Free Republic

Opponent Mary Burke weighed down by jobs plan plagiarism allegationsMary Burke weighed down by jobs plan plagiarism allegations. Gov. Scott Walker is casting himself as a turnaround artist, seeking re-election with a pitch to voters that he revamped the state’s spending and business climate in just four years. For a governor with presidential aspirations, it’s a case he’s likely preparing for a national audience as well — but first he’ll have to get through a tighter-than-expected re-election race against Democrat Mary Burke, a former state secretary of commerce. As if that wasn’t enough, analysts say that his race could also...

As predicted in Revolt! (Dick’s and Eileen’s new book) – States Lead the Way Toward Reform It is not only the Arab world that is in turmoil! Reform Governors like Scott Walker (Wisconsin), John Kasich (Ohio), Mitch Daniels (Indiana), Tom Corbett (Pennsylvania), Butch Otter (Idaho), and Rick Scott (Florida) are leading a movement for fundamental change in America. In Revolt!, Morris and McGann’s new book, they describe how newly elected Republican Governors – impelled by their budget crises and empowered with GOP Legislatures – will accomplish sweeping changes in our politics. Read how: * Republican Governors will destroy the political...

Governor Pawlenty ignited a firestorm of public employee outrage and indignation this week when he rightly called them out for their oversized paychecks and gold-plated benefits. So what's the truth regarding AFSCME employees? What kind of pay and benefits do they get? Should they indeed be exempt from furloughs?

Democrats are good at one thing above all else: bankrupting states. The more Democrat a state is today, the more likely it is to be teetering on the brink of insolvency. California, Illinois, New York? All deep blue states swimming in a sea of red ink. With the US House of Representatives reverting to Republican control in January of 2011, Governors Brown (D-Fossil) and Cuomo (D-Prince) will not be able to continue the spending spree with hopes of Washington DC stealing from the frugal (Texas) to give to them. That is great, but what of the states that have recently...

A state employees union complains in a lawsuit that up to 1,200 low-paid Minnesotans being put to work cleaning up littered highways are "outside consultants" whose new duties violate state labor law. "Inside consultants, maybe," quipped Brian McClung, spokesman for Gov. Tim Pawlenty, whose "Operation Clean-Up" launched this month taps crews from state prisons and county jails. On Tuesday, Council 5 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) took its legal challenge to Ramsey County District Court. The union says the effort unfairly takes work from its members at the state Department of Transportation, allowing the...