Protests start for 6th day at Wisconsin Capitol

[nhboy]

Protests start for 6th day at Wisconsin Capitol - Yahoo! News

"MADISON, Wis. – As union supporters moved inside for a sixth straight day of protests at the Wisconsin Capitol, Gov. Scott Walker reiterated Sunday that he wouldn't compromise on the issue that had mobilized them, a bill that would eliminate most of public employees' collective bargaining rights.

Democratic lawmakers have said they and union members would agree to financial concessions that the Republican governor wants in exchange for workers keeping their collective bargaining rights. But Walker said he wasn't willing to budge, and he expected the bill to pass as is.

"We're willing to take this as long as it takes because in the end we're doing the right thing," he told Fox News from Madison.

The controversial measure led to massive protests that started Tuesday and have gained steam each day. An estimated 68,000 people turned out Saturday. Most opposed the bill, but the day marked the first time that a significant contingent of Walker supporters showed up to counter-protest.

Hundreds of protesters gathered inside the Capitol on Sunday, as snow turned into freezing rain that made walking outside the building a challenge. The demonstrators banged on drums and danced in the Capitol Rotunda while they chanted, "This is what Democracy looks like" and "union busting!"

 

[MMDad]

. An estimated 68,000 people turned out Saturday. Most opposed the bill, but the day marked the first time that a significant contingent of Walker supporters showed up to counter-protest.

Hmmm... Makes you wonder if they were at work instead, and gave their Saturday to protest. Maybe they saw something wrong with pretending to be sick and getting a fake doctor's note.

 

[CrashTest]

Fire just the ones protesting versus working. Plenty of people lined up to take those jobs even without consessions. Can't blame the big, bad CEO's for this one since they're all public sector employees.

 

[Gilligan]

Fire just the ones protesting versus working. Plenty of people lined up to take those jobs even without consessions. Can't blame the big, bad CEO's for this one since they're all public sector employees.

x2.

 

[Merlin99]

Is it too late for the governor of Wisconsin to back off on some of his demands? What way would the unions go if he changed his mind on the collective bargaining demand and kept the remainder. Would the unions count this as a win and make more demands, or would they take what they could and wait for the political winds to change?
Personally I think backing off on any thing would show a fatal weakness that would be exploited at the first oppotunity, but I'm generally a pretty paranoid person so I could be wrong. Anybody else have an opinion on it.

 

[glhs837]

Agreed. If he caves in any way now, the 14 slackers will just run away anytime they don't like something.

 

[Vince]

Fire just the ones protesting versus working. Plenty of people lined up to take those jobs even without consessions. Can't blame the big, bad CEO's for this one since they're all public sector employees.

Give them until tomorrow to get back to work or they are all fired. No BS medical excuses from the protesting doctors either.

 

[SamSpade]

Is it too late for the governor of Wisconsin to back off on some of his demands? What way would the unions go if he changed his mind on the collective bargaining demand and kept the remainder. Would the unions count this as a win and make more demands, or would they take what they could and wait for the political winds to change?
Personally I think backing off on any thing would show a fatal weakness that would be exploited at the first oppotunity, but I'm generally a pretty paranoid person so I could be wrong. Anybody else have an opinion on it.

That's what I read in the papers - that the reason this is being billed as so momentous is because however it plays out will spell how it will continue to go. If the unions win, they will push for more and the whole thing will spread. If the legislators can thwart a vote they don't want every time by leaving the state, they'll do it more often. If the governor succeeds, the unions will back down but it may be that other governors will press for more right to work bills.

So it may become a showdown.

The thing is, it's probably going to come to a compromise. I think the unions will concede the financial issues (retirement and health benefits) and the governor will concede collective bargaining.

But I have to say, the entire concept of public unions ticks me off. In the private sector, unions battle management within a company. If the company fails, everyone loses, so it's in the interest of both parties - usually - to reach an amicable agreement.

Public unions are another matter and fall within the scope of our political system. They answer to and grapple with our political leaders, but the rest of us pay for it all. And the government is NOT going to collapse. It just seems wrong that workers can legally influence the decisions of government because they have the money, votes and power.

 

[SamSpade]

Give them until tomorrow to get back to work or they are all fired. No BS medical excuses from the protesting doctors either.

I read somewhere they're thinking the same for the Democratic legislators - no pay if you're not working.

 

[glhs837]

And every doctor identified to be handing out false sick notes should be disciplined by he state health board. "sick of Walker", "sore feet", "sore throats", "best therapy is a large support group like we have here", makes me ill. This video here is a great one, shows the most blatant ones. The one @ 1:30 bothers me the most, with his aggressive tone about the reporter "getting into my patient doctor privilege" as if that applies in a crowd.


