Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
There’s been a lot going on in Wisconsin in the past week. I hope most Americans are aware of the reason why so many Wisconsinites have converged on the state capital to hold demonstrations.
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, a Republican, claims that the state is in financial trouble. He’s asking teachers, plow drivers, janitors, nurses, garbage collectors, and other public sector workers to contribute more to their pensions and to pay a larger amount of their health premiums. It appears many of those workers are willing to negotiate with the governor and to consider having more money taken out of their paychecks for their pensions and health insurance. What those employees are not willing to do is relinquish their right to collective bargaining.
I can understand why Governor Walker is asking public employees to have more deductions taken from their paychecks during these fiscally difficult times. What I question is his budget-repair bill that would strip public employees of their right to collective bargaining. If the governor believes that taking away that right will help with the state budget shortfall, why isn’t he demanding that police, firefighters, and state troopers give up their right to collective bargaining too? Could it be political payback? Does that sound like a possibility to you?
Here is an excerpt from an article that Todd Richmond wrote for Bloomberg:
Walker has introduced a bill that would strip public employees across the board — from teachers to snowplow drivers — of their right to collectively bargain for sick leave, vacation, even the hours they work. But absolutely nothing would change for local police, fire departments and the State Patrol.
The bill smacks of political favoritism for public safety unions that supported Walker’s election bid last year and sets up new haves and have-nots in Wisconsin government, said Paul Secunda, a Marquette University professor who specializes in labor law.
“That’s called ‘thank you, I got your back,'” Secunda said. “There’s no surprise there. This is the worst type of favoritism there could be.”
Well, Wisconsin firefighters are showing their solidarity with their fellow public employees. There’s a post at Mother Jones about an interview that Uptake’s Oliver Dykstra had with Mahlon Mitchell, president of the Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin. (Mother Jones also posted a video of the interview.)
Here are some of the highlights of that interview—which I’ve taken from Mother Jones:
- “The reason that we are here is because it’s important that labor sticks together. There was a message from the governor’s office to conquer and divide…collective bargaining is not just for us, police and fire, it’s good for all involved. It’s a middle-class upbringing.”
- “When firefighters see an emergency, one thing we do is respond. And we see an emergency in the house of labor, so that’s why we’re here.”
- “Every day, if you notice, we lead the AFSCME employees, the SEIU employees, all the public sector employees into the building, because we are here to fight with them.”
- “Collective bargaining is not about union rights; it’s about rights of workers…We ask Gov. Walker to come back and negotiate with the people, negotiatie with the state workers’ unions, and get things worked out, as opposed to just putting out this bill and we don’t hear from him again.”
- “Us as firefighters, we have been exempted from this bill…There’s a 5.8 percent pay into the pension, there’s a 12.4 percent pay into the health care premium benefits…For the betterment of the government, for the betterment of the state, we don’t mind helping to pay for that. We don’t want to price ourselves out of a job. Ever. What we want to do is have a fair and equitable treatment among our members.”
I have great respect for the Wisconsin firefighters who are supporting their fellow public employees—even though they have nothing to gain politically or financially by doing so.
“We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.” ~Benjamin Franklin
Sources
Buddha Is Laughing: “Blouise,
I would quote Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam from Dune and say “Stay out of my mind!”, but I find you welcome company.
Make yourself comfortable and please don’t mind the dirty corners.”
—–
Not Blouise but… I’m betting those corners are some of the more entertaining places to poke around in, with a flashlight and all necessary safety equipment, of course, maybe a box-lunch and a six-pack too 🙂
LindyLou22, Thanks for the report from someone on the front lines. Even if only the power plants at state run colleges, prisons etc. are at issue that’s still 271 state jobs potentially lost. Ultimately, the state is going to end up paying for the power supplied and apparently some of them are in pretty bad shape and will requires extensive re-tooling and repair. The state will end up paying for that too in higher rates, possibly even some kinds of tax concessions or the like to entice some corporation to buy them. It’s nut, ultimately the state will pay so why not keep them, sink the money into them and retain the control? They’re just adding a middle-man to the equation and that middle-man is going to want a profit.
The Walker Bill is a bill that just keeps on giving isn’t it?
In Wisconsin, I believe the number of people actually participating in the protests is being underestimated. We are all going in shifts around our work schedules, so the morning, afternoon, and evening people can be different crowds.
Some coworkers who’ve thought of me as a liberal nut are now having their eyes opened the hard way. They’re down there protesting even more than I am now. One friend tried to engage one of the tea party people in polite conversation. HAH! This teabagger tried to tell her she didn’t pay taxes because she was a union member.
