Gov. Walker and WI's master plan

[Homerboy]

I'm surprised this hasn't been brought up yet here. Maybe not a lot of WI folks floating around ATPN?

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/116301539.html

Simpy put, Gov. Walker (newly elected GOP) has basically put in a call to end collective bargaining agreements for state employees, in addition to cutting benefits, yadda yadda yadda. As you can imagine, people are up in arms (most notably the teachers it seems) and calling for blood. Walker has even put the National Guard on notice too.

 

[werepossum]

Good for him.

 

[spidey07]

Sounds like a great idea. Glad he's stepping up to fix their problems. Teachers unions are the scum of the earth and a big reason for our failing public education system.

 

[fskimospy]

We all know that workers using their power to bargain together is evil and wrong. Businesses using their power to bargain is freedom.

 

[umbrella39]

... a big reason for our failing public education system.

Well that and stupid people breeding more and more.

 

[soundforbjt]

I'm surprised this hasn't been brought up yet here. Maybe not a lot of WI folks floating around ATPN?

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/116301539.html

Simpy put, Gov. Walker (newly elected GOP) has basically put in a call to end collective bargaining agreements for state employees, in addition to cutting benefits, yadda yadda yadda. As you can imagine, people are up in arms (most notably the teachers it seems) and calling for blood. Walker has even put the National Guard on notice too.

It doesn't include ALL employees, meaning the high paid ones.

 

[Elias824]

reminds me of the protests in Greece, or England after they started to cut back, there will be more that follows this.

 

[EagleKeeper]

I'm surprised this hasn't been brought up yet here. Maybe not a lot of WI folks floating around ATPN?

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/116301539.html

Simpy put, Gov. Walker (newly elected GOP) has basically put in a call to end collective bargaining agreements for state employees, in addition to cutting benefits, yadda yadda yadda. As you can imagine, people are up in arms (most notably the teachers it seems) and calling for blood. Walker has even put the National Guard on notice too.

Where in the article is the refeence to the Guard.

Or is that a seperate subject?

 

[OCGuy]

Time for some tough decisions to be made. Glad somebody has the courage to do it.

 

[spidey07]

I wonder if they'll fire all the teachers that called in sick to protest?

Nah, can't do that. Unions. It's to the point now where you can't fire a teacher, as in it's impossible to fire them.

 

[Genx87]

My buddy works for a city near Sheyboygan and was whining to me last night they would only match 1:1 upto 6% on his pension lmao. Poor govt employee's. They put in 6% and the taxpayers match it for them for a total of 12% of their income being put away for retirement. I had to inform him my current 401K has me putting in 6% for a 1.5% match in the private sector.

 

[her209]

Sounds like a great idea. Glad he's stepping up to fix their problems. Teachers unions are the scum of the earth and a big reason for our failing public education system.

I chalk it up to highly paid school administrators.

 

[CPA]

I think he should call a preemptive strike with the State Guard on those teachers.

 

[PokerGuy]

Sounds like we found another leader, like the one in NJ, willing to step up and start doing the right things.

 

[Lemon law]

Gov Walker may be setting up the entire state of Wisconsin up to a boycott by organized Labor nationwide. Wisconsin used to be a strong Union State, and as worker abuse increases, yes Unions will start coming back in a big way.

Big business sure is not doing anything for the American worker, and now the Wisconsin GOP has declared war on the Wisconsin worker.

 

[Genx87]

Gov Walker may be setting up the entire state of Wisconsin up to a boycott by organized Labor nationwide. Wisconsin used to be a strong Union State, and as worker abuse increases, yes Unions will start coming back in a big way.

Big business sure is not doing anything for the American worker, and now the Wisconsin GOP has declared war on the Wisconsin worker.

It was bound to happen. Govt is the next big bubble to deflate. Cant have a system that is growing faster than inflation for so many years without it bursting. Just like the stock market of the late 90s and the housing market of the 2000s, this bubble will burst as well.

 

[Jadow]

I was hoping someone would post this, I was too lazy to do it myself.

I am with Walker on this.