YouTube - Wis Doctors Hand Out Fake Excuses to Protesters

 

[Lenny]

I read somewhere they're thinking the same for the Democratic legislators - no pay if you're not working.

Last night they were saying that the 'Fleeparty' Democrats would have to pick up their paychecks on the floor of the legislature. In fact all the legislators would have to pick up their checks physically.

 

[laynpipe]

i truly feel sorry for the workers. i put myself in their shoes and i would be protesting as well. these people have families to support. families that need those benefits. many of the people affected are people that have devoted their lives to their carreers with the state government. people that have worked hard and earned those benefits and health care.

public sector unions are just as important as private sector......af far as the worker is concerned. and i also dont blame the doctors. i call it solidarity. i just hope for everyone sake that a compromise is reached.

i have been following this pretty closely and the unions have already said they would accept the cuts in pay and benefits if the gov would sit down and comprimise.

this will come to a head when the police and fire choose not to run service calls and lives are lost. imagine.......a fire breaks out in an office building. police and fire wont respond. people die.......and everyone blames it on the governer. hard pill to swallow. but i think it will take this kind of tragedy to wake poeple up and force a comprimise. this will look extremly bad on the republican party.

 

[Gilligan]

i truly feel sorry for the workers. i put myself in their shoes and i would be protesting as well..

You feel more sorry, then, for the teachers in southern MD, right?. Within a similar cost of living area as sme parts of Wisconsin but actually more costly than others, they (SOMD teachers) have to make due with lower salaries and approximately only half of the benefit package that the Wisconsin educators are wailing about losing some of..

 

[laynpipe]

You feel more sorry, then, for the teachers in southern MD, right?. Within a similar cost of living area as sme parts of Wisconsin but actually more costly than others, they (SOMD teachers) have to make due with lower salaries and approximately only half of the benefit package that the Wisconsin educators are wailing about losing some of..

please dont make assumptions on my behalf. but i do feel somd teachers deserve more then they are getting. in more ways then just this.

 

[Gilligan]

please dont make assumptions on my behalf. but i do feel somd teachers deserve more then they are getting. in more ways then just this.

Easy assumption to make..since the Wisconsin educators are compensated at levels which our own would only dream of. Levels that Wisconsin and many other states cannot sustain. Wasn't sure you knew that, though.

Even MD is looking around desparately right now for ways to 'offload' and/or limit the retirement liablities for public employees.

Everyone deserves to be adequately and fairly compensated for a job well done. Nobody deserves to be overcompensated from public taxpayer dollars just because they are part of a formidable union.

I would love to recieve the levels of health and pension benefits that Wisconsin employees receive. But I don't.

 

[laynpipe]

Easy assumption to make..since the Wisconsin educators are compensated at levels which our own would only dream of. Levels that Wisconsin and many other states cannot sustain. Wasn't sure you knew that, though.

Even MD is looking around desparately right now for ways to 'offload' and/or limit the retirement liablities for public employees.

Everyone deserves to be adequately and fairly compensated for a job well done. Nobody deserves to be overcompensated from public taxpayer dollars just because they are part of a formidable union.

I would love to recieve the levels of health and pension benefits that Wisconsin employees receive. But I don't.

i guess over compensation is a matter of opinion. i dont feel they are over compensated. if you dont receive that level of benefits, you have the option to find employment elsewhere.

the shortfall of their state government is not the workers fault. they should not pay the price for these shortfalls. they were made promises. those promises should be upheld. they bargained and negotiated and have contracts for those benefits.

and for the record, i dont belong to a union. but what is right......is right.

 

[Gilligan]

i guess over compensation is a matter of opinion. i dont feel they are over compensated. if you dont receive that level of benefits, you have the option to find employment elsewhere.

the shortfall of their state government is not the workers fault. they should not pay the price for these shortfalls. they were made promises. those promises should be upheld. they bargained and negotiated and have contracts for those benefits.

and for the record, i dont belong to a union. but what is right......is right.

And what is broke, is broke. You cannot squeeze blood from the proverbial turnip. The budget shortfall may not be 'the workers fault' but please explain, regardless, where the money to pay those obligations is supposed to come from.

 

[Gilligan]

if you dont receive that level of benefits, you have the option to find employment elsewhere..

Do you receive benefits at those levels?? Do you even know anyone personally who does receive 30 grand a year in health and retirement bennies?

They are out there..but getting scarcer by the year.

 

[laynpipe]

Do you receive benefits at those levels?? Do you even know anyone personally who does receive 30 grand a year in health and retirement bennies?

They are out there..but getting scarcer by the year.

absolutly i do........and then some.

 

[aps45819]

i truly feel sorry for the workers.
.

The ones that abandoned their jobs in violation of their contracts and are committing fraud by obtaining fake doctor's excuses?

Those the workers you feel sorry for?