Of course I’m concerned about the unions and having a voice. I’m also extremely concerned about the Medicaid provisions in this bill. If we’re getting screwed 10 ways, we have to fight them all. It isn’t only about unions, there are other concerns, too. There may be people out there who don’t really care about unions but who are intensely interested in Medicaid, enough to become active.
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/teacher/Climateguide/pdf/PowerGenerationWisconsin.pdf
Above is a link from the Wisconsin Division of Natural Resources listing the power plants in the state. I’m not sure of ownership, but I don’t think that legislation would be in the bill if Walker didn’t think he could get his hands on some of them. My guess is though these may be privately owned, it’s with lots of strings that had been put there in the interest of the public; and this legislation will cut those strings.
Hoosier Dragon-
I’m sorry I’m so late in replying to your post of 2-22-11 at 12:33 P.M. I’ve been occupied in the real world most of the day. You threw me with your reference to “state-run power plants” which I interpreted to mean plants that generate electricity for sale to homes, businesses, and factories. By my definition there are no “state-run power plants” in Wisconsin. After seeing the bill on Elaine’s post, which says, “state-owned heating, cooling, and power plant”, I would guess that it means something like a heating plant at the Capitol or at one of the University of Wis. campuses.
I apologize for the tone of my reply which was not very friendly. In spite of some factual errors, the gist of what you said is true. Scott Walker is a servant of the corporations and will do anything that serves their interests. One of the things he tried to do in his years as Milwaukee County Executive was to sell to private businesses every function of County government and every piece of property of County gov’t. he coulld get his hands on. Fortunately, he wasn’t very successful at it.
I’m sure he came to Madison with a list of State properties to sell and State employees to be replaced by private contractors. In the past few decades the State of Wisconsin has thwarted proposals for a mining project located at the headwaters of a major wild river and a series of deep wells by Perrier Water to extract millions of gallons of fresh water and deplete the water table. Also, a U.S. Navy project to send radio waves through the earth to communicate with submarines with unknown ecological consequences.
I suspect we will see the same kind of potential ecological disasters permitted under Walker and a Republican Senate and Assembly. Especially with the masters of pollution, the Koch Brothers, backing him. I don’t look forward to the next 4 years in Wisconsin- I think we will be seeing new outrages on a weekly basis, if not daily.
Anyway, Hoosier Dragon, your heart is in the right place. Stick around awhile- you might like it here!
Ed Schultz talks to John Nichols of “The Nation” about Scott Walker, the “money people,” and the right-wing strategy to destroy labor unions:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waUXRk5zmt0&w=480&h=390]
Keith Olbermann Discusses the Koch Brothers and Their Right-wing Corporate Agenda with Matt Taibbi
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV6R1TkcSts&w=640&h=390]
Keith Olbermann and Lee Fang of Think Progress discuss the Koch Brothers:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRbLXN4j7Do&w=480&h=390]
From Mediaite (2/23/2011)
Fox’s Shep Smith: Pretending Wisconsin Is About A Fiscal Crisis Is “Malarkey”
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/shep-smith-pretending-wisconsin-is-about-a-fiscal-crisis-is-malarkey/
Excerpt:
Shepard Smith’s conversation today with commentator Juan Williams would likely surprise loyal viewers of both Fox News and MSNBC. Shep’s repeated assertion that there is no longer a budget crisis in Wisconsin and that the battle in the state is all about politics and union-busting was most shocking because that’s the exact argument many of MSNBC’s commentators have made, and continue to be suggesting.
Shep suggested that the Democratic party could be in big trouble if their biggest donors, the unions, lose their power and summed it up as “bust the unions – it’s over.” Furthermore, Shep brought up the fact that the “Koch brothers, among others, were organizing to try to bust labor – it’s what big business wants to do.” Given that the Koch brothers contributed to the campaign of Wisconsin Governor Walker, Shep said people should not be surprised that now they want unions busted. Despite Shep claiming “I’m not taking a side on this, I’m telling you what’s going on,” Williams warned Shep that “just by telling the facts, you’re angering a lot of people.”
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Note: You can see a video of the discussion with Shep Smith and Juan Williams at the link I provided above.
Billionaire Koch brothers inspire wrath of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s oppponents
http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20110223/APC0101/110223178/0/specials01/Billionaire-Koch-brothers-inspire-wrath-Walker-opponents?odyssey=nav%7Chead
Excerpts:
WASHINGTON — For more than two decades, Charles and David Koch have been quietly building the foundation for a conservative movement that critics say is at the center of the dispute between Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and public employee unions.
A prank phone call that spread across the Internet on Wednesday between the governor and the editor of a liberal online newspaper who pretended to be David Koch, a key donor to Walker and other Republicans, put a spotlight on the close relationship.
