Thread: Wisconsin Democrats all refuse to attend Senate .

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[b]Watch Wisconsin, Part III: A state government employee speaks; Madison schools, plus 7 other districts shut down a second day; Michael Moore says Wisconsin is the “new Cairo;â€

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Report: 14 Democratic Lawmakers Refuse to Show Up for Budget Vote
Feb 17, 2011
Democrats no-show for state budget vote

http://video.foxnews.com/#/v/4543886/re ... t_id=87937

Wisconsin Governor to Missing Democrats: Do Your Job

Published February 17, 2011

Feb. 16: Protestors to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's proposal to eliminate collective bargaining rights for many state workers gather in the rotunda at the State Capitol in Madison, Wis.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, called on the 14 Senate Democrats who fled the state instead of voting on a controversial anti-union bill, to return and do their jobs.

At a news conference, Walker said he's willing to talk to the senators who want to force Walker and GOP lawmakers to negotiate revisions to the bill, which would strip most public employees of their collective-bargaining rights.

"I'm going to tell them they get paid to come to work and they should be coming to work," he told reporters.

In a statement he released earlier, Walker, who just took office last month, said the actions of the lawmakers were "disrespectful to the hundreds of thousands of public employees who showed up to work today and the millions of taxpayers they represent."

Senate Republicans hold a 19-14 majority but can't vote on the bill unless at least one Democrat is present.

Unions March on Wisconsin's Capitol Building

Curtail bargaining to fix budget?

"It's kind of unbelievable that they're elected to do a job and they wouldn't show up to do it," Republican state Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald told Fox News.

Fitzgerald said the boycott may force the State Assembly to vote first on the bill.

"This isn't something I've ever seen in the state of Wisconsin," he said. "It's a very volatile situation right now but those people were elected to do a job and unfortunately they're not doing it. They're not representing the people of their district."

The bill has sparked a storm of protest for three days. Teachers marching at Wisconsin's Capitol Building in Madison shut down schools for a second day Thursday so they could demand collective bargaining rights that they say are essential to keeping kids in school.

Dozens of schools closed as a result of high absences as thousands of protesters, including students and teachers, marched on the Capitol building to demand state lawmakers strike down a bill that would require union concessions worth $30 million by July 1 and $300 million over the next two years.

The Democratic National Committee's Organizing for America said it is playing an active role in organizing protests against the bill.

The bill, which also bans collective bargaining rights for teachers, requires educators to contribute 5.8 percent to their pensions and 12.6 percent to their health care. Currently, educators pay 0.2 percent for their pensions and 4 to 6 percent of their health care costs.

"Our goal is not to close schools, but to instead to remain vigilant in our efforts to be heard," said Mary Bell, president of the 98,000-strong Wisconsin Education Association Council.

State lawmakers proposed the legislation as part of an effort to close a $3.6 billion budget gap, and say they expect it to pass and eventually reach the desk of Walker.

But Michael Langyel, head of the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association, said Walker and Republican lawmakers are asking public employees to give up more than everyone else.

"If people say the only way to solve this budget crisis is to take away from people who are working hard, they are wrong. We believe that we have a right to have a fair wage for our hard work. More importantly, the collective bargaining process allows us to positively impact school policy issues. We are the advocates for our students, and we will maintain our voice in defending our students," he told Fox News.

Langyel added that if Walker wants to balance the budget, he should force his friends to pay more.

"There are many people who support the governor who contribute nothing and pay nothing and are not contributing. This is the time to have fair taxation in the state of Wisconsin, where the friends of the governors do not get a free ride and the hard-working people have to carry the extra burden," he said.

Speaking Wednesday to WTMJ4 in Milwaukee, President Obama weighed into the debate, saying that making it harder for public employees to collectively bargain "seems like more of an assault on unions."

"I think it is very important for us to understand that public employees, they're our neighbors, they're our friends," he said. "These are folks who are teachers and they're firefighters and they're social workers and they're police officers."

