Newly elected Governor Scott Walker has a huge problem on his hands. Many in his state are in rebellion against him over what are seen as draconian cuts to public employees. He also has attempted to neuter unions’ power trying to restrict collective bargaining.
President Obama has thrust himself into Wisconsin’s boiling budget controversy:
Obama accused Scott Walker, the state’s new Republican governor, of unleashing an “assault” on unions in pushing emergency legislation that would nullify collective-bargaining agreements that affect most public employees, including teachers.
The president’s political machine worked in close coordination Thursday with state and national union officials to mobilize thousands of protesters to gather in Madison and to plan similar demonstrations in other state capitals.
Speaker of the House John Boehner rebuked President Obama for criticizing the governor. Additional demonstrations are popping up in Indiana and Ohio, where similar efforts are underway to curb union power.
Under Walker’s plan, most public workers – excluding police, firefighters and state troopers – would have to pay half of their pension costs and at least 12 percent of their health-care costs. They would lose bargaining rights for anything other than pay. Walker, who took office last month, says the emergency measure is needed to save $300 million over the next two years to help close a $3.6 billion budget gap.
To add fuel to the fire, Democratic senators have sequestered themselves away in an undisclosed location to keep a quorum from forming. Republicans and bloggers are calling them cowards while those supporting the unions and public employees are cheering them on. By not showing up, the Democrats were able to block legislation that would cut paychecks and take a huge chunk out of union rights.
Some of those interviewed said they were willing to negotiate pay but they were not willing to give up any union rights, especially those dealing with collective bargaining. Public employees would have to pay a larger share of their retirement and also their health care. In some cases, a married couple, both who were teachers, figured that they would lose $1200 a month. The average teacher pay in Wisconsin is about $48,000.
Stay tuned. This situation isn’t over and it is spreading.
@Moon-howler
“It sounds to me like you want to put those public employees under some sort of military job structure?”
Not at all. I’m saying that there is a tradeoff for government service. If you go into government service you should not be able to unionize plain and simple.
“I will laugh like hell if they fire them all and have to shut the school system down.”
I think you put out the ultimatum – report back for duty or be fired. You give the teachers or any other strikers the choice. If they report they keep their jobs and if they don’t they forfeit them and the district will need to replace those dissidents. BTW, school systems are already shutting down because those teachers are taking the screw to their own students – laughing about that part as well?
The senators did run. I think the governor is prepared to let this play out as long as he needs it to. Those striking teachers – some drawing pay and some not – will eventually run out of money, time, and paitence. At the end of this the -R’s that got voted in have enough votes to make this happen. Thats the simple math. Time is on the side of the union busters not with the unions. As time passes and parents STILL have to make arrangements because a teacher is ‘sick’ (but on tv with a sign denouncing WI as the next Germany) the union will lose further support.
The end game is that this union is busted and the taxpayers win.
It’s your money. You can invest it or give it as you see fit.
The governor knows he cannot replace all those teachers. If he fires the teachers he has to fire the other workers. Yes, I will laugh. He cannot replace them. He will shut down the schools. Sometimes people have to do things that are the lesser of the evils.
I see no reason why public employees cannot be in unions. They are as entitled as the next guy. It is just a war on public employees. I have listened for the past year. I know the sentiment. Its union busting, and wanting something for nothing. The more I hear, the more I believe in what these people are doing.
I contend the Democrat senators and the 1 Republican pulled off political manuever. They did what they thought they had to do.
And my tongue will fall off if I don’t say, after the shouting, whining, bitching, moaning and groaning that has been going on since President Obama took office, all bets are off. And in the end(2008), the D’s got the most votes…and that is what started it all off.
As for parents having to make arrangements because the teacher is sick, tough crap! The school isn’t a baby sitting service, regardless of what many parents think. What do they do on snow days? Blame God?
