Posted on 02/18/2011 1:45:01 AM PST by Scanian
When Wisconsin governor Scott Walker looked out the window of his office at the Capitol in Madison Wednesday he saw more than 10,000 people gathered to protest his decision to require public employees to contribute more to their pensions and health care. Walker says hes not surprised that the proposed changes have generated such a ferocious response. Youre messing with the way people make their living, he said Wednesday in a phone interview with THE WEEKLY STANDARD. Its understandable theyll be upset.
But Walker is unapologetic. These are difficult times. Wisconsin is facing a budget crisis. And there have to be cuts. Walker believes the changes hes proposing are relatively modest. Im asking them to contribute 5.8 percent of their salary to their pension right about the national average for contributions. And Im asking them to pay 12 percent of their health care premiums up from 6 percent. The national average is around 25 percent."
So Wisconsins public employees will still have benefit plans more generous than most workers across the country. And these steps are being taken with the express purpose of avoiding major layoffs and dramatic paycuts. But the unions don't like it.
Walker's reforms are unacceptable to protestors, many of whom are teachers participating in a sickout so that they can attend rallies against Walkers proposals. And thats ironic. According to the state of Wisconsin, the average teacher salary in Wisconsin is $49,093 annually. (With benefits, the average total compensation is $77,857.) With 190 school days per year, Wisconsin public education employees make about $258 per day. So in an effort to avoid contributing to their own pensions and funding 6 percent more of their own health care premiums, teachers have taken unpaid leave to protest and have given up nearly $500 so far.
(Excerpt) Read more at weeklystandard.com ...
There is where the gov needs to go on tv w pie charts, and lay out the facts on this.
I agree...Republicans and conservatives do a very poor job of using the media, either because of the costs involved or because some stations and networks won’t sell them time.
Wisconsin is a rerun of Greece.
The party is over and the money is gone.
The governor of Wisconsin is delivering the grim truth that many don't want to here.
Say what ypu want about perot - but he very effectively got his message across with his presentations. We need something like that.
Just these maddoffian pensions alone should have all taxpayers up in arms.
Actually, I was thinking of him when I made that comme
And the US Congress ignored 250,000+ citizens/taxpayers who assembled in DC last year—What’s the point?
OK, I give. What is it? The Battle of Tours? The 300?
I’m guessing Lord of the Rings/Helms Deep.
Young people of the caliber of those produced by homeschooling intellectually and rhetorically blow away kids like those quoted.
I think I see the issue here.
That pic is from the 2nd LOTR movie.
I forgot about the “300” at Thermopylae.
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