It is important "not to vilify them or to suggest that somehow all these budget problems are due to public employees," Obama said.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan told Fox News on Thursday that he is "troubled by the current climate" but was hopeful for a good resolution. He added that everyone is going to have to compromise even as teachers perform "Herculean" work.

"We have to work together with them to give every child a chance for a great education and we need to work together and we need to prove outside the comfort zone but to vilify one group or demonize one group doesn't move us as a country that we need to go," Duncan said.

But Walker said the demands on public employees are "modest" compared with those in the private sector, and are meant to prevent a shutdown, which could result in 6,000 state workers not getting paid.

"We're at a point of crisis," the governor said, adding that he would call out the National Guard if needed to keep state operations, including prisons, running.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2008, the average salary for an elementary school teacher was $51, 240 while middle school educators earned $50,950 and high school teachers earned $49, 400.

Wisconsin's measure would end collective bargaining for state, county and local workers, except for police, firefighters and the state patrol. Unions still could represent workers, but could not seek pay increases above those pegged to the Consumer Price Index unless approved by a public referendum. Unions also could not force employees to pay dues and would have to hold annual votes to stay organized.

Republican-backed changes to the bill made by the state's Senate budget committee Wednesday would extend a grievance procedure to public workers who don't have one and require more oversight and put a deadline on changes.

Fitzgerald said despite the heated debate, and individual threats against lawmakers, the majority of Wisconsin residents approve of the bill.

"Although the protesters have been very rowdy, very one sided on what legislators are hearing, there's a silent majority out there that spoke on November 2, said, you know, we have to (head the state) in the right direction to put our fiscal house in order. So that's what we're going to do. It's very difficult but you know that's what we're set out to do and hopefully."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Video at source:

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/02 ... z1EGN81Ley

Originally Posted by stevetheroofer

Wisconsin Governor to Missing Democrats: Do Your Job

Published February 17, 2011

Feb. 16: Protestors to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's proposal to eliminate collective bargaining rights for many state workers gather nail fungus in the rotunda at the State Capitol in Madison, Wis.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, called on the 14 Senate Democrats who fled the state instead of voting on a controversial anti-union bill, to return and do their jobs.

At a news conference, Walker said he's willing to talk to the senators who want to force Walker and GOP lawmakers to negotiate revisions to the bill, which would strip most public employees of their collective-bargaining rights.

"I'm going to tell them they get paid to come to work and they should be coming to work," he told reporters.

In a statement he released earlier, Walker, who just took office last month, said the actions of the lawmakers were "disrespectful to the hundreds of thousands of public employees who showed up to work today and the millions of taxpayers they represent."

Senate Republicans hold a 19-14 majority but can't vote on the bill unless at least one Democrat is present.

Unions March on Wisconsin's Capitol Building

Curtail bargaining to fix budget?

"It's kind of unbelievable that they're elected to do a job and they wouldn't show up to do it," Republican state Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald told Fox News.

Fitzgerald said the boycott may force the State Assembly to vote first on the bill.

"This isn't something I've ever seen in the state of Wisconsin," he said. "It's a very volatile situation right now but those people were elected to do a job and unfortunately they're not doing it. They're not representing the people of their district."

The bill has sparked a storm of protest for three days. Teachers marching at Wisconsin's Capitol Building in Madison shut down schools for a second day Thursday so they could demand collective bargaining rights that they say are essential to keeping kids in school.

Dozens of schools closed as a result of high absences as thousands of protesters, including students and teachers, marched on the Capitol building to demand state lawmakers strike down a bill that would require union concessions worth $30 million by July 1 and $300 million over the next two years. Ofcourse, this is after they spent money treating their toenail fungus, by purchasing every kind of toenail fungus treatment in the world.

The Democratic National Committee's Organizing for America said it is playing an active role in organizing protests against the bill.

