Should Scott Walker Become creditable & give up his & the legislatures pensions?

[Thymeclock]

Originally Posted by rmay635703

Somebody must be doing their job right if its causing screaming.

I am reminded of children throwing temper tantrums. Is it because the parents are "doing their job right" or is it because the toddlers are acting infantile, physically and emotionally?

He is a servant, his position is only valid if he is serving the common good, if he is doing the popular serving himself notion and his buddies many will have no use for him.
As our founding fathers said a government should fear its people. Otherwise it will do disservice to them.

Short of assassination, in a civilized society a government fears the populace at the ballot box at the next election. That is probably what the founding fathers meant. Perhaps the "disservice" needs to be done. Democracy only guarantees that we get the government we deserve, for better or for worse.

My great grandfather got to witness pinkertons shooting at union miners on strike. Although I agree unions have the WRONG POWER in the WRONG PLACES we should be working to reform the unions to become more fair as opposed to destroying them outright by eliminating their ability to function.

Too little, too late. That's the stuff that political backlashes are made of.

Republicans have always wanted to go too far one direction, democrats too far the other. With a super majority in this state walker might walk us right back into the 1920's with a debt equal to that of the 1940's FDR government. Every republican gov. this state has had has always railroaded us further into debt with a series of mostly unworkable state obligations to various individuals and companies.

It's easy to blame it all on the governor. But don't forget that it was the populace that elected him. At the risk being provocative I will mention that as time progressed, it became easy to hate Hitler. But we never acknowledge that the German people elected him to be their leader. Governor Walker is no Hitler, and America is not Nazi Germany. But the electoral process is a direct expression of the nature of what democracy IS. (Funny how Democrats seem to forget that concept. )

[Frank Lee]

This financial crisis is forcing State and local
agencies to make some tough decisions.

If things continue for much longer, there's a real
risk that we may have to lay off Jose.

[SentraSE-R]

Public Policy Polling finds 51% of Wisconsin voters favor the unions, and 52% favor the Dems. They're evenly split 48%-48% on whether to recall Scott Walker. More importantly, they strongly support the rights of public employees to collectively bargain, 57-37. Union families overwhelmingly support this right 70-26, but so do non-union families, 51-42.

Another poll finds Walker would lose if the Wisconsin gubernatorial election were held at the end of February.

There are contradictory outdated polls, but they confirm the trend of Walker's decreasing popularity.

And what's with his locking the public out of their public state capitol building? The actions of a desperate dictator.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by SentraSE-R

There are contradictory outdated polls, but they confirm the trend of Walker's decreasing popularity.

Seems as though anyone who makes a tough decision winds up on the wrong side of the polls, even if they're later proven right. Consider Churchill, for one instance.

And what's with his locking the public out of their public state capitol building? The actions of a desperate dictator.

Yeah, and it sure is democratic to yield to a noisy mob, even though that mob is a tiny fraction of 1% of the population :-)

[SentraSE-R]

Originally Posted by SentraSE-R

Back to the original topic, Gov. Scott Walker's goal is to destroy public employee unions, not to balance the Wisconsin budget. If he wanted to balance the budget, the low-hanging fruit is the fat salaries he and the untouchable legislature receive. It's the inflated salaries and pensions that untouchable firemen and policemen make. So whose salaries does he target? The <$56,000 salaries that teachers make. Once again, we're seeing an example of balancing the budget on the backs of the poor, and mean-spirited conservative thinking.

Get your facts straight, Mark. The average Wisconsin teacher makes $46,390. The poverty reference is your straw man.

[Thymeclock]

Originally Posted by SentraSE-R

Another poll finds Walker would lose if the Wisconsin gubernatorial election were held at the end of February.

There are contradictory outdated polls, but they confirm the trend of Walker's decreasing popularity.

Unfortunately for you, polls aren't elections. You will have to wait until the next election to unseat him.

Oh, wait... you don't even LIVE in Wisconsin. Maybe you'd like to go there to protest, like all the the other imported demonstrators.

[Thymeclock]

Originally Posted by SentraSE-R

Get your facts straight, Mark. The average Wisconsin teacher makes $46,390. The poverty reference is your straw man.

And how much are their yearly fringe benefits (pensions + medical + other perks) worth? That's another sly little detail we're not supposed to notice or mention.

[Thymeclock]

I live in the metropolitan NY area, and I read in today's paper what I already knew - that the average school superintendent makes close to $300,000 per year. What is left unsaid is that the numerous administrative positions (and there is a virtual army of them in every school building, and yes, they have their own union) make about $150,000 per year (excluding benefits, of course).

The highest paid teachers, after working decades on the job in the same district make less than that.

Let's blame everything on those damned overpaid teachers who actually teach the kids. It takes the heat off all the brass who are their bosses.

[SentraSE-R]

Originally Posted by Thymeclock

Unfortunately for you, polls aren't elections. You will have to wait until the next election to unseat him.

Oh, wait... you don't even LIVE in Wisconsin. Maybe you'd like to go there to protest, like all the the other imported demonstrators.

Au contraire. A recall movement to unseat Gov. Walker can start in ten months. You can bet a lot of cheese-heads are setting their clocks on that date, waiting for the 48% Walker out sentiment to rise just three percentage points.

Let this be your notice that I will not tolerate your personal attack against me. My voice has as much validity in this discussion as yours, coming from New York. Your colossal ego does not make you live in Wisconsin, either.

Since it's your red herring, put up some proof that anyone protesting in Wisconsin is an imported demonstrator. After that, maybe you can tell us why an imaginary imported demonstrator can't protest an injustice. I suppose you that the civil rights protesters who were jailed, beaten, and murdered in places like Selma, Little Rock, Birmingham, Montgomery, et al were some second class people, like you're insinuating the Madison demonstrators and I are.

On the topic of imported demonstrators, the only ones that can be reasonably assumed to actually exist aren't the ones in your imagination. They're the ones that Scott Walker talked about planting himself, when he thought he was talking to David Koch.

[SentraSE-R]

Originally Posted by Thymeclock

And how much are their yearly fringe benefits (pensions + medical + other perks) worth? That's another sly little detail we're not supposed to notice or mention.

What's your point? Jealousy? Will you be happy when they're all making the starting teacher salary of $25,000? Would you prefer minimum wage? With no benefits? Should they pay you for the privilege of teaching? $46k is not very good pay for a skilled college-educated professional, IMO. Why does it bother you that they're earning that pittance? And they're willing to take pay cuts - another sly little detail we're not supposed to notice or mention.