I think a lot of people have had their eyes opened. All the people I know who are supporting them had no idea because we aren’t an open shop state. There is a lot of sympathy out there. And finally, so what. What we think in Virginia doesn’t matter. What matters is what the Wisconsin folks think. Its a big union state.
marin, you still won’t admit that all these people are ‘taxpayers’ also. Remember, bums on the street are taxpayers if they buy a bottle of cheap wine. Taxpayer /taxpayer Everyone is a taxpayer. I think the PEPs will prevail. PePs are taxpayers also. (Public Employee Patriots)
And no, once you are taxed you are no longer the owner of that money. I don’t like to pay taxes either, but….if I got a line item veto, I would make sure that no General got to live with a huge housing allowance, and I would give elisted military a big raise. Then I would make sure that public employees got a decent raise here in Prince Bill Bob County.
My taxpayer dollars are just as good as anyone elses.
Let’s stipulate for a moment that FDR was the most union-friendly President ever to grace the Oval Office.
Now, go read what he had to say about public-sector unions: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/02/19/the_ghost_of_fdr_is_smiling_on_wisconsins_governor_108962.html
@Cato,
And that article re FDR wouldn’t be right leaning?
Where did it say that being a public servant required a willingness to be a martyr?
When people need government – police services, fire services, social services they can’t get enough of it and the expectation is sky high. At low bid.
– the expecation is not never losing a job – the expectation is that a lower lifetime earnings is accepted for better benefits. Consider it long term planning. Now everyone else is jealous.
Just as so many people were cheering the man on the street in Egypt, they’ll cheer the average Joe here ( the teachers) against the powerful (the Guv who gave away their surplus). Power to the people!
I’ve never been a closed shop advocate ( ask my spouse), but the teachers have my support.
Censored, I never have been one either. And ask my spouse also.
@Moon-howler
It clearly is. However, that doesn’t change the fact that no less than FDR himself felt public-sector unions were a bad idea. He was very clear and quite vocal about it, too.
It wasn’t just FDR, it was labor leaders like George Meany as well.
@Moon-howler
I dug up the original letter, you can read it here: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=15445
It’s a letter from Roosevelt to one of the labor leaders.
@Moon-howler
The taxpayers – all of them – through their elected leaders have a voice. I say lets bring the renegades back from Chicago and get some civil debate and take a vote. If the People aren’t happy with that vote they can change it on the next election cycle.
Can you imagine the hue if the -R at a Congressional level did this to thwart healthcare reform?
“As for parents having to make arrangements because the teacher is sick, tough crap! The school isn’t a baby sitting service, regardless of what many parents think. What do they do on snow days? Blame God?”
I simply want people that took an oath to follow that oath. If a teacher draws a public paycheck for the work of providing an education to a student — call me silly – but I’d like for them to show up and DO that work. Or, quit and petition during a school day. You’re right. It’s not a baby service – it’s a job that the people of Wisconsin pay for and I think it stretches the imagination that the parents of children that can’t goto school are sitting back thinking…good on those teachers for not showing up to do thier jobs. Call me crazy but I don’t think the public support you think exist, does.
@Cato, nice link. 🙂
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0211/49817.html
Notice has been given to the AFGE to expect furloughs.
Moon,
“If what you say is true about how much money they make, then their voices ought to count for more since they obviously are paying more taxes than the average joe.”
Sooo….the people that pay more in taxes should have their voices count for more?
Really?
The “wealthy” thank you.
@Cargo, you missed by sarcasm button sign about who paid more taxes.
Actually, the wealthy do quite well for themselves and their voices do count for more. I have never doubted that for a minute.
@Cato, Meany just didn’t like the competition.
@marin, the PePs are willing to debate civilly. They have already said they are willing to negotiate benefits. They have drawn their line in the sand over collective bargaining. As a Virginian who can’t, I don’t blame them.
@marin, I would agree with you if the government would wait until after hours to do business. Just because employees are a captive audience shouldn’t knock them out of their 1A rights.
So how do we do this then? Do you accept that some can’t go to work because they schools have been closed? How do we reconcile that?
