Paul Krugman: Wisconsin Governor's Union Attack About Power, Not Budget

The New York Times:

Last week, in the face of protest demonstrations against Wisconsin's new union-busting governor, Scott Walker -- demonstrations that continued through the weekend, with huge crowds on Saturday -- Representative Paul Ryan made an unintentionally apt comparison: "It's like Cairo has moved to Madison."

Read the whole story: The New York Times

Comments

[Dosadi]

10:22 PM on 02/23/2011

Right to work states, in alphabetic­al order: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississipp­i, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wyoming.

Same states that receive more federal funds in 2005 than they payed in federal taxes, by rank: Mississipp­i 2, Louisiana 4, North Dakota 6, Alabama 7, South Dakota 8, Virginia 10, Arkansas 14, Oklahoma 15, South Carolina 16, Idaho 20, Arizona 21, Kansas 22, Wyoming 23, Iowa 24, Nebraska 25, North Carolina 26, Utah 29, Georgia 32.



Oops! Looks like the GOP is lying to us again.

[nypapajoe]

12:16 PM on 02/23/2011

"A huge share of the nation's economic growth over the past 30 years has gone to the top one-hundredth of one percent, who now make an average of $27 million per household. The average income for the bottom 90 percent of us? $31,244". Now that the wealthy have employed the republicans to lobby for them we have to unite to end the the demise of our economy and middle class! How much more more or tax breaks do they need to live day to day!

[William Miles Floyd]

09:06 AM on 02/23/2011

Obama needs to pick Krugman's brain more because he really knows what he is talking about.

[Sigger]

11:52 AM on 02/23/2011

I agree!

[booker52]

08:16 PM on 02/22/2011

It sure isn't about balancing the budget, and everything to do with union busting as a payback to the Koch Bros. Walker also has another gift for them in this same bill. No bid for state owned power plants. Gee guess who Walker will be selling those to?

[thestargazer]

06:43 PM on 02/22/2011

Who let the Keynesian Clown out of his cage?

[William Miles Floyd]

09:03 AM on 02/23/2011

If a 4th grader still has trouble reading at that point maybe the parents. Don't blame the teachers for that.

[Montesquieu MM]

02:09 PM on 02/22/2011

Here's a very telling comment someone left on NYT website:

"Only five states do not allow collective bargaining for educators. Those states and their ranking on ACT/SAT scores: South Carolina, 50th; North Carolina, 49th; Georgia, 48th; Texas, 47th; Virginia, 44th. Wisconsin, with its collective bargaining for teachers, is 2nd."

[Coco Morgan]

01:38 PM on 02/22/2011

How I wish that Krugman had a place in the cabinet or at least was a presidential advisor.

[The Lone Stranger]

02:29 PM on 02/22/2011

I would not matter. Obama is not smart enough to act on good advice.

[its miller time]

04:32 PM on 02/22/2011

Wow, that is pretty inane thinking.

[saintjule]

12:51 PM on 02/22/2011

I just read the entire article by Paul and he is spot on. We negotiated away pension costs and health care costs in our state as well as just cause. Big mistake. Our health care went from 5,500 to 10,000 dollars when they privatized bc/bs. We also have to pay taxes on that income. Pensions and insurances were typically negotiated as part of the pay packages, (i.e. if you passed on pension and insurance you got a stipend). Hire and fire just cause, save money, fire all second year teachers and hire fresh new little faces. If you think education is bad now try a whole bunch of first year teachers. Michelle Rhee got paid three billion to do that for D.C. That's the Arne Duncan solution and teach them all to dunk a basketball.

[saintjule]

12:35 PM on 02/22/2011

The Republicans are intent on Cannibalizing the country and shipping any industry left in the country to cheap labor countries. The are now looking at importing Chinese and Indian; fire fighters, policeman, sanitary workers, teachers (as soon as we make Mandarin the official national language). China won't need to invade the United States they will already own it. The wealthy don't give a darn they already live off shore on their private islands and have promised all the good little Republicans they can come visit.

[saltpeter]

10:58 AM on 02/22/2011

If it's time for AUSTERITY MEASURES why then can't we all sacrifice. Why can't the wealthy return tax rates to Clinton era levels and why can't an American corporation or a foreign corporation in America pay a tax or two since they can't seem to bother to do so more often than not? Why is it when it's time for so-called SHARED SACRIFICE only the working and middle class are asked to give up something? All Americans need to pull their weight and that includes the Americans who are most directly responsible for the short-sighted policies and tactics that got us into this mess in the first place.

[saintjule]

12:39 PM on 02/22/2011

Well ya.................

[ladyvespa]

11:21 PM on 02/22/2011

Because we're all in the process of building our own, serfdom, silly!

Undereducated, uninformed, all working on the estate for the benefit of the feudal, corporate overlords...

[Veri]

09:58 AM on 02/22/2011

This is about power. This is about Oligarchy and Industry. A stroll on over to nakedcapitalism dot com reveals this...

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2011/02/wisconsins-walker-joins-government-asset-giveaway-club-and-is-rahm-soon-to-follow.html

In that story, is a nice tidbit about Scott Walker's proposals concerning public utilities and energy plants which allows the sale "...with or without solicitation of bids, for any amount that the department determines to be in the best interest of the state."

No bid sales.

And then you read about how the number two campaign contributor to Governor Walker's campaign is The Koch Industries PAC. Founded by The Koch Brothers, the money men to The Tea Party.

http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/02/wisconsin-scott-walker-koch-brothers

A little information about Koch Industries reveals the conglomerate to be an energy conglomerate. And then you read about how Governor Walker cut taxes for the wealthiest - which just so happened to incidentally produce a budget deficit that is now being fought over. Also, you read the above proposed, no-bid sales of Wisconsin's utilities. Finally, you realize who bankrolled Governor Walker.

All sales are final!

[Mary Grimaldo]

08:56 AM on 02/22/2011

Our former president had the same issue....it was about power, his powerful friends to whom he was beholden, and had nothing at all to do with good governance and sanity. That is how we got where we are. Keep lowering taxes on the rich, sending jobs abroad, lowering salaries, and killing benefits for the lower and what is left of the middle class. We are on our way to third world.

[LivingDebtFree]

08:56 AM on 02/22/2011

Are Krugman and Ariana secret lovers? What is with HP's lovefest with him and their hanging on his every word lol.

[Robert Cantor]

11:49 AM on 02/22/2011

yes, let us attack the Messenger
cause we cant attack the message!
Strong Work
my lil' friend

[LivingDebtFree]

03:19 PM on 02/22/2011

Oh, I agree with Krugman 100% on this one. I just find it funny that there isn't a word he writes that HP doesn't publish lol