Posted on 02/18/2011 9:57:34 PM PST by DeaconBenjamin
Republicans who swept into power in state capitols this year with promises to cut spending and bolster the business climate now usher in a new era of labor relations that could result in the largest reduction of power in decades for public employee unions.
The question GOP governors and lawmakers are now facing is exactly how far they can go without possibly alienating voters they won over in the midterm elections last fall.
In Wisconsin, Republican Gov. Scott Walker is going for it all — the elimination of collective bargaining rights for public employees plus sharp increases in their health care and pension payments. His plan advanced quickly to the Republican-led Senate, despite several days of protests that drew tens of thousands of demonstrators to the Capitol. Then Senate Democrats suddenly fled the state, bringing the legislative process to a halt.
Friday, Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, chairman of the Republican Governors Association, urged people to show their support for Walker in what he described as "a defining moment for our country and the conservative movement."
But some Republican governors want to avoid a showdown. "That's not our path," said new GOP Gov. Rick Snyder, who won election in neighboring Michigan, also on a pro-business agenda. He said he wants costs savings, too, but "I and my administration fully intend to work with our employees and union partners in a collective fashion."
A similar proposal to strip public employees of collective bargaining rights drew throngs of protesters Thursday at the Ohio Capitol. Hundreds more have demonstrated in Tennessee and Indiana, where Republican-led committees have advanced bills to restrict bargaining rights for teachers' unions. And governors from Nevada to Florida have been touting the need to weaken union powers and extract more money from government employees to help balance out-of-whack budgets.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
Coward.
ah, don’t count Snyder out quite yet...he’s a sharp guy who understands strategy and may just be waiting for the right time to launch his assault.
Republican Governors remember: “You WON!” This is what you were elected to do, you have the mandate now DO IT.
It truly is in your hands, we aren’t going to get any positive leadership out of DC until Jan. 2013 at the earliest and all we can do til then is block Obama. But you as Governors of your states, can make history now. You know the majority of people are behind you and the 15% lunatic fringe of liberals are making all the noise.
Those scenes of pampered white collar unionized tax eaters occupying the state capital are going to cost the Democrats big in 2012.
Madison WI - Named after James Madison - The last of the Founding Fathers to die - The Father of the Constitution - The reluctant author of the bill of rights - A protector of states’ rights - Married to Dolley - Not to be confused with Dolly Madison who’s Zingers can be found in faculty lounges.
So far, I'm thinking he's what I expected, a moderate squish. I'd be pleasantly surprised to find out he's not one, but I'm not holding my breath.
Or he may be a coward.
James Madison(”Little Jim’’) The Founder more responsible for the Second Amendment than any of the others.
All of the streets on the isthmus (downtown Madistan) are named after the patriots who signed the Constitution. Oh the irony.
Unions are going to have to burn a lot of money fighting state budget battles over the next few monthsks. Thats less money they’ll have for the 2012 elections.
Thank God for the Citizens United case...we will be able to financially overwhelm the left in 2012.
The larger reality is that collective bargaining for government workers is not a God-given or constitutional right. It is the result of the growing union dominance inside the Democratic Party during the middle of the last century. John Kennedy only granted it to federal workers in 1962 and Jerry Brown to California workers in 1978. Other states, including Indiana and Missouri, have taken away collective bargaining rights for public employees in recent years, and some 24 states have either limited it or banned it outright.
It CAN be done!
..”tens of thousands:...
Really?
They didn’t have an interloper like obama. Someone who actually wants the protest - someone who wants a riot. He truly makes me nervous - all the makings of a dictator.
How is Obama tied to this, besides the fact that these far leftist asses that are besieging Madison love him so.
See, politicians have given the store away to get elected. Unions pay into re-election campaigns and all's the better, right? NO. There are no good reason to have PUBLIC EMPLOYEE UNIONS in America beyond those who provide public safety. These are socialist front groups and as we see, un-affordable in the long run (just like socialism itself).
Mrs. Thatcher was right, we've run out of money to proceed with any more socialism.
The Democrats’ problem is the unions’ private interests clash with the needs of other constituents and in an era where the public pie is shrinking its hard to claim public union workers should be paid more than non-union private sector workers are. There’s little taxpayer sympathy for union demands to foot unfunded pension costs at a time when they are struggling in a sour economy. And the Democrats who are owned by the unions have shown clearly they don’t side with the voters who want costs reined in.
“That’s not our path,” said new GOP Gov. Rick Snyder, who won election in neighboring Michigan, also on a pro-business agenda. He said he wants costs savings, too, but “I and my administration fully intend to work with our employees and union partners in a collective fashion.”
RINO Rick!
Translation: From each according to his ability (except the union); to each according to his need (including the unions). Mr. Snyder is big on "shared sacrifice".
Some people in Michigan were worried that they might have to hold their noses and vote for a guy who was strongly 2A, supported anti-affirmative action ballot initiative, was one of the attorneys general who sued the Maobama Administration over Maobamacare, and just may have taken on the unions. Thank God they didn't have to make that awful choice.
>> Coward.
Yeah, to survive the Country requires a significant change in direction and that includes slapping the union members back into reality reminding them about the Country they belong, not some commie, pinko crap-hole.
I don’t know Snyder and I’m basing the following comment on your quote alone: If soft spoken seduction works, than that’s okay; we want results, not punishment.
There’s certainly an anti-American agenda driven by an elite group accompanied by stalwarts, but many rank and file would easily adopt a new promising economic model based in fundamental American principles given the right amount exposure and inoculation from the divisive forces of Leftism, Communism, and Socialism.
Obama’s political team, Organizing for America is organizing the protests.
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