@Moon-howler
I don’t think the PeP moniker will stick. That’s a lot of spin that I don’t think people are buying.. Keep in mind that with 9% national unemployment (not factoring in ‘true’ unemployment but that’s another discussion) there is little sympathy from the people about some workers with cushy government jobs not getting everything they want, getting to keep their jobs, getting almost free healthcare, etc. The sympathy, if any, is coming from fellow union members in other states that are simply scared to death of what is happening in WI and will happen in OH.
If they want collective bargaining they should go into the private market and see how that works out for them.
“So how do we do this then? Do you accept that some can’t go to work because they schools have been closed? How do we reconcile that?” I don’t really get this question but I’ll say that the teachers will fold much faster than the governor will. He’s got all the cards right now. If I was the governor I’d roll the dice and let it ride. C3P0 would say the odds are in his favor.
@Marin, I don’t have that wide of an audience. It might stick here on this blog though. Now tell me why you get to stand in judgement of their patriotism? Do you feel that the Tea Party people are bigger patriots?
Why is that? Is it because they say so? fifes and drums? folded up copies of the Constitution in their back pockets?
Why should they go to the private sector for collective bargaining? There has been collective bargaining in the public sector for decades. It started right there near Madison, Wisconsin.
The sympathy is coming from people all over the United States who heretofore never really realized what they were up against or understood collective bargaining.
Actually, if the governor was holding all the cards, they wouldn’t be out there, now would they? He is being seen as a union buster. He might win the battle but he might lose the war. No one likes a bully.
Actually, many of the folks I have talked to have never belonged to a union and most of them have never lived in a closed shop state. They aren’t even union sympathizers.
The one thing I can always count on when the radical right gets in office. They always get a full head of steam and overdo it, making my peeps, the murky middle, furious. Then they get voted out of office. Marin, bet you just hob knob with fellow libertarian govt. haters. Murky Middle folks are discounted because they aren’t ideologues. The surprise comes at the ballot box. Remember that guy named Obama?
@Moon-howler
“I don’t have that wide of an audience. It might stick here on this blog though. Now tell me why you get to stand in judgement of their patriotism? Do you feel that the Tea Party people are bigger patriots?”
Maybe, but I doubt it. I think it’s a harder case to support a teacher that simply walks out on his obligation to teach and then protest for his employment – his paycheck – rather than teach the next generation. If mommy and daddy are unemployed and now they can’t send their kids to school because the school is closed down because the teachers refuse to work – that doesn’t get a lot of sympathy.
I don’t think that the TEA party people are ‘bigger’ patriots than the rebellious teachers. They all have a right to be heard. Today will be a good day for pro-rebellion forces as it’s a furlough day for state employees. Why CNN is focusing on the ME civil unrest rather than what’s happening in Madison is beyond me. Maybe FOX will have better coverage.
“It started right there near Madison, Wisconsin.”
Soon the circle will be complete. Where it was born it will die. We will have balance again.
“Actually, if the governor was holding all the cards, they wouldn’t be out there, now would they? He is being seen as a union buster. He might win the battle but he might lose the war. No one likes a bully. ”
They as in the protesters? I think it plays into the Governor’s hand. He gets free publicity that shows who the union members have in mind – the union. Not the children.
Additionally, while the Democrat senators sit in Chicago the Republicans can’t pass spending bills but they can pass other legislation………………….. oops. Constituents aren’t being heard because their representatives in the legislature won’t show up for work.
“The surprise comes at the ballot box.”
It did. Gov. Walker was elected and he’s trying to bring ‘change’. If the electorate doesn’t like it – they’ll vote him out. Obama was probably the best thing that could happen to this country as it crystallized the idea that someone FAR left is dangerous and that we need to fix what he’s done. We’ve been writing checks for a long time and now those checks are coming due.
Think what you want. And if you think Obama is far left, you have a great deal to learn politically.