The billionaire owners of Kansas-based Koch Industries, a petroleum empire with seven sites in Wisconsin, are closely linked to Americans for Prosperity, a conservative grassroots group that organized Saturday’s “Stand With Walker” rally in Wisconsin in response to union-led demonstrations.
The group is the political arm of the Americans for Prosperity Foundation, which lists David Koch as chairman of the board.
Americans for Prosperity has chapters in 32 states, including Wisconsin. The group announced Tuesday that Matt Seaholm, the former chief of staff and campaign manager for Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Ashland, has been hired to head the Badger State office.
The Koch (pronounced coke) brothers have provided seed money for several conservative and libertarian think tanks, including the Cato Institute, a Washington-based libertarian group co-founded by Charles Koch, and the Reason Foundation.
They host forums in the West twice a year to raise money for their causes and strategize over promotion of free-market ideals.
**********
Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, called the Koch brothers “the poster children of the effort by multinational corporate America to try to redefine the rights and values of American citizens.”
The Center for Responsive Politics and other watchdog groups have chronicled the rising influence of Charles and David Koch in American politics.
“We have been very focused since the beginning of the year on raising public awareness about the Koch brothers and their fundraising apparatus and their tightening grip on our democracy,” said Mary Boyle, a spokeswoman for Common Cause, an advocate of campaign finance reform.
**********
On Wednesday, the governor found himself having to react to the release of a taped conversation he had with an editor at the Buffalo Beast website posing as David Koch.
Werwie, Walker’s press secretary, said, “The phone call shows that the governor says the same thing in private as he does in public and the lengths that others will go to disrupt the civil debate Wisconsin is having.”
David Donnelly, national campaigns director for Public Action Campaign Fund, a left-leaning watchdog group, said the governor may have violated campaign finance and ethics laws in discussing how the person he thought was Koch could help in the dispute.
“If you didn’t believe it before, you have to now. This fight isn’t about the budget,” Donnelly said in a statement. “It’s about favors for corporate special interests.”
Elaine,
I’m sure this kind of exposure is not to their liking
Elaine,
it sounds like a unanimous decision in favor of starting a new thread on this topic!! Mr.Walker is going to fight until he is taken out of Madison on a rail! Congrats!! See you tomorrow.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP5yA3RwzOk&w=640&h=390]
So many posters have been providing new information and links. It’s been really helpful. It’s also been interesting finding out about the far-reaching tentacles of the Koch brothers.
Blouise,
I would quote Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam from Dune and say “Stay out of my mind!”, but I find you welcome company.
Make yourself comfortable and please don’t mind the dirty corners. 🙂
Buddha,
We have to stop meeting like this
And I haven’t been ridding any wheelies yet on this topic. 😉 Mostly admiring the handiwork of others. Mayhap I’ll change that this weekend.
That’s a great idea Elaine.
This story has traction.
Elaine,
Are you kidding me … this discussion is going to continue for a long time especially as so much information keeps coming out.
This is the second thread already, isn’t it?
Keep ’em coming, kiddo
Nal,
“Elaine, we’re going to need another Walker post. This one is loading very slowly.”
I guess I could post a follow-up thread this weekend–if people feel we should continue the discussion.
It will be interesting to see what Gov. Walker does in the next couple of days. I’m sure he’s trying to figure out a strategy to get himself out of this standoff with the Wisconsin Democrats and union workers. That prank call certainly revealed the man for who is truly is.
From the New York Times: Billionaire Brothers’ Money Plays Role in Wisconsin Dispute By ERIC LIPTON which was first referenced by Mike S. earlier today.
“But the most aggressive expansion of the Koch brothers’ effort to influence public policy has come through the Americans for Prosperity, which runs both a charitable foundation and a grass-roots-activists group. Mr. Phillips serves as president of both branches, and David Koch is chairman of the Americans for Prosperity Foundation.
The grass-roots-activists wing of the organization today has chapters in 32 states, including Wisconsin, and an e-mail list of 1.6 million supporters, said Mary Ellen Burke, a spokeswoman. She would not say how much of last year’s $40 million budget came from the Koch family, but nationwide donations have come in from 70,000 members, she said, offering it as proof that it has wide support.
The organization has taken up a range of topics, including combating the health care law, environmental regulations and spending by state and federal governments. The effort to impose limits on public labor unions has been a particular focus in Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, all states with Republican governors, Mr. Phillips said, adding that he expects new proposals to emerge soon in some of those states to limit union power.
To Bob Edgar, a former House Democrat who is now president of Common Cause, a liberal group that has been critical of what it sees as the rising influence of corporate interests in American politics, the Koch brothers are using their money to create a façade of grass-roots support for their favorite causes.
“This is a dangerous moment in America history,” Mr. Edgar said. “It is not that these folks don’t have a right to participate in politics. But they are moving democracy into the control of more wealthy corporate hands.”