The bill, which also bans collective bargaining rights for teachers, requires educators to contribute 5.8 percent to their pensions and 12.6 percent to their health care. Currently, educators pay 0.2 percent for their pensions and 4 to 6 percent of their health care costs.

"Our goal is not to close schools, but to instead to remain vigilant in our efforts to be heard," said Mary Bell, president of the 98,000-strong Wisconsin Education Association Council.

State lawmakers proposed the legislation as part of an effort to close a $3.6 billion budget gap, and say they expect it to pass and eventually reach the desk of Walker.

But Michael Langyel, head of the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association, said Walker and Republican lawmakers are asking public employees to give up more than everyone else.

"If people say the only way to solve this budget crisis is to take away from people who are working hard, they are wrong. We believe that we have a right to have a fair wage for our hard work. More importantly, the collective bargaining process allows us to positively impact school policy issues. We are the advocates for our students, and we will maintain our voice in defending our students," he told Fox News.

Langyel added that if Walker wants to balance the budget, he should force his friends to pay more.

"There are many people who support the governor who contribute nothing and pay nothing and are not contributing. This is the time to have fair taxation in the state of Wisconsin, where the friends of the governors do not get a free ride and the hard-working people have to carry the extra burden," he said.

Speaking Wednesday to WTMJ4 in Milwaukee, President Obama weighed into the debate, saying that making it harder for public employees to collectively bargain "seems like more of an assault on unions."

"I think it is very important for us to understand that public employees, they're our neighbors, they're our friends," he said. "These are folks who are teachers and they're firefighters and they're social workers and they're police officers."

It is important "not to vilify them or to suggest that somehow all these budget problems are due to public employees," Obama said.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan told Fox News on Thursday that he is "troubled by the current climate" but was hopeful for a good resolution. He added that everyone is going to have to compromise even as teachers perform "Herculean" work.

"We have to work together with them to give every child a chance for a great education and we need to work together and we need to prove outside the comfort zone but to vilify one group or demonize one group doesn't move us as a country that we need to go," Duncan said.

But Walker said the demands on public employees are "modest" compared with those in the private sector, and are meant to prevent a shutdown, which could result in 6,000 state workers not getting paid.
"We're at a point of crisis," the governor said, adding treatments would call out the National Guard if needed to keep state operations, including prisons, running.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2008, the average salary for an elementary school teacher was $51, 240 while middle school educators earned $50,950 and high school teachers earned $49, 400.

Wisconsin's measure would end collective bargaining for state, county and local workers, except for police, firefighters and the state patrol. Despite the many topical pain relievers and analgesic they tried, the back pain continued. When it really hurts and is sore, sometimes the cause is just arthritis which there is no real cure fore. Unions still could represent workers, but could not seek pay increases above those pegged to the Consumer Price Index unless approved by a public referendum. Unions also could not force employees to pay dues and would have to hold annual votes to stay organized. Some people treat themselves with natural pain relieving topical analgesic.

Republican-backed changes to the bill made by the state's Senate budget committee Wednesday would extend a grievance procedure to public workers who don't have one and require more oversight and put a deadline on changes.

Fitzgerald said despite the heated debate, and individual threats against lawmakers, the majority of Wisconsin residents approve of the bill.

"Although the protesters have been very rowdy, very one sided on what legislators are hearing, there's a silent majority out there that spoke on November 2, said, you know, we have to (head the state) in the right direction to put our fiscal house in order. So that's what we're going to do. It's very difficult but you know that's what we're set out to do and hopefully."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Video at source:

Read more:

Haha. Fitzgerald, 'Despite the screaming and murderous threats, everything went pretty smooth'. I saw the Fox report about them hunting the people who were ordered to appear, I don't know if there was any consequences, hopefully.

I'm glad the teachers came out and dragged out there students. This is a prime example and them proving the right thing to do is shut down most rights of public Unions if not simply force them out alltogether.