Part of the problem here is the smugness. The governor is also incapable of convincing most people that he isn’t trying to union bust. Today on TV he just said that the reason he exempted the firefighters and cops from the losing collective bargaining is that he didn’t want a disruption of service. Isn’t that the same as saying he fears them and values them more than he does the teachers of Wisconsin?
And if Mommy and Daddy are home unemployed they should have no problem carrying for their children. I don’t want to hear the teachers or those against them bringing kids into this. Right now it isn’t about kids. As for the sick outs, that is a union tactic. I really don’t give a crap if it is used by teachers, nurses, steel workers or coal miners. It is a tactic. nothing more, nothing less, and it isn’t the first time it has been used. Too bad people are acting like apes discovering fire over it. I who know little about how unions work know a sick out when I see it.
Isn’t that the same as saying he fears them and values them more than he does the teachers of Wisconsin?
Actually, since cops and firefighters going on strik…um, staying home sick, could have an impact on the actual survivability of voters, yeah….keeping them satisfied is more important. Real world politics.
Just because its a union tactic, this means its ok to use? If I did that with a fake note, I’d be fired. Lets have a level playing field. If they show up without a note, if required, or evidence arises that they were at the strike, fire them. Either they are on strike or they are not. This “sick out” is dishonest. Why should unionized workers be allowed to lie about being sick without penalty? If they want to strike to protest, then they need to use that right to strike.
In the mean time, I’d be talking with other parents about a class action lawsuit against the union, the school system, and the teachers.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2011/02/on_wisconsin.html
This anonymous comment from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s excellent Web site makes the point far better than I ever could:
Go back to work, teachers. Your union has already sold you down the river. They have agreed to the givebacks that affect YOUR paychecks, while using you to fight against the parts that will affect THEIRS. Did you get to vote before they gave away your benefits? What patsies you all are.
Beautiful. Keep it up Walker. Hold the line.
Arrgghhh–response got eaten by system.
@Cargo, Let me rephrase…both union tactics and political tactics are in play now, including attaching the bill to some other bill that doesn’t require a quorum. It is union busting.
It won’t last, even if they are successful. This is all political and it won’t create jobs. Who wants to go to Wisconsin. Geez.
As for the sick out being dishonest….so is calling in sick any time you aren’t. The work place often creates rules that force people to lie. I won’t condemn them. Are they working it real smart? Probably not. Is the governor being real smart? Probably not.
How do you check all those sick notes? Some will get caught and some won’t. So you get docked a day.
You would be told you don’t have a valid lawsuit.
I grow weary. My new plan is to have him fire all the teachers and try to replace them, find out he can’t and close the schools. Then the other states would try to do the same thing…the R states. They will get voted out of office next time. Oh well. Thats just how politics go.
Marin, have you ever lived around any union workers or had friends who were union in a state with collective bargaining? it doesn’t sound like it.
Their unions didn’t sell them out. The most important thing is to keep the collective bargaining. That is the keys to the church. Sometimes you have to take less money.
And for the 10th time, this isn’t just teachers. Teachers probably make up the biggest proportion of people, that’s all. All different industries are represented.
Marin said:
I guess you are in obnoxious mode today? Bring it on.
Teacher guilt simply doesn’t get to me. That same teacher you are speaking of about the next generation could also have bronchitis for 3 weeks. School could close for a week because of snow and ice. Who are we going to guilt now.
Regardless of what some of you think, teachers are not the martyrs you think they are. They have every right to be employeed at the best wages possible.
Funny, no one has said jack about the wicked doctors and nurses who are there. Gasp!!! Someone might be sick!!! They could be tending the sick the rotten bastards.
Firefighters! get back to work. Someone’s house could catch fire.
You know, if the teachers’ work (or anyone elses) was so highly valued, then they wouldn’t have to go do a sick out and demonstrate on the legislature. Obviously they are not valued people do screw it! Who cares. Give them a computer and let them learn for a week or however long this takes.
