their point is unacceptable. Elected officials walking out on a vote not doing their paid job is even worse.

The people of Wisonsin overwhelmingly want these necessary changes.

I've been torn on this one - can't decide if I think this is a long overdue change that is what is needed to make the budget work or the governor overstepping his bounds.

So far what I have read as far as what he is asking for from them seems very reasonable - especially when compared to the private sector and public employees in other states.

Either way, it's damn entertaining!

Oh my!

Completely unacceptable.

They are losing the public relations battle w/ this crap.

Wisconsin: The Hemlock Revolution - Swampland - TIME.com

Joe Klein @ Time sums things up nicely.

Per Canoehead: what the media ISN'T reporting on - until last month Wisconsin had a projected budget surplus ............... of $124 million.

And the governor decided to give a $130 million tax breaks to big corporations.

So NOW there is a deficit.

And she also says the unions already conceded $100 million in benefits - then he pulled this, which is why they are so fired up!

Maddow did a report on how it is much more about the politics than the budget - that the Republicans are trying to get rid of the major contributors to the Democratic Party. Rachel Maddow Reveals the Hidden Truth Behind the Wisconsin Protests

Per Canoehead: what the media ISN'T reporting on - until last month Wisconsin had a projected budget surplus ............... of $124 million.

And the governor decided to give a $130 million tax breaks to big corporations.

So NOW there is a deficit.

Wisconsin state budget - Sunshine Review

The legislation is tied to reducing their upcoming two year budget which is 3.6 billion short according to Sunshine Review.

And she also says the unions already conceded $100 million in benefits - then he pulled this, which is why they are so fired up!

Maddow did a report on how it is much more about the politics than the budget - that the Republicans are trying to get rid of the major contributors to the Democratic Party. Rachel Maddow Reveals the Hidden Truth Behind the Wisconsin Protests

Ha! Good. Why should the taxpayers foot the bill for collecting dues for the unions? The unions should handle that at their expense. I also like the fact that they are forcing unions to "re-up" their membership every year.

I think though what's important here is that these politicians campaigned on this, and the people elected them. Now the dems and their special interests are trying to prevent what the people wanted by undermining the democratic process. That's just plain wrong.

I don't know what "they campaigned on", but I do know that the current "budget crisis" Walker is solving IS OF HIS OWN MAKING.

He's been in office a month and in that time has passed 3 tax bills that took the budget from surplus to deficit.

He's also improperly using that deficit HE CREATED to issue a budget repair bill.

Dems Closed Much Larger Budget Shortfall In Wisconsin Without Destroying Worker Rights | TPMDC

"We know that Wisconsin's Republican Gov. Scott Walker is framing his bid to roll back public sector worker rights as a necessary measure of fiscal austerity. And we know that's basically bogus. But how bogus? And how accurate are the dire warnings of fiscal crisis? And how standard are the tools Walker's using to address it?

The answers in order: very, overblown, and unconventional.

"Unconventional or nuclear, depending on your point of view," said Pat Kreitlow, a former Democratic senator in Wisconsin, who helped pass the state's current budget.

There's been a lot of confusion about what Walker's doing -- but he's definitely not passing a budget. He's pushing optional legislation in a vehicle that's meant to tweak the budget in the event of a budget emergency. To the extent that there is an emergency, Walker essentially created it, giving him the chance to pass a bill that would permanently deny public workers collective bargaining rights, while he's still riding the wave of his own post-election popularity.

In Wisconsin, budget season is two years long. The current budget window was opened on July 1, 2009, and will close on June 30 of this year. If for unexpected reason, the state finds itself faced with a severe deficit within a biennial window, the legislature must pass what's known a "budget repair bill" -- to close the gap with spending cuts or other emergency measures.

The state has not crossed that threshold.

The previous governor, Democrat Jim Doyle, passed a budget that left the state poised for a surplus this year. When Walker took office in January he chipped away at that surplus with three conservative tax expenditure bills, but not severely enough to trigger a budget repair bill. The current, small shortfall was "manufactured by Governor Walker's own insistence on making the deficit worse with the bills he passed in January," Kreitlow said. But Walker cited that shortfall to introduce a "budget repair bill" anyhow -- a fully elective move that includes his plan to end collective bargaining rights for state employees."

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/...udget-shortfall-to-undercut-worker-rights.php

"You can read the fiscal bureaus report here (PDF). It holds that "more than half" of the new shortfall comes from three of Walker's initiatives:

• $25 million for an economic development fund for job creation, which still holds $73 million because of anemic job growth.
• $48 million for private health savings accounts -- a perennial Republican favorite.
• $67 million for a tax incentive plan that benefits employers, but at levels too low to spur hiring.

In essence, public workers are being asked to pick up the tab for this agenda. "The provisions in his bill do two things simultaneously," Norman says. "They remove bargaining rights, and having accomplished that, make changes in the benefit packages." That's how Walker's plan saves money. And when it's all said and done, these workers will have lost their bargaining rights going forward in perpetuity."

The current short fall in the sunsetting budget may have been created by other legislation, but this bill will reportedly save the state 3 billion plus over ten years.

Apparently in the last budget, which was also short, democrats fixed the problem by jacking up taxes and fees. Which might explain why Walker and his crew are now in charge.

Governor Walker was elected by a 54% vote. Not exactly a squeaker. Now, trying to do what he said he would do, he is being pounded by unionized state employees who certainly didn't support him or the platform he ran on. An awakening is coming in this country and Governors like Christie, Walker, Scott and Pawlenty, along with others are going to lead it.

Actually, he won 52% of the vote in a close race that set records for spending.

The Democratic candidate got 47% and is still the mayor of the largest city in the state (has been since 2004).

Not exactly a severe arse whooping that means he can do whatever he wants. :roll:

The current short fall in the sunsetting budget may have been created by other legislation, but this bill will reportedly save the state 3 billion plus over ten years.

Apparently in the last budget, which was also short, democrats fixed the problem by jacking up taxes and fees. Which might explain why Walker and his crew are now in charge.

Much like the Republicans did in Florida last year and notwithstanding Governors Scotts plan may do so again. Just saying.

What will their annual income be from the state pension after they retire at 55? How much will they earn through state funded medical coverage? When I calculate my income, I include what my company pays into my 401K. Have you accounted for that kind of income in your calculations?

Have a little bit more understanding about Floridas system, so let me give you a little insight as I understand it. First Teacher recieve a 1.6 percent per year of work and is based on the annual final compensation of the highest 5 of last ten years. As for insurance workers in the Florida Retirement System are given a $5 per year of work to go towards insurance. If you don't have health insurance you do not recieve this supplement. So a Teacher who is able to retire at 55 at the average salary of $55000 per year, based of 27 years that this Teacher got their job directly out of college, will recieved if my math is correct $23760 and because they are able to afford insurance they will recieve $135 per month that offsets their cost. I would venture to guess many teachers do not retire at 55 and many will work much longer. This is closer to what they are paying the average starting teacher.