This week, Newt Gingrich, exploring the possibility of launching a presidential exploratory committee, partially blamed his past marital infidelity on how "passionately" he felt about his country. In Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker's effort to blame teachers, nurses, and trash collectors for his state's budget woes succeeded, as the state assembly voted to strip government workers of their collective bargaining rights. Walker apparently forgot to include that $140 million tax break he'd given corporations in his budget blame calculations. Elsewhere, Bill Keller's latest column got even worse pre-opening reviews than the Spiderman musical, and we have officially passed the expiration date on Charlie Sheen "Winning!" jokes. Of course, our thoughts and prayers remain focused on the devastation and suffering in Japan. Click here for information and links on all the ways you can help.
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Robert Alvarez: Meltdowns Grow More Likely at the Fukushima Reactors
When I was teaching, my husband used to say that I worked much, much harder for my pay than he did for his, and he made double of what I did! I was up at 5:30 am, sent my two who were still in high school out the door, was at school before 7, spent time before school entering grades, preparing for the day, tutoring students who wandered in. I then taught six classes, with a 40 min. lunch break, often tutoring while eating, sponsored clubs that met in my room after school, then graded or tutored until 5 pm. After feeding my family, I would settle down on the couch to grade more papers or write lesson plans until I went to bed.
During those "vacation" days, I was often participating in district-mandated teacher training. During Spring Break, my husband and I drove my top students to state competitions, which we paid for. During the Summer Break, I would attend classes and national conferences to stay certified. My district wouldn't pay for these, so I paid out of pocket.
I did this because I loved my work - I'm thankful that my husband has the job with good pay and benefits.
The ICLR identified the right of "freedom of association" as a fundamental right and affirmed that the right to collective bargaining is an essential element of freedom of association. These rights, which have been recognized worldwide, provide a brake on unchecked corporate or state power.
In 1935, when Congress passed the National Labor Relations Act (also known as the NLRA, or the Wagner Act), it recognized the direct relationship between the inequality of bargaining power of workers and corporations and the recurrent business depressions. That is, by depressing wage rates and the purchasing power of wage earners, the economy fell into depression. The law therefore recognized as policy of the United States the encouragement of collective bargaining."
"The International Commission for Labor Rights (ICLR) sent a notice to the Wisconsin Legislature, explaining that its attempt to strip collective bargaining rights from public workers is illegal. "
http://www.truth-out.org/assault-collective-bargaining-illegal-says-international-labor-rights-group68423
He has only succeeded in getting a bill passed that may end up being rescinded due to possible illegal parlimentary shenanigans. He hasn't succeeded in pulling the wool over anyone's eyes. What he has succeeded in doing is activating a sleeping beast.
And for that he is going to be heartily sorry.
1) Walker didn't blame the teachers, nurses or anyone else - he blamed the Unions. And since you mentioned it, it's unrealistic and unsustainable for the taxpayers to continue to pay for the pensions and health care benefits of Public Union Employees. Wisconsin taxpayers are tapped out!
2) Since your the 'journalist', why don't you report on what exactly was 'stripped' from the Public Sector Unions, why not just report the acurate facts?
3) Budget shortfall for Fiscal Years 2011-2013 (starting later this year) is $3.6B. Walkers 'tax cuts' are actually for businesses that 'hire people'. If they don't hire, they don't get a 'cut'. So, companies hire, increase payrolls, increase the amount of money collected in state payroll taxes, decrease the amount of money the state spends on unemployment, welfare, etc. Incentivize private sector companies to hire and grow......more money for the state, more money to pay the salaries and benefits of the Public Sector Workers.
4) Stop crying about 'teachers, nurses, trash collectors'. They are all well paid for what they do, they get generous benefits, early retirement with a pension, lifetime health benefits. Compare that to the Private Sector...there is no comparison.
The selling of the utilities for cheap in a no-bid giveaway?
You don't even mention that the unions agreed to every concession and the budget was balanced. That taking away collective bargaining has NOTHING to do with the budget. Scott Fitzgerald said so. It was all about destroying unions to take away donations to the DNC so Obama wouldn't get re-elected.
If you want to place blame for Wisconsin's budget woes, then put it where it belongs. Wall St. And they're still sucking your money out of the state. And nothing that Walker has done will change that.
You think a teacher should be paid the same as a trash collector or the greeter at Walmart? I hope you're willing to quit your job and home school your kid. Wisconsin schools WERE third in the nation. That isn't going to last. You'll be sinking every year until you're vying for the bottom five with Texas and Mississippi.
But who cares. You've got your education and your money, right? Only Wisconsin's future economy is based on how well current students are educated.
You think those minimum wage jobs with no benefits are going to strengthen Wisconsin's economy and increase revenue to the budget?
Oh, yeah. Tax breaks for corporations have so incentivized the private sector and provided so many jobs. NOT. More like increased profits and bonuses.
You poor deluded soul.
I do think Teachers are paid well for what they do. I'm sure the 85% of Wisconsin residents who work in the Private Sector would like to work 170 days/year instead of 230 or 240 or 250. I'm sure that all the working moms would like to have summers off, a boat load of holidays and be home by 4pm every afternoon so their kids don't have to go to daycare after school every afternoon. I'm sure everyone would love to retire at age 52 with a guaranteed pension, and a guaranteed increase every year. I'm sure all those people would love guaranteed healthcare benefits in retirement.
Here is what I am certain of....that not everyone teacher wants to belong to a union. That not every teacher wants their union dues to support Democrats election campaigns. That many teachers want the choice, and don't want their union dues automatically deducted from their paychecks every 2 weeks. Walker isn't taking away any 'donations' to the Democrats, he's just giving the Teachers a choice.
How much worse could it have been?
Building all those buildings to withstand earthquakes was the result of government regulations. Those drills were run by the government. Those things cost money. We may not know how much worse it could have been, but we are apparently trying to find out.
Governor Walker cuts corporate taxes by 140 million and then attacks public workers to make up for a budget "crisis" The conservatives in Washington are slashing "discretionary" spending, getting rid of regulators and slashing the budgets of regulatory agencies, slashing the funding for disaster response, ignoring the crumbling infrastructure (which was not even designed to stand up to the types of disasters we now know will occur) and leaving it all the forces of free market self regulation and trickle down economics.
The only big thing a supply side based economy has ever done is throw the world into a depression.