I’m not a political person – yes I know I’ve posted so much this week on the issues going on but under normal circumstances I’m just not. I don’t vote by party lines. I don’t discuss my votes. I vote – every election. I despair that our politician will ever get what is needed for our country.
Today though, I was PROUD of our state Democrat senators. The Republicans and Governor have closed their minds and their ears to the pleas of the workers in the state. Walker said he had 8,000 emails supporting what he is doing. How many did he have wanting it to stop? How many people have protested – somewhere around 50,000.
I watched the national programs tonight – they were amusing. They also got to the heart of the matter. I think this is the first time I’ve heard the other side of the story. It has been the Republicans BLASTING away at the “evil” state workers and unions.
The overly dramatic presentation of the information was a bit much (maybe because I’m from the Midwest) but maybe that will start people thinking. Paul Ryan is an idiot. He accused the protesters of being violent. I say come to Madison and see for yourself. The Madison police had only good things to say about the protesters. Apparently Ryan thinks the teachers are a bunch of violent radical people. Well they are radical – they want to keep their rights.
If Walker and his cronies have their way, Wisconsin will become a state of haves and have nots. It isn’t the state workers who have. It will be the corporations, big business, and the politicians who have. The workers – everyone else will be a have not. State worker (those that don’t already have second jobs) will be looking for a second job.
I hope the Democrats drive their point home and stick together. They are doing what’s right and I intend to support them.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/116369554.html
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/education/local_schools/article_28c5e5c6-3882-11e0-8bd0-001cc4c03286.html
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/editorial/article_61064e9a-27b0-5f28-b6d1-a57c8b2aaaf6.html
Check out these articles…
Me, too–I've been blogging about it, facebooking about it, tweeting about it, and circulating petitions-and I don't even LIVE in Wisconsin. Thing is, moral issues aside, the unions are about the last real recourse workers have against a business system that seems bent on raping the nation, and a government that seems happy to pimp us out. If the unions fall, we will be right back where we were in the days of legalized sweat shops. Your comment about the spin being put on this was interesting–it's very similar to the spin that was put on workers pursuing things like a living wage back in the early days of unionization.
It amazes me how many people don't realize how much at risk their benefits are. If they are mad about the cost of insurance – put pressure on the government to reign in the insurance companies, hospitals, doctors, pharmaceutical companies. The public workers did not create this problem. We are suffering right along side of all the other taxpayers – and by the way I PAY taxes too. We UNDERSTAND and offered $100 million in concessions in the last contracts that were negotiated but that the legislature stopped from going through. Walker bought one person's vote and that person prevented our 2009 – 2011 contracts from being ratified. Now we are in this fight because the Republicans want the unions gone… we won't go quietly… We will fight for all workers' rights – whether they agree with us or not.
Thank you for your support… keep up the good work…