Being in a union is NOT a right. I am sick of paying huge income taxes, ridiculous car taxes when I buy a car on Craigslist, and getting sucked dry by this state, so they could have 9 guys on the road crew fixing a light bulb. So teachers can work 175 days a year, have full healthcare paid for, and retire at 55 with a phat guarenteed pension.

When people in the private sector have to pay 40-50% of their health care costs or more and they are averaging far less than the 75k a year WI state employees average, I am ALL FOR kicking the unions in the nuts. They have sucked off the system for many many years.

I just wish he'd also included cops and firemen.

EDIT - Also, schools in Madison shut down so that teachers could protest at the capital! All the teachers called in sick...

In other places like Viroqua, EVERY SINGLE high school student walked out of school and marched in protest. Yeah, no indoctrination going on at that school.

Stupid Fing high school students, getting manipulated by the teachers like that. LOL

 

[PeshakJang]

Gov Walker may be setting up the entire state of Wisconsin up to a boycott by organized Labor nationwide. Wisconsin used to be a strong Union State, and as worker abuse increases, yes Unions will start coming back in a big way.

Big business sure is not doing anything for the American worker, and now the Wisconsin GOP has declared war on the Wisconsin worker.

Ah liberal logic. The magical realm where state employees are entitled to be paid more than the private sector, with no cutbacks, no downsizing, and the power to demand more money from state taxpayers than exists to pay the bills. Only in this place does math not matter, only entitlements.

The pending bill would require most public workers to pay half their pension costs - typically 5.8% of pay for state workers - and at least 12% of their health care costs. It applies to most state and local employees but does not apply to police, firefighters and state troopers, who would continue to bargain for their benefits.


Other than police, firefighters and troopers, raises would be limited to inflation unless a bigger increase was approved in a referendum. The non-law enforcement unions would lose their rights to bargain over anything but wages, would have to hold annual elections to keep their organizations intact and would lose the ability to have union dues deducted from state paychecks.

LORD OH LORD. Look at those abuses! Those poor state workers are living like filthy gypsies... they might have to pay their own union dues, instead of having the state pay for them! God how that makes any sense!


And man... they have to pay over 12 fucking percent for their health care costs??? Filthy, filthy gypsies.


Imagine... next we'll be asking them to take their own cars to work instead of government vehicles! NO MORE!

 

[fskimospy]

I was hoping someone would post this, I was too lazy to do it myself.

I am with Walker on this.

Being in a union is NOT a right. I am sick of paying huge income taxes, ridiculous car taxes when I buy a car on Craigslist, and getting sucked dry by this state, so they could have 9 guys on the road crew fixing a light bulb. So teachers can work 175 days a year, have full healthcare paid for, and retire at 55 with a phat guarenteed pension.

When people in the private sector have to pay 40-50% of their health care costs or more and they are averaging far less than the 75k a year WI state employees average, I am ALL FOR kicking the unions in the nuts. They have sucked off the system for many many years.

I just wish he'd also included cops and firemen.

EDIT - Also, schools in Madison shut down so that teachers could protest at the capital! All the teachers called in sick...

In other places like Viroqua, EVERY SINGLE high school student walked out of school and marched in protest. Yeah, no indoctrination going on at that school.

Stupid Fing high school students, getting manipulated by the teachers like that. LOL

Maybe people in the private sector get a worse deal because they AREN'T IN UNIONS. The ability to bargain for your services in any way you wish should absolutely be a right. Why on earth should you be able to have individuals negotiate for their wages at a job, but prohibit groups of people from negotiating together? That's absolutely ridiculous.

 

[Homerboy]

Ah i knew this would stir the pot of ATPN

What I don't get is where these teachers etc think this money is going to come from. The State is in a deficit. If a business is in the red they cut benefits, hours and yes... jobs.

What has some people up in arms is that A) as the one article I included (there are countless articles on this if you sift through any WI news website) pointed out that Walker continues to give tax cuts to big businesses to entice companies to come here (or at the very least not RUN from the state as they have in the past) thus reducing our deficit. B) the "threat" of disbanding collective bargaining. This is the one that is KILLING people.

 

[hal2kilo]

What happened to Wisconsin. It used to be a nice place. Did someone put something in the water to make all these people vote in the wakadoodles?