They shutdown the schools by running out of the job, any private job you'd be fired. They drag out kids from schools who have no clue on the issue, in the private sector thats called kidnapping and prisontime. They bring in big out of state names that have nothing to do with the locals, that shows Union corruption backing eachother not in a local union but national union grandstanding. These are the reasons Unions are now BAD for our nation.

They also love to show teachers making $45-50k, yet leave out how much teachers who have been there 10-15-20 years are making.

I'm kind of surprised I haven't seen anyone sueing the school district. I'll be honest, if the teachers here EVER take my kid out of school with out my ok, my first stop will be to a lawyers office, or a police station to file charges. There is a reason parents have to sign permission slips for field trips.

Basically the teachers are on strike...

Think about it.


I say do like Reagan and fire all that are on strike.

Wisconsin Democrats Holding Taxpayers And Voters Hostage To Unions


In case you haven’t been paying attention to what is going on in Wisconsin, here are a few of the main issues in the bill proposed by Governor Scott Walker that has Union leaders’ heads about to explode:

* Requires state employees to contribute 5.8% of salaries to their pensions (they only contribute .2% now) and at least 12.6% to their health care premiums (they only contribute 4.6% now).
* Collective bargaining would be ended for Public Employees on all matters, except for wages. However, wages cannot exceed the rate of inflation unless a referendum is approved.
* Unions are required to take annual votes to maintain certification and employers would be prohibited from collecting dues and members would not be required to pay dues.
* Contracts would be limited to one year and wages would be frozen until a new contract is settled.

The unions have already agreed to the increased contributions. What is at issue is the fact that Walker will essentially take away some union power. They will no longer have the power to collectively bargain for anything other than salary and Unions will no longer be allowed to force members to pay dues. If Walker continues to allow collective bargaining, the unions could eventually just bargain their way back to paying the pittance they pay for benefits. The real reason union leaders are truly upset is they will no longer have a guaranteed cash cow to spend on politicking and getting progressives elected or pushing their far left political agenda, which actually hurts Americans as well as their own union members.

Of course, the union leaders would never come out and actually admit this fact. Unions love ‘forced union’ states where employees have no choice but to pay the unions (even if an employee decides they don’t want to be part of the union, they are still forced to pay ‘agency fees’, which are the same as union dues). Walker is basically trying to turn Wisconsin into a ‘Right-to-work’ state, which gives workers more freedom. Right-to-work states also outperform Forced Union states when it comes to the economy of those states.

Union members have been protesting for the past several days. Teachers across the state have illegally ‘called in sick’ in order to protest, causing many schools to be cancelled. The protests, as with any left wing protests, have been nasty and vitriolic – comparing Walker to Hitler and even putting the much ‘whined’ about crosshairs target over Walker. Organizing for America – Obama’s ‘volunteer’ organization that helped get him elected is in on the protests as well. Even Obama chimed in and said this bill was an ‘assault on unions’. Of course it’s an assault on unions, unions have been assaulting the taxpayers for years now. Unions would rather politicians raise taxes than pay a fair share for the excellent benefits they receive courtesy of the hard working tax payers.

A Senate vote was scheduled for today but funny thing, the Senate Democrats did not show up. That’s right, the Democrats in the Wisconsin Senate refused to do their job and vote on this bill. They are holding the taxpayers and voters of Wisconsin hostage because they are bought and paid for by the unions. There are 19 Senate Republicans and 14 Democrats. A quorum of 20 is needed to proceed with a vote on the bill. All that was needed was for just one of the Marxists to make an appearance and vote no on the bill. Instead, the cowardly Democrats supposedly fled to a different state. Apparently the Senate Democrats in Wisconsin only represent union members in all of their districts and no one else.


http://drscoundrels.com/?p=3159


Kathyet

Now they just need 1 more change. Allowing schools to fire teachers for bad behavior or poor performance w/o the Union being allowed to get involved as long as the school files reasons why the teacher is being fired.

They need to get lists of every teacher who didn't show and fire every single one. I'm sure there are other teachers who have been layed off who'd be happy to move and be the replacement teachers.