March 10, 2011

All over but the court appeals

It's all over but the court appeals.

Assembly  Republicans shut off debate shortly before 4 p.m., despite a list of legislators wanting to speak, and voted 53-42 to pass the new bill ending collective bargaining for state employees. The vote came after a number of demonstrators were forcibly carried out of the Assembly chamber. (Video here.)

No surprise from Racine lawmakers: Rep. Robin Vos, R-Rochester, voted yes; Reps. Cory Mason and Bob Turner, both D-Racine, voted no. (Complete roll call here.) The Assembly session was immediately adjourned, amid crowd shouts of "Shame," which quickly morphed into chants of "Recall."

Gov. Scott Walker said:
"I applaud all members of the Assembly for showing up, debating the legislation and participating in democracy. Their action will save jobs, protect taxpayers, reform government, and help balance the budget. Moving forward we will continue to focus on ensuring Wisconsin has a business climate that allows the private sector to create 250,000 new jobs."
Vos was quoted by WisPolitics.com saying, shortly before the vote
Voters made a choice in November by supporting candidates who believe "government actually could shrink.  If this bill passes we show the people of Wisconsin and the people of our country we are not afraid to make tough decisions," he said. Vos said people on either side are entitled to their beliefs, but they "do not have the right to believe people on the other side are evil."
Mason said, in a speech before the vote:
"You may win this vote today.  I promise we will fight you ... Until these rights are restored, we will not surrender and we will not give up on restoring people's rights in the great state of Wisconsin."
After the vote, Assembly Minority Leader, Rep. Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, said:
"Once again we have a flagrant violation of the rules." Republicans could have invoked an Assembly rule to end the debate, but did not. "They have such basic disregard for the people of this state that they don't follow the rules."
Complaints were filed by Barca with the Dane County District Attorney, alleging that Wednesday night's meeting of the Joint Conference Committee was in violation of the state's Open Meetings Law. Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk filed a similar complaint with the District Attorney, and with the State Attorney General's office. So did Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz.

Meanwhile, White House press secretary Jay Carney, in response to a question, said:

"The actions taken last night, which divorced the issue of the state's budget problems from the issue of the rights of public sector employees, pretty clearly showed that the actions were not following the principle that we need to all come together and work together and not denigrate or vilify public sector employees, but bring them into the process,"
Here's the Journal Sentinel's comprehensive coverage.


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33 comments:

  1. Gee Pete, where was your outrage when Obama said, get over it we won and ignored input from the right.

    Where were you when Democrats under Jim Doyle ignored Republicans and passed $2 billion in tax increase in 24 hours without allowing any input from the minority?

    Oh yeah, you didn't give a damn.

    You are a MASSIVE hypocrite.

    Elections have consequences, except when the left doesn't win in your book.

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  2. I have to agree with you 8:41. Pete is a good little Lib,"Mommy I want this, Mommy I want that. Petey, you need to clean your room and do the dishes first. Well then forget it I'll go play xbox cuz you don't love me anymore!" I know it's rediculous, but it's pretty much they way the "Handout Socialist Party" acts. Right Petey?

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  3. How did we get here? The simple answer is both the dems and GOP when they had power the past few decades couldn't find a program or idea that they didn't want to fund. Every cause, ever spending bill and every request was funded by both parties. Then both parties tried to find ways to hold down taxes while still spending. That lead to accounting games and fees that some claimed weren't taxes. In my mind money out of my pocket into the government is a tax no matter what you call it. The last Doyle budget was a gimick budget that came back to bite us. Both parties agree the upcoming budget has a $3+ billion hole.

    To take away years of giving it is hard. Claims that the changes will hurt the children and middle class are wild claims. While the public workers aren't the enemy as they claim they are being seen, the costs of public employees make up the lion's share of every government and education budget. Like taking on entitlments at the federal level, no one wants to take on the powerful public unions but when most of the tax dollar goes to pay wages and benefits that is the only way to take on spending. It hurts, it makes people angry but the dems and Doyle the last round showed that chewing around the edges of the problem still leaves the problem. Anymore taxes on the middle class, most of which are not union employees, will hurt in an economy where real unemployment is still around 20%. The non-government employees have been taking cuts from many years to keep their business running. There have been so many cuts in the private sector that now government wages and benefits are out of wack compared to what has happened in the private sector. If government workers decide to strike to prove their point, the nearly 20% unemployed and even more under employed will be happy to take the government jobs if the current public employees don't want the jobs and stike. The threat of strikes won't be much of a threat in this economy.

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  4. What we need is a centrally-planned economy of the type which benefits the citizens of Europe's social democracies, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It is time for a people's government to nationalize all major industries (with special emphasis on corrupt privately-held companies owned by hyper-privileged clans). With the people's government firmly in command, every citizen could have a job paying a living wage as well as a pension and low-cost healthcare. Contrary to Glenn Beck's bunk, America ISN'T broke and neither is Wisconsin. The money is in evil, predatory private-sector hands, from which the people's government must seize it for equitable redistribution to our citizens. Nationalize all industries, cap individual fortunes at ten million dollars and all will be well!

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  5. The greatest good of the greatest number must prevail. SOCIALISM NOW!

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  6. Since the Rich-pig-licans like the Founding Fathers so much, they ought to research the only humanitarian in that tribe, THOMAS PAINE. Back in the 1700's Thomas Paine advocated the seizure and redistribution of the oligarchy's excess wealoth to help the poor. Unfortunately, slave owners (e.g. Madison and Jefferson) as well as financial finaglers (e.g. Franlin and Hamilton) didn't want to share their ill-gotten gains with their victims. That's why we have a con of a constitution which offers the common man nothing while allowing the elite to run the country for its exclusive fun and profit. (Have you ever wondered why we're stuck with the filthy electoral college instead of relying on the popular vote to choose our president? Madison, who loathed the rank-and-file citizenry and feared "the tyranny of the majority," cooked up that evil farce. Inasmuch as the electoral college saddled us with George W. Bush, two unjustifiable wars and a depression, it should be abolished a.s.a.p.)

