32 Thoughts to “Crisis in Dairyland: Revenge of the Curds–Jon Stewart Returns!”

  1. Elena
    February 22, 2011 at 9:57 am

    I need a Jon Stewart fix to put life into perspective, from both sides of the arguement, he never fails to make almost everyone look a little foolish.

  2. Moon-howler
    February 22, 2011 at 11:12 am

    I needed a Jon Stewart fix also. This segment is hilarious and yes, he does make everyone look a little foolish, including himself.

    He actually manages to sift through all the BS and get to the heart of the matter. He literally strips the political rhetoric away like a banana peel.

    People who don’t watch are missing a good laugh.

  3. marinm
    February 22, 2011 at 11:29 am

    That was amusing. I liked the video clip.

  4. Moon-howler
    February 22, 2011 at 11:57 am

    One of the good things that has happened out of the Crisis in Dairyland is that I think all of us have learned more about public employees and unions. I know I have and I know some of our readers have learned that things are quite different in the Old Dominion.

    I don’t dislike collective bargaining. I dislike closed shop. My NJ grandmother died a number of years ago. I was fairly young. I do remember that she died during holy week when the grave diggers were on strike. Now….how do you bury someone? I was too young to recall how it was resolved but it was a real problem at the time.

    I believe in my perfect world, I would like to see collective bargaining for everyone in a right to work state. I don’t know how that would work. It probably wouldn’t. Perhaps then, unions would have to please their membership more. I know, I am dreaming.

    However, back to what Juturna said, people being treated fairly do not need unions.

  5. Elena
    February 22, 2011 at 12:10 pm

    were the pensions invested in the stock market, is that part of the problem here?

  6. Elena
    February 22, 2011 at 12:11 pm

    I also don’t like the idea of being forced to join any organization, even a union.

  7. marinm
    February 22, 2011 at 1:01 pm

    I’m ok with collective bargaining of a union with a private corporation. They can do what they please and collude against consumers all they want. As a consumer of course I can choose to not do business with them.

    I don’t support it on the public side. I’ve never heard of a public union advocate for less taxes or to give back benefits without doing so as a labor concession. Public unions don’t have me (the taxpayer) at heart.

    Elena, one step further. Imagine being forced to join and then having the dues collected from your paycheck as a condition of employment..

  8. Moon-howler
    February 22, 2011 at 1:21 pm

    Elena, re pensions everyone’s were invested in the stock market. Many pensions invest in hedgefunds which are not very regulated. Mutual funds are regulated out the ying yang. Hedge funds, not so much.

    That is only part of the problem. In some states the pension terms of agreement including paying for health care for many years. All pensions are not equal. Each has its own unique attributes.

  9. Moon-howler
    February 22, 2011 at 1:33 pm

    marin, remember our conversation about winos being taxpayers? You are not unique and those very people are also taxpayers. You are giving the impression that you think you are more of a taxpayer than they are. Public servants are taxpayers who might have a different point of view.

    Many public servants negotiate better working conditions, safety, class size, etc.

    I support collective bargaining for public and private employees. However, I don’t like closed shop.

  10. marinm
    February 22, 2011 at 2:00 pm

    ..and that wino has every right to vote (assuming he’s not a felon) for or against a candidate. It appears that WI voted for ‘change’.

    Public service unions are “too big to fail”. Since the government can’t fail – they can’t. If the UAW screws over GM and GM decides they’re “done” they can close shop and open a facility in South Carolina or Georgia. The State can’t do the same.

    Remember our conversation about military not being able to unionize? Same goes across all government. If I’m forced to interact with government then they should be working on and for my best interest – not theirs (the union).

  11. Moon-howler
    February 22, 2011 at 2:30 pm

    collective bargaining

    http://www.nctq.org/tr3/scope/

  12. Moon-howler
    February 22, 2011 at 2:35 pm

    The United States voted for change in 2008. You didn’t like the result too much and did everything you could do legally to change the course. How are they different from you?