@Moon-howler
I don’t sense that I’m being more obnoxious than normal. I have the day off, been watching FoxNEWS between errands and have a smile from ear to ear over what’s happening in WI but other than that – I’m writing the same stuff I would any other day.
Personally, I don’t want to go beyond the teacher protest. Sure I could talk about how these doctors need to lose their licenses or how foreign countries are sending money and pizza orders to show ‘solidarity’ against “the establishment” but I think it’s best to focus on that one lil’ smelly truth we have here. That public unions are strangling the lifeblood of this nation.
“And for the 10th time, this isn’t just teachers. Teachers probably make up the biggest proportion of people, that’s all. All different industries are represented.”
I don’t disagree. If we can win this battle and break their backs — we win. All the others will fold. It’ll be a domino effect. Listen to Maddow.
If a firefighter or cop is scheduled for duty and they’ve called in sick in order to protest… Fire them too.
Lessons learned from the Wisconsin demonstrations:
It is OK to refer to a Tea Party Governor as “Hitler” or “Hosni Mubarak”, and to hold up signs saying so, but it is the absolute HEIGHT of incivility to refer to any Democrat as such.
When workers pay dues to powerful unions who tend to donate to Democratic Party causes, the President will swoop down and support them, conveniently forgetting that he just threw Federal employees under the bus with a wage freeze and a potential furlough.
State workers in a heavily Democratic city such as Madison are entitled to free healthcare on someone else’s dime. It’s the above-mentioned Feds who need to share the pain by paying for a substantial portion for their premiums.
When Tea Party activists demonstrate on the Capitol grounds, they are a potential threat to public safety and democracy. When anti-Tea Party mobs descend on a state capitol and refuse to leave until they get their way, well, the crickets are chirping.
It’s ok to lie to your employer about why you were absent, when you were actually camping out in the Capitol building and probably caught on national TV.
If you’re an elected representative, even the media will cheer you one when you completely abdicate your duties and leave the state to avoid doing your damned job by debating and voting on a difficult issue.
I’m still studying. There is much to learn.
Maybe some people should think about taking a few classes at the National Institute of Civil Discourse at the Univ. of Arizona?
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0211/The_Wisconsin_nuclear_option.html
Updated to reflect that for now the nuke option is off the table.
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/02/21/general-us-wisconsin-budget-unions_8318634.html
Plagiarist!
@Emma, Tea Party mobs are there along with Public Employee mobs. I guess you separate them by looking at the signs. There are outsiders from all over there. I am watching Fox. I figure if they have any chance at all, they will show some Public Employ Patriots doing something crappy. So far I haven’t seen anything crappy being done. Just high political drama on all sides.
I have seen only a couple Hitler signs. No Mubarek signs yet.
As for the dangers….If it were up to me, I would put up a perimeter around the state house but that’s just me….for all groups.
As for doing a sick out…that’s their business…between them and their employer. They risk getting docked. Only they can decide if it is worth it. Sick outs are just a union tool. I cast no judgement one way or the other on it. I suppose people do what they have to do. If they get busted over it, I hope they don’t whine.
I don’t think that Pres. Obama threw the federal workers under the bus. I think a salary freeze is fair. How about the bocs here in PWC? Did they throw their workers under the bus also? Perhaps the PWC employees have more to grouse about than the federal workers. They are going on 3 years without a raise.
Have I left anything out? I don’t think you can really compare the TP people at the capital to the demonstration at the state house. However, if anyone either place has a threatening sign involving killing anyone, then I will criticize.
marin, at least you are admitting Governor Walker is a union buster. That is what he is trying to do. I don’t blame those members for fighting back.
Union is a state of mind also. As a Virginian, I am used to unions having no teeth or other parts. It isn’t part of my state of mind. However, Wisconsin is a strong union state. They know what they are fighting for. Me? I wouldn’t know the difference.
Why would they want to give up power? Why would they want to be like Virginia? Why would the teachers want WIEA to be like VEA?
I screwed up the quote box…sorry about that!!!
