What's at Stake in Wisconsin's Budget Battle

The Wall Street Journal ^ | 2/19/2011 | John Fund

[Lakeshark]

This week President Obama was roundly criticized, even by many of his allies, for submitting a federal budget that actually increases our already crushing deficit. But that didn't stop him Thursday from jumping into Wisconsin's titanic budget battle. He accused the new Republican governor, Scott Walker, of launching an "assault" on unions with his emergency legislation aimed at cutting the state budget.

[Lakeshark]

The leftists have made this their signature comeback issue. The war isn't just in Wisconsin, it's against all of us.

[Huck]

The leftists have made this their signature comeback issue.

That's great news for us.

[SE Mom]

Good piece by Fund.

This is actually a life and death struggle for them- for the whole Democrat party. Without union dues that are automatically deducted from paychecks there will be a HUGE financial loss- crippling even.

This is a huge moment for both sides.

[Starboard]

The leftists have made this their signature comeback issue. The war isn’t just in Wisconsin, it’s against all of us.

---

And this issue is showing them as the greedy, class warfare zealots that they are. Dems have overplayed their hand this time and have stepped in political quicksand.

[screaminsunshine]

Chump Change and a Dog and Pony Show as far as I am concerned.

[FrankR]

[gusopol3]

Obama as captive of the past, he is pathetic.

[Lakeshark]

It's only good news if we can take the narrative away from them. The media has done its best to report it from the point of view of the unions, I hope those who are in the forefront of the conservative battle continue to make it clear and simple what these lefties are really doing.

It's difficult to overcome the disinformation the democrat/media complex feeds the public. for instance, this is the only piece where I've read the attempt to take away some of the collective bargaining rights is a reaction to the over the top laws the democrats passed in 2009.

[EternalVigilance]

This is a huge moment for both sides.

Right. And Sarah Palin has one foot firmly in both camps.

[devistate one four]

Fire every teacher who took the day(s) off, every one!

Parents can teach and wil voluteer until better teachers can be found. We don’t need these kind in our schools.

In fact ,I wouldn’tlet my child be in the class with any of those who took of.

Parents choice!

[Lakeshark]

LOL! Great pic.

[devistate one four]

Get photos of the teachers in the street and fire them, even if they have a doctors excuse

[umgud]

We need 57 right-to-work states. This is the start.

[FrankR]

For months the ignorant democrats thought the TEA party movement was about a beverage, then astro-turf. Now they think the BUDGET BATTLE is all about the unions.

They're really a sensitive bunch, riddled with insecurity and guilt about the rout they're trying to pull out there.

But, they're probably the parents to give junior $100 because he might pout if he doesn't get it....at least THEIR partents must have been that way.

To have a ZERO for their president, they sure don't seem to understand the meaning of ZERO when the coffers are empty.

DEMOCRATS: America's Legion of Spoiled Brats.

[70th Division]

Absolutely. The president is a union president. He is NOT for the rest of the country. Wisconsin represents the first domino This could the many states to do the same thing.

The unions are saying; “Screw you American public. We will not concede a dime and the rest of you will pay for it.”

In Michigan non union public employees did not get a raise and were asked to pay for more of their health care. The unions got their raise. So they are paid more for the same job. And they will get more in retirement because of this. It has to STOP. I am tired of my tax money going to Democratic Union causes.

[rawhide]

Labor historian Fred Siegel offers further reasons why unions are manning the barricades. Mr. Walker would require that public-employee unions be recertified annually by a majority vote of all their members, not merely by a majority of those that choose to cast ballots. In addition, he would end the government's practice of automatically deducting union dues from employee paychecks. For Wisconsin teachers, union dues total between $700 and $1,000 a year.

"Ending dues deductions breaks the political cycle in which government collects dues, gives them to the unions, who then use the dues to back their favorite candidates and also lobby for bigger government and more pay and benefits," Mr. Siegel told me. After New York City's Transport Workers Union lost the right to automatic dues collection in 2007 following an illegal strike, its income fell by more than 35% as many members stopped ponying up.

The communist union thugs are squealing like pigs and rats, which they are!!!!!!!

[Popman]

Facing a $137 million budget deficit, he has decided to try to avoid laying off 5,500 state workers by proposing that they contribute 5.8% of their income towards their pensions and 12.6% towards health insurance

Looks like the gov has the Union thugs by the short hairs.

Personally, he should do both just to send them a message.

[Hotlanta Mike]

The leftists have made this their signature comeback issue.

That’s great news for us.

---

And the lefties have unwittingly launched another Republican Governor into the national spotlight. And Sissy Matthews won’t be able to attack Walker on his oversized physical stature like he does with Christie (NJ).

[Old Retired Army Guy]

Nothing scares Union leaders more than the threat to not collect Union Dues from paychecks for them. They know that if they had to do the collecting on their own it would be a financial catastrophy.

[SE Mom]

So basically, the union(s) would rather thousands of THEIR workers get laid off than to allow any cuts in wages and/or benefits.

Wow.