Posted on 05/24/2015 5:33:16 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Scott Walker and his legislative minions have no respect for local democracy.
One of Walker’s early acts as governor was to sign a law that pre-empted Milwaukee’s paid sick days ordinance — which voters had approved by 69 to 31 percent and which the state Court of Appeals had upheld. Dana Schultz of 9to5, the National Association of Working Women, described the state override of the Milwaukee law as “an assault on democracy, local control and working families."
The assaults have continued, with Walker and his allies moving again and again to prevent Wisconsin’s towns, villages and cities from acting to defend the public interest, serve local citizens, establish sound land-use policies and protect the environment. At every turn, the attacks on local democracy have been cheered on by the out-of-state special-interest groups and billionaire campaign donors who have sustained Walker and his legislative majorities. The most enthusiastic of those donors are champions of schemes to undermine public education. So it should come as no surprise that Walker’s Republican legislators are now attacking elected school board members who have dared to act in the best interest of the students, teachers and communities they serve.
A plan approved last week by the legislative Joint Finance Committee on a 12-4, party-line vote would permit a county executive to take authority over vulnerable urban schools away from elected school boards. The executive could then appoint “commissioners” with the authority to assume control of those schools. The commissioners could either manage the schools directly or solicit takeover proposals. In effect, says state Rep. Cory Mason, D-Racine, this could give unelected commissioners “the authority to privatize individual schools.”
The initial target of the proposal is Milwaukee. But it could extend to Madison and Racine.
And that’s not the last assault on local democracy.
Walker’s legislative partisans are also moving to end the terms of all nine elected members of the Racine Unified School District Board in 2016 and force new elections for the nine seats — a move Mason notes would effectively invalidate the elections of a number of board members. The board has been reasonably respectful of teachers and their unions, which does not sit well with the Republicans. Under the plan, board members would no longer be elected districtwide (as are the vast majority of school board members in Wisconsin). Instead, each member would represent a small section of the district. The GOP's goal is to reduce the influence of the city of Racine (a Democratic community with a substantial minority population and a history of supporting unions) while increasing the influence of suburban areas (which tend to be more Republican, have a smaller minority population and are presumed to be friendlier to the governor’s agenda).
Mason says, “For the state of Wisconsin, under Republican control, to basically nullify Racine duly elected officials and make them run again in the districts that (the state) would prefer is not only an assault on local control, but democracy.”
Wisconsin Republicans once respected local control and local democracy. Under Scott Walker, they have abandoned both — putting crude partisanship ahead of principle.
The first sentence is all you need to read. We are NOT a “democracy” we are a representative republic.
The Democrat teachers unions are losing their grip on the taxpayers’ money. They are howling all the way to the dustbin of history.
The Wisconsin system of education has evolved to function for the educators rather than the educatees. That which benefits teachers has replaced all that benefits students.
The asteroid Walker has struck, wiping out all the educational union hybridization detrimental to kids and learning. Educator extinction is happening
“protect the environment”
So if a majority of the Bandidos and the Cossacks vote to legalize the manufacture of methamphetamine in their respective local clubhouses, that should preempt state and federal law, they are okay with it? Or is that democracy too local?
I know there are a lot of Walkerites around here, but why should a governor get involved with a municipality’s sick day policies? Especially policies that have been approved by the voters. I just do not know.
Real conservatives typically object to top-down interference in local matters.
Madison Capital Times, Your Progressive Voice
Precisely. Democracy is the death knell of constitutional government. In the progressive mind the majority rules. The minority is trampled under foot. Now that they are in the minority they are running scared because they have no faith in the republic or constitutional government.
Is a municipality’s sick day policies akin to meth manufacturing?
“The asteroid Walker has struck, wiping out all the educational union hybridization detrimental to kids and learning. Educator extinction is happening”
Whew! Well written!
Funny, I thought a county executive was an elected official.
What’s a “Walkerite?”
“Local democracy” is all ok, but don’t expect the whole state to bail you out.
How’s that? Win-win?
So, Milwaukee wants to drive business out of its city limits by passing its own regulations independent of the state... but wants the rest of the state to pay for its schools, its welfare, its unemployment benefits, its healthcare costs... And then it complains of big government when the state doesn’t want to.
Kudos to this brave governor.
Now...onto the national stage.
——but why should a governor get involved with a municipality’s sick day policies? ——
...Because Walker is a flip flopper...?
In before the anti-walker brigade chimes in...
It’s a fair question....so when you have a city like Milwaukee...segregated and very poorly educated, where the unionist as have been able to not only obtain grossly over used sick pay, but to also obtain two pension programs for themselves and a cushy overal pay deal. The locals are out of control. He’s found an ally in the democrat county exec who will take on local control of the poorly performing schools in Milwaukee.
Liar. This move actually makes democracy MORE local as it spreads representation out to all the areas of a school district instead of a heavily populated neighborhood controlling all the board members for the whole area.
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