BTW, interesting video. Granted the source makes it biased but take a look.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71gsnLfsbbM
@Moon-howler
My opinion on him being a union buster is my opinion. His intent may be pure but in the end I don’t care as long as the unions back is broken. I see no reason to hide that opinion (mine).
“Why would they want to give up power? Why would they want to be like Virginia? Why would the teachers want WIEA to be like VEA?”
They don’t. That’s why they’re fighting like mad to change the direction of the legislature and concede as much as they can outside of collective bargaining. They’re on the ropes and they are getting drummed up but good.
In my view, don’t let up. Don’t relent. Go for the final blow.
NY has seen what’s going on and the union just agreed to a 1Y pay freeze including some job cuts to avoid much deeper cuts.
I think it was criminal for the legislators to leave the state to avoid voting. What rank cowardice and a huge abdication of their duties. They should be recalled and new elections held.
@Emma, breaking a quorum is an age old political trick which has been done by all parties, probably for 300 years in this country. I think union busting for political purpose is criminal. I guess we will be at cross purposes on this one.
WI Senate Republicans are bringing up a Voter ID bill (mandating showing an ID to vote) that is very unpopular with Democrats to taunt them back into WI. As it’s not a spending bill they have quorum to pass it without -D’s present and also to vote on appointees.
So, my guess is they’ll pass this legislation (Voter ID) to show how the -D’s have failed to represent their constituents.
Apparently they said it was a done deal anyway. re voter ID bill. Not all D’s hate that. I can’t imagine who would be pissed off over having to show an ID. (other than people who have something to hide)
Most D’s have the sense to prioritize what’s important and what isn’t as important. Oddly enough, I don’t think Democrats are as big of ideologues as R’s and L’s.
It sounds like they have triaged the situation fairly well.
M.H., It’s not really about showing an ID, It’s about the hoops they will have to jump through to register for 1st time voters. Oddly enough according to polls Democrats spend a lot of time helping new voters get registered and as a reward the new young voters tend to vote Democrat. This is clearly not something the Republicans are real fond of.
The Unions have just agreed to the financial parts of the bill, and only object to the inability to bargain. But the Governor will not agree. This was a budget problem…right?
@Bear. Right. NOT. Walker refuses to give in on the collective bargaining. I looked at some of their salary schedules up there. They really don’t make much. Yet they are giving it up. They do have good benefits, better than here. However, they need them. Starting pay is $11k less than PWC. I just looked up both places–Middleton, WI which is near Madison and PWC.
I realize we are in an expensive area and that cost of living might be different but geez, 11k? that is astronomical. Starting pay is about 2200 more here than in the Richmond suburbs.
Now I am really on their side. They are closing in on the poverty level here.
Bear, yup. I’m interested to see if they also use the gun issue to force dems back to the Senate. WI is one of two no-carry states. With dems out of state it’d be really easy to create a non-spending law that’ll allow open and concealed carry to free the citizens of WI from the bonds of anti-2A laws.
And, we haven’t even brought up abortion……… Lots of things these guys can pass without challange. The ideas are endless. 🙂
Right now, the only important thing to those people is keeping their collective bargaining.
Walker really is a weasel. Zero respect. He wants to destroy all unions. Today public servants. Tomorrow, all unions.
I am not even a big union supporter. This is outrageous.
Notice who is getting the break…Wall Street. So now we kick the little people out there just trying to make a dime.
If people are being treated fairly, there is no reason for a union.
…or for the Department of Labor.
“Most D’s have the sense to prioritize what’s important and what isn’t as important. Oddly enough, I don’t think Democrats are as big of ideologues as R’s and L’s.”
Really? You really believe that, after seeing the politics of the last 10 years? Notice, I’m not saying that the others are less than the Dems, but that the Dems are the SAME as the others.
@Cargo, the fact that there isn’t a democratic equivalent of RINO sort of bears that out.
Lots of people vote D without the ideology. The D’s have an umbrella that makes for strange bedfellows. Think about it.
