Posted on 02/19/2011 4:09:28 AM PST by kevkrom
The union-led school closures and demonstrations in Madison have left most ordinary Americans shaking their heads in disbelief. Months ago, I penned a message to my fellow union brothers and sisters when I found myself on the receiving end of union boss Richard Trumka’s wrath. Yesterday’s demonstrations reminded me of the full-page ads taken out against me when I put my foot down in dealing with union demands while I served as governor. My message then and now to good union brothers and sisters is that you have another option. You don’t have to kowtow to the union bosses who are not looking out for you, but instead are using you. You can join millions of other union members in a commonsense movement to help fight for the right causes in our great country – for budgets that share the burden in a truly fair way and for commonsense reforms that take power away from vested interests like union bosses and big business lobby groups, and put it back where it belongs – with “We the People.”
Here we are still struggling to get out of a deep recession and coping with high unemployment, record deficits, rapidly rising food prices, and a host of other economic problems; and Wisconsin union bosses want union members out in the streets demanding that taxpayers foot the bill for unsustainable benefits packages. I am a friend to hard working union members and to teachers. I come from a family of teachers; my grandparents, parents, brother, sister, aunt, and other relatives worked, or still work, in education. My own children attend public schools. I greatly admire good teachers and will always speak up in defense of the teaching profession. But Wisconsin teacher unions do themselves no favor by closing down classrooms and abandoning children’s needs in protest against the sort of belt-tightening that people everywhere are going through. Union brothers and sisters: this is the wrong fight at the wrong time. Solidarity doesn’t mean making Wisconsin taxpayers pay for benefits that are not sustainable and affordable at a time when many of these taxpayers struggle to hold on to their own jobs and homes. Real solidarity means everyone being willing to sacrifice and carry our share of the burden. It does no one any favors to dismiss the sacrifices others have already had to make—in wage cuts, unpaid vacations, and even job losses—to weather our economic storm.
Hard working, patriotic, and selfless union brothers and sisters: please don’t be taken in by the union bosses. At the end of day, they’re not fighting for your pension or health care plan or even for the sustainability of Wisconsin’s education budget. They’re fighting to protect their own powerful privileges and their own political clout. The agenda for too many union bosses is a big government agenda that only serves the union bosses themselves – not union members, not union families, and certainly not the larger community. Everybody else is just there to foot the bill; and if that bill eventually takes the form of thousands of teachers and other public sectors workers losing their jobs because the state of Wisconsin can no longer afford to keep them on the payroll, that’s a risk the union bosses are willing to take as long as their positions are secure. Union brothers and sisters: you are better than this and you deserve better. Don’t be led astray.
One final word of warning to my fellow Americans: back in 2009, I warned about what would happen if states accepted short-term unsustainable debt-ridden “Stimulus Package” funds. Accepting those funds allowed states to grow government, increase already unsustainable levels of spending, kick the can down the road on reforming entitlements, and create public expectations that they would continue financing these new mandates once the federal funds ran out. States were not in a position to grow government and take on new financial commitments then, and now the chickens have come home to roost. As goes Wisconsin today, so goes the country tomorrow.
- Sarah Palin
All you have to do is look at his posting history.
I understood who he is. LOL
I agree with most of what you say, even though I think Palin would be a good choice and you don't. So.....all things considered, my choice today is Palin. In the spirit of debate in a civil manner, are you ready to name one person, not a few, that would be your choice?
There is much potential out there, we just need to let time produce that candidate. The campaign season has not yet started and there is plenty of time to make the right choice.
This candidate also must appeal to all aspects of the American Public in order to win, one similar to Reagan, who was able to apply his Conservative Principles in a way that the Public approved of.
One thing for sure, our candidate will have to be a strong free Enterprise/Business manager and have solid answers and clear plans on how to turn this around. Especially the last two attributes.
Well said, and thus the reason for Sarah Palin's post.
New tagline...
You’ve been busy! That’s 4 on this thread alone.....
Scott Walker called them "good and decent public servants".
So what's the difference?
“I must have struck a nerve.”
Does that thought excite you? I imagine it does since you go to such great lengths to make them.
DeMint, Ryan etc.
Can they raise $1,000,000,000 next year?
It is a certainty that Sarah Palin CAN!.
Might help if I could spell.
Need a new eyeglass prescription...
Fixed it.
I agree with you 100%. Except that I am willing to say if I had to pick ONE today it would be Palin. Sounds like you are waiting for a newbie, who has not been vetted and will appear better than he or she really is. We know about Palin, at least we think we do. So.....you wanna pick ONE?
I don’t blame you if you don’t, as we both know this thread will change and no matter who you suggest, the dirt will fly.
So you claim Palin can and will raise a Billion Dollars? With a 95% name recognition rating and less than 22% approval?
ROFLMBO!
A billion dollars can’t make it so. You can’t buy your way to the top spot.
Obama did it with total MSM collusion. She doesn’t, and never will have that luxury. In fact, no Republican can top that. It will take an exceptional candidate that the MSM cannot brand as a dolt.
Might as well take that billion and set fire to it.
Hopefully we will not repeat the same errors from 2008.
That’s a good tagline as well. Cutting a small piece of NPR’s budget. Now, that’s draconian!!
You have no idea. She has intense support from millions of conservative families. They will work actively for her and fund raise for her.
Ok, I don’t blame you for not picking the one you prefer today. Things will change, and my choice will most likely change as well. But I still say, today, Palin is our best hope. She is not perfect, nor is Huckabee, Demint, Christie, or anybody else.
Hard working, patriotic, and selfless union brothers and sisters: please don’t be taken in by the union bosses. At the end of day, they’re not fighting for your pension or health care plan or even for the sustainability of Wisconsin’s education budget. They’re fighting to protect their own powerful privileges and their own political clout. The agenda for too many union bosses is a big government agenda that only serves the union bosses themselves – not union members, not union families, and certainly not the larger community.
For people who don't like Sarah:
Who the bleep else is out there SAYING THIS???
Got proof of that? Show me the facts and the numbers.
I can show you mine. (Gallup, Pew, Rasmussen, all have Palin around the mid to low 20% group) Even Huckabee leads her by 15 points.
Nobody Conservtive that I know.........
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