Posted on 03/13/2011 6:04:42 AM PDT by fightinJAG
Scott Walker was finished.
It was Wednesday, March 9, and Governor Walker had decided to visit the Wisconsin State Capitol before he headed off to give his “Ag Day” speech that afternoon.
Walker figured he had been very patient. Four weeks earlier he had proposed his budget repair bill, and he had the votes to pass it. But one week after that, all 14 Democratic state senators fled to Illinois to deny Republicans the quorum they thought necessary to hold a vote on the legislation. In the days that followed, top Republican legislators and senior aides to Walker spoke regularly with Democrats in an effort to forge a compromise—several times believing that they had reached a tentative understanding that would allow the senate to take up the controversial measure, only to have the agreement collapse. The more this happened the less likely a compromise seemed.
So, shortly before 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Walker addressed a meeting of the senate Republican caucus. It was time to end the standoff and move forward, he said. The world didn’t know it, but Republicans had been given the tools to do that two days earlier, in rulings from three nonpartisan bodies that allowed them to tweak the bill slightly and pass it with only a simple majority present in the senate. But Walker kept his comments general. He said that while Wisconsinites were divided about the wisdom of his proposals, there was widespread agreement that the stalemate had to end.
At a press conference that afternoon, a reporter asked Walker about a letter to him from senate minority leader Mark Miller. Walker had not received the letter—it was released to the media before it was delivered to his office. Miller offered two choices he knew would be rejected
(Excerpt) Read more at weeklystandard.com ...
Do bears sh*t in the woods, as well?
bttt
Great, great article.
TFP
The stupid party never learns.
“The unions quickly conceded the first of these two points—at least rhetorically. Union leaders and their allies in the state legislature claimed that public employees would gladly contribute more to their pensions and health care premiums—the 5.8 percent of their salaries on the former and 12.6 percent of the premiums on the latter requested by the governor—if they were allowed to keep all of their collective bargaining rights.”
This whole event of 14 democrats leaving WI was a stall tactic to allow local unions to extend or renegoiate contracts before the bill went into effect. So the union PR effort of accepting the 5.8 and 12.6 was false when their actions indicated otherwise.
We should learn not to trust the liars like the Democrats who do not negotiate in good faith or their union bosses who fund them.
Wow...I am shocked that anyone might believe that DIM’LIBs are telling the truth about anything. That i9s “breaking news” worthy.
Tom Barrett’s frenzied backtracking from that comment was one of the more enjoyable moments of the last few weeks.
Great summation - thanks for the post.
and the ululations of their girly men
bump
What a great story! Saving taxpayers money!
Great article, best reporting on the matter to date! Thanks for posting.
OUTSTANDING article by Stephen F. Hayes and John McCormack. Thanks for posting. Names names. Tactics of crybaby collectivists BUMP!
This one, and one that explains just what collective bargaining AGREEMENTS are, needs to be spread around and educate Wisconsinites. The unions are going to hammer Wisconsin with major disinformation to convince many to recall our Republican senators. A more informed public could help the unions waste money on failed recalls.
It has always been a battle about getting the truth to the public. It is a difficult fight when the leftist media frames the debate over whether 3 percent of the population of Wisconsin gets to force the rest of the state to support them in the way they wish to be supported, as a “fight for democracy and basic rights”.
Actually, if we start using their language, those who are confused by the way the term “Rights” is used will think it’s correct.
I saw and understand “Individual Bargaining Rights” but that’s easy here since we’re preaching to the choir. We’ve got to make it clear these are Agreements dictated by contracts, not Rights given by the Constitution.
Well said! Rights are rights and privileges are privileges.
Individual negotiating is simply an extension of freedom of association, and the right NOT to associate with another worker.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.