    And they should be working on and for my best interest. It seems that our best interest is on a collision course. My best interest is served by public employees who are well compensated for their efforts.

    Somehow I always get the impression that you, in your own mind, don’t co-exist with others who might think diametrically opposite of you.

    Is that my new motto? Winos are taxpayers also? I expect a lot of them vote also.

    The end result of our voting should not be winner takes all. This country was founded on compromise. Give a little/get a little.

  13. Moon-howler
    February 22, 2011 at 2:37 pm

    Map of right to work states:

    http://www.nrtw.org/rtws.htm

  14. marinm
    February 22, 2011 at 2:56 pm

    @Moon-howler

    MH, the difference of course is that I never violated an oath or contract to voice my disagreement with the elected administration.

    While in uniform I would salute the POTUS. Out of it I think he’s a tool and will voice it. *(sometimes he does get things right and I do give credit but it’s rare – that he does something right)

    I have no problem with these looters petitioning the government but I’d rather them do it on their own time and dime. Not on mine or their fellow taxpayers.

    You can’t compromise, negotiate or even debate when the other team picks up their things and leave the field.

    Governance is about prioritizing. I bet education still gets the lions share of WI state money but they want more. More. And more. The turnip is now dry and those vampires have sucked out everything they could. Enough’s enough.

    1. Moon-howler
      February 22, 2011 at 3:36 pm

      ok, I am not sure who you are talking about, Marin. Looters and vampires? How about some pirates. What oaths are they taking? Ever had a public servant contract? I don’t think that there are restrictions on it. If you are talking about the sick out, actually, you don’t know who was called out sick and who didn’t. You are broad brushing a whole bunch of people. As for the doctor notes, all the directive said was to bring a doctors note. It said nothing about examination, tests etc. It would never stand up in court. Most people do not have to tell their employer why they were out. Confidentiality and all. I have refused. My husband on the other hand, used to sing like a bird to his employers. TMI in most cases.

      Please back up your comments with facts. The Wisconsin folks aren’t taking anything from you or the Virginia wino taxpayers that I can see.

      Many of us prefer an educated population. I expect those fine Badgers expect the same. You have done nothing to convince me that this is not a war on public servants.

  15. marinm
    February 22, 2011 at 3:50 pm

    @Moon-howler

    I’m not going to convince you. You’ve made up your mind and I’m ok with that. My hope is that the people of WI see what is happening on those streets, that they see how those public employees have it REALLY good and still want more, that they are the ones pushing for higher taxes and larger revenue shares, that those unions don’t act to the benefit of the people of WI but to enrich themselves. I think people are seeing that. I think people realize that the gravy train is over.

    Looters and vampires in #14 are the public unions.

    They have a job – to teach – they should be in a classroom doing that job. I can’t make it more simple. If they want to act on their 1A right – bless them – but do it after hours.

  16. marinm
    February 22, 2011 at 3:55 pm

    I appologize. I should mention that when I say “looters” I don’t mean to say that the rebels are looting WI and that the city is burning but rather that they are “”an apocalyptic vision of the last stages of conflict between two classes of humanity- the looters and the non-looters. The looters are proponents of high taxation, big labor, government ownership, government spending, government planning, regulation, and redistribution.”

    I’m sorry, I made an Atlas Shrugged reference and failed to note it and thus could see confusion if taken the wrong way.

  17. Censored bybvbl
    February 22, 2011 at 4:21 pm

    Marinm, I hope you’re a night owl and not blogging on your employer’s time and dime. If you are blogging from work, I hope we taxpayers aren’t subsidizing you. We wouldn’t be getting our money’s worth.

  18. marinm
    February 22, 2011 at 4:33 pm

    Censored, trust me. You are getting your monies worth out of me. I keep telling my boss I need a union to not crush me with all the work he gives me. 😉

    I’m actively fighting being Civilianized so I can keep working and not be asleep at work.

  19. Moon-howler
    February 22, 2011 at 4:41 pm

    Pride goeth before a fall, marin.