 

[zsdersw]

Even as a non-union public sector employee, I support Walker for this.. but I don't think police, firefighters, or state troopers should've been excluded.

 

[Exterous]

Sounds like a great idea. Glad he's stepping up to fix their problems. Teachers unions are the scum of the earth and a big reason for our failing public education system.

Part of the problem: Yes. A big part: No. The biggest part is, by far, the parents. Teachers have to spend an incredible amount of time managing their class instead of teaching (Don't talk, put your cell phone away, wake up, confiscate cell phone - spent time writing incident for taking cell phone, I'm writing you up for swearing at me, confiscate cell phone - spend time writing incident for taking cell phone)

Everything has to be documented to the Nth degree because Mommy and Daddy can't believe it would be possible for little Johny to be disruptive. Not to mention the parents that will fault out tell you they 'don't believe high school education is important' when you call home about their kid failing/not showing up to class

Don't forget that parents are the ones that vote the administrators in so the administrators make policies based on what parents want and not the teachers.

I have seen a large number of teachers go into the workforce and from all the horror stories I have heard it is no wonder that some of the teachers get beaten down and just don't care anymore

Nah, can't do that. Unions. It's to the point now where you can't fire a teacher, as in it's impossible to fire them.

I don't know what state you are in but for this school year Michigan fired more teachers than ever before in it's history. At a local school EVERY teacher with under 7 years of seniority was let go. No janitors, assistants, bus drivers, administrators were let go (Don't forget - they have a union too)

Teachers are being fired left and right as classes are eliminated and class sizes soar yet (in Michigan at least) the support staff:student ratio is at it’s highest ever.

Now - all that siad - I am all for getting rid of state pension plans and moving towards a more traditional 403b program and possible employer match up to a percent of say 4 or 5%

 

[werepossum]

Even as a non-union public sector employee, I support Walker for this.. but I don't think police, firefighters, or state troopers should've been excluded.

Agreed, their functions are even more important to public safety. However, one important counter to collective bargaining is the ability (if not the testicular fortitude) to say screw you all, get out of my building and hire non-union replacements. Kinda hard to do that with cops and firefighters.

Part of the problem: Yes. A big part: No. The biggest part is, by far, the parents. Teachers have to spend an incredible amount of time managing their class instead of teaching (Don't talk, put your cell phone away, wake up, confiscate cell phone - spent time writing incident for taking cell phone, I'm writing you up for swearing at me, confiscate cell phone - spend time writing incident for taking cell phone)

Everything has to be documented to the Nth degree because Mommy and Daddy can't believe it would be possible for little Johny to be disruptive. Not to mention the parents that will fault out tell you they 'don't believe high school education is important' when you call home about their kid failing/not showing up to class

Don't forget that parents are the ones that vote the administrators in so the administrators make policies based on what parents want and not the teachers.

I have seen a large number of teachers go into the workforce and from all the horror stories I have heard it is no wonder that some of the teachers get beaten down and just don't care anymore


I don't know what state you are in but for this school year Michigan fired more teachers than ever before in it's history. At a local school EVERY teacher with under 7 years of seniority was let go. No janitors, assistants, bus drivers, administrators were let go (Don't forget - they have a union too)

Teachers are being fired left and right as classes are eliminated and class sizes soar yet (in Michigan at least) the support staff:student ratio is at it’s highest ever.

Now - all that siad - I am all for getting rid of state pension plans and moving towards a more traditional 403b program and possible employer match up to a percent of say 4 or 5%

Goods points all. I think all government pensions should be abolished and replaced with 401K funds, with maybe a 50% employer match maxed at 2%. But one of the worst pressures on government is the liability of pensions already promised, and they can't go back on those.

 

[zsdersw]

Agreed, their functions are even more important to public safety. However, one important counter to collective bargaining is the ability (if not the testicular fortitude) to say screw you all, get out of my building and hire non-union replacements. Kinda hard to do that with cops and firefighters.

Police, firefighters, and state troopers cost the state a good chunk of change too... their unions should be gutted like any other. I'm not entirely sure why they need unions in the first place. The state's interest in protecting public safety should automatically reward the best and most qualified and strengthen the employee side of the bargaining table by default.