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  7. Alas, George Washington was another slave-owning oligarch who didn't quite admit the common man to the human race. What's more, he failed to accord Black people their right to liberty. When his wife's maid (Ona Judge) fled from Mount Vernon and reached free soil plus safety in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Washington tried to make the authorities there arrest her and return her to him. (It's to the eternal credit of New Hampshire's leaders that they refused his request.)

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  8. Imperfect though they may be, the Democrats are the only party capable of using big government to shield the common man from the corporate oligarchy. While the rich--who control The System--don't need government, the rank-and-file citizen requires its aid for survival. If you're poor, your sole source of help is a government run by politicians who want your vote. For your sake, it had better be a big government which can lift you out of poverty and care for you.

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  9. Anyone who preaches Emersonian self-reliance is either a fool or a bought-and-paid-for lackey of the Koch brothers. Those of us who've had to struggle economically have had it with "free enterprise" and its smarmy proponents.

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  10. Regarding the sorry situation in Wretch-Scene, there's blood on hands with diamond bands and snouts which spout corp'rate commands. Whenever a rich witch we'll call "Hell-Loon" snorts that the public's goodwill is her true capital, we should ask her to share some of the loot (which she professes to scorn as "dross") with her victims.

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  11. Since we are aware of Hell-Loon's avarice, we know what her answer will be.

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  12. Memo to Hell-Loon: Unless you're willing to pay the property taxes on your crass clan's Frank Llloyd Wright monstrosities and the silly seaplane shrine, please refrain from meddling in the affairs of RUSD. Schoolboard candidates' forums belong at public venues (preferably RUSD sites), NOT your tribe's Round-Hell. The reservation requirement and the haughty stance of your yupper-muddle-crass staff vis-a-vis the workers of Wretch-Scene are guaranteed to exlude the common people from participation.

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  13. Dear Oligarchs, Either put your money where your mouth is by paying your property taxes, or keep your platinum-banded paws off RUSD. Save your pedagogical follies for Precious Airy Academy and leave your victims alone. Thank you very much!

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  14. Walker: Waxtrash Wonk.

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  15. Walker: May he walk into well-earned oblivion subsequent to his recall. May that political puppet of the Koch clan take the proverbial long walk off the short pier. Having turned Wisconsin into right-to-work Wississippi, Walker deserves eternal obloquy.

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  16. While we're excoriating Walker, let's not forget the fiscal fiend families which saddled us with him: the Brat-lys, the Pettys, the Waxtrash (aka John-Swines), the Lipoffs, the Boidcage Bandit Brigade and the Kook Bothers. Without the rich blight trash and corporate cash, Walker wouldn't win an election for municipal dogcatcher.

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  17. After the people's government sends Scott the Snot to the pen, he can take charge of the animal therapy program. Then, again, would you trust Walker with a woofer or anyother living creature?

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  18. Somebody ought to divest Walker of his wealth and make him work for minimum wage. Maybe then he'd develop some compassion. (Back in the years right after WWII, the Czechoslovakian government did precisely that to evil erstwhile oppressors. Tell Walker we've got a pushbroom or a mop waiting for him.)

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  19. By the way, the Czechoslovakian regime called these ex-eliteniks the "bad barons" (cerni baroni). Here's hoping Walker and his moolah-masters pay with their wealth and their freedom for their crimes against working class humanity. If anyone deserves the title "bad barons," Walker and his money-monsters do! How I'd love to see them clad in pig suits sweeping the streets of Wretch-Scene...

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  20. Perhaps the people's courts and correctional officers will let poor kids give those snobs special haircuts!

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  21. SOMEBODY has got to crush the oligarchs and end their reign of error. Needed: DEMOCRATS AND PROGRESSIVES WHO'LL SMASH CAPITALISM!

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  22. Wall Street brought us the present depression. Memo to the Rich: Mister Got-Loot-Chump, we're going to tear down your wall!

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  23. Once the workers elect Democrats, Progressives and Socialists, Wall Street will become WAIL Street.

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  24. The loot lords' laments will be music to our ears.

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  25. May the workers bathe in their oppressors' tears!

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  26. Amen! God speed the day!

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  27. I hope the Kochs will cry us a river before the people's government terminates their evil reign.

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  28. I hope the Kochs like jumpsuits, because they'll have plenty of them in their wardrobes once the people's government sends them on a special vacation at Club Fed. Ditto Whack-the-Workers Walker and the rest of the moolah masters' mendacious marionettes.

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  29. Perhaps the Kochs will have so many of their political puppets with them in the pokey that they'll be able to conduct their evil corporate retreats there. Can't you see the ads for the Kochs' Big House Billionaires Behind Bars Ballyhoo Bash?

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  30. Make it EX-BILLIONAIRES! May the people's government seize ALL their assets prior to incarceration. May their putative or presumptive heirs be induced to renounce all claims to the aforementioned ill-gotten gains. May their former mansions be converted to veterans' homes--or face destruction.

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  31. Coming sooner than Hell-Loon may care to think: a government-mandated gala at "Whitebread"--THE WRECKER'S BALL!

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  32. Actually, the John-Swines would be better off without the pricey-to-maintain white elephant which houses their fund-abomination. If it's a typical Wright building, there's plenty wrong with it. Word on the street says the roof leaks, the walls are out of plumb and the foundation is cracked.

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  33. i'm not for either republicans or democrats. i just want abortion to stop. babies are being murdered. wake up!

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