“If people are being treated fairly, there is no reason for a union.”
Except for the union’s desire for more and more political power. That’s why they want to get rid of the secret ballot for deciding to unionize. That’s why the unions want to penalize the non-union car manufacturers. That’s why UPS wants to penalize FedEx. They want to force those companies to unionize. Why else would the unions object to “right to work.”
Union busting is ALWAYS about political power. First the companies or the gov’t have the power. Then politically connected unions run things. Then comes union busting. And when the gov’t or companies start being stupid, unions will regain superiority.
Its not just about the unions losing the collective bargaining on benefits. Its also about Wisconsin becoming a right to work state, unions having to actually collect dues instead of automatic withdrawal, like taxes. And the members having to vote every year to decide if they want to stay a union. Among other things.
Apparently, the unions have ticked enough people off that the GOP was able to get a plurality and get elected in a “union” state. Walker has the plurality according to Rasmussen. 48% for Walker. 38% for the union. 14% undecided.
Just another tactic, right?
Rassmussen always polls more conservatively. Its the way they frame their questions. And who are we polling? National? Only union states? Makes a big difference/
I don’t think the unions have ticked off the GOP. I think their existence causes them a problem because unions are generally democratic. Get rid of a union, you get rid of a lot of D support and lots and lots of money. There is a GOP side to this also….They have their peeps too.
In Scott Walker’s defense, he made campaign promises and is fulfilling them. He is doing exactly what his voters elected him to do.
I have no clue what he promised to do. Did he say he was going to break the public service unions?
Ha. You must not talk to many hard-core progressives. My friends who are of that stripe are constantly railing against DINOs, but the proper slur for them is “conservadem.”
@Cato, I try to stay away from hard core progressives. Some of them can be real PITAS also. I guess I forgot about DINO I hear it so rarely. I mostly hang out with my own kind.
I think his track record was clear. I haven’t researched if he had made it a campaign pledge or not as I’m only really interested in what he’s doing today.
My FB stream is full of my progressive friends weeping for the union. Things are looking good! 🙂
@Moon-howler
To many hard core progressives, YOU are the DINO. Also, Blue Dogs are considered DINOs by some.
@Cargo,
I am an Independent. Hard to be a DINO without the D.
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/two-thirds-wisconsin-public-school-8th-g
If this is true, what should be done? All that money for nothing. Spending per pupil went up to over $10,000 by 2008. Is all that money going to pupil education or does it mean that the teachers, etc got more money? High admin costs are the death of any efficient system.
“In the National Assessment of Educational Progress tests administered by the U.S. Department of Education in 2009—the latest year available—only 32 percent of Wisconsin public-school eighth graders earned a “proficient” rating while another 2 percent earned an “advanced” rating. The other 66 percent of Wisconsin public-school eighth graders earned ratings below “proficient,” including 44 percent who earned a rating of “basic” and 22 percent who earned a rating of “below basic.””
That independence is what bothers them…..
What bothers who?
OK, re assessment tests. I think that is right wing blow back over the Wisconsin situation.
Here is what I would ask if I wanted to blow holes in the argument: Compare the type of open/closed shop of neighboring states in the midwest. Then I would compare the test scores at the same grade level. I seriously doubt that anyone would see much difference. If that is the test I think it is, then it scores low anyway. It isn’t taken by everyone. Students are selected randomly.
I doubt that Wisconsin kids do much better or much worse than any other kids. Test score results are heavily tied to poverty/minority/non English speaking/ special education . That’s what you look at.
I expect all the neighboring states are also closed shop states. Hmmm..I should check that out.
@Moon-howler
I think that you’re right. According to the link, most of the scores are similar. The question is, why pay so much if the scores don’t improve with more money thrown at them?
What do you mean why pay so much? You have to pay for buses, you have to pay for sped accommodations, smaller classes, aids, salaries for everyone. Part of your problem is federal mandates like NCLB.
Much of what is paid out is simply not an option.