    I am sure those teachers you are so critical of think they are doing a bang up job also. You are aware that not all the teachers are out there, aren’t you? Are you as distainful of those who aren’t there?

    You know, sometimes people do what they have to do. Ordinarily I believe people should have a good work ethic. However, these folks are getting ready to lose every bit of power they have. Therefore, they do what they have to do.

    If they were out on strike would you feel better about them:? They wouldn’t be getting paid but Little Johnny wouldn'[t be getting taught either.

  20. Emma
    February 22, 2011 at 4:52 pm

    I’m at a loss as to why public employees deserve any more power than private employees. I also see many public workers in WI don’t give a damn about what is happening in the rest of the country, as long as they get theirs. The President told us we all had to make sacrifices. He told Feds to endure a 2-year pay freeze, and Congress wants to extend it to 5. But for some reason Wisconsin public workers are special? I don’t get it. There are plenty of police, firefighters, nurses and educators who also happen to be feds, too, and the ones I know have no collective-bargaining ability. What about them? The administration’s blind hypocrisy here is sickening, and really only shows how in bed our president is with the unions that funded him.

  21. marinm
    February 22, 2011 at 4:56 pm

    I have no issue with the fine teachers that are at work or trying to work through this strike.

    I think as a joke I might put a few Union ballots on my coworkers desks.. CyberWarriors local 403 has a nice ring to it.

  22. Emma
    February 22, 2011 at 7:09 pm

    Has anyone ever had real Wisconsin cheese curds?

    “Enjoy deep-fried or fresh and squeaky!”

  23. Emma
    February 22, 2011 at 7:09 pm

    I prefer deep-fried, with dipping sauce–and a defibrillator on the side.

  24. Moon-howler
    February 22, 2011 at 8:06 pm

    I don’t think they want more Emma. They just want to keep what they have. Collective bargaining has been a part of the WI work force for years.

    Why do YOU want them to give up $$ and lose their bargaining rights? That makes no sense. You are expecting the PEPs to roll over and play dead.

    @Emma

  25. Moon-howler
    February 22, 2011 at 8:07 pm

    @Marin, Some of them couldn’t work through the strike. In some cases, the facility was closed.

  26. marinm
    February 22, 2011 at 8:27 pm

    Walker is talking about upto 10K layoffs if an agreement isn’t passed. This will get very serious for some people – very quick.

  27. Moon-howler
    February 22, 2011 at 11:30 pm

    @marin, he is posturing. Its all a part of the political theater.

    I call that blinking. When does their fiscal year begin? That should be when the lay off start.

  28. marinm
    February 23, 2011 at 12:04 pm

    Walker and the GOP-led Legislature have at most three days to pass the bill and have it signed into law before a key part of the proposal is lost. A refinancing of state debt that would free up $165 million must be done by Saturday or it will fall through and Republicans will have to find more cuts to balance the budget.

    On Tuesday, Walker warned that his administration would start sending out layoff notices to state workers by early next week if the budget repair bill is not passed in time. He said 1,500 or more state workers could be laid off by June, and up to 6,000 more could be laid off after that along with an additional up to 6,000 local workers.

    http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/116721479.html

    1. Moon-howler
      February 23, 2011 at 1:11 pm

      I guess then the state workers are getting unfari treatment since some fo the union members are local employees.

      Maybe Walker should take the pension and health care concessions, balance his budget and move on.

      While he is at it, he needs to review how collective bargaining works.

  29. hello
    February 23, 2011 at 2:02 pm

    Where is PETA? The Daily Show involved in animal cruelty trying to some how have a camel walk around in WI in the snow and ice. Effing morons…

    http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/video-daily-show-tortures-camel-madison_552378.html

  30. Moon-howler
    February 24, 2011 at 12:22 am

    You Lie, do you ever have anything productive to say? EVER? Is it always just the playground sucker punch?

    I am going to be far less tolerant tomorrow. Either join the discussion or just don’t come here. Today I was distracted. Tomorrow, it isn’t going to go quite as well for you. Remember the sandbox you hate?????

Comments are closed.