GREAT NEWS! - 1500 Jobs Saved in WI!

[Mags]

On Friday morning, Walker directed two state agencies to rescind layoff notices because the Legislature had passed the bill.

Walker sent his directive to the state Department of Administration and the office of State Employment Relations.

In his directive, Walker issued a statement:

"The Legislature helped us save 1,500 middle-class jobs by moving forward this week with the budget repair. The state will now be able to realize $30 million in savings to balance the budget and allow 1,500 state employees to keep their jobs. The reforms contained in this legislation, which require modest health care and pension contributions from all public employees, will help put Wisconsin on a path to fiscal sustainability.


Folks, this is much better than the alternative - losing 1500 jobs out of the public sector..... This is one of the huge positives out of passing the bill that hasn't gotten nearly as much press as it should....

It is depressing that the unions would have rather seen 1500 folks be laid off, instead of keeping their political action committee going (some call it a union, most see it as a PAC)....

GREAT day for WI and middle class familiies!

 

[StevieD]

On Friday morning, Walker directed two state agencies to rescind layoff notices because the Legislature had passed the bill.

Walker sent his directive to the state Department of Administration and the office of State Employment Relations.

In his directive, Walker issued a statement:

"The Legislature helped us save 1,500 middle-class jobs by moving forward this week with the budget repair. The state will now be able to realize $30 million in savings to balance the budget and allow 1,500 state employees to keep their jobs. The reforms contained in this legislation, which require modest health care and pension contributions from all public employees, will help put Wisconsin on a path to fiscal sustainability.


Folks, this is much better than the alternative - losing 1500 jobs out of the public sector..... This is one of the huge positives out of passing the bill that hasn't gotten nearly as much press as it should....

It is depressing that the unions would have rather seen 1500 folks be laid off, instead of keeping their political action committee going (some call it a union, most see it as a PAC)....

GREAT day for WI and middle class familiies!

Just a question but if that idiot in Wisconsin layed off 1500 people who would provide the services the peoplle obviously provide? And how would he pay them unemployment? And what about their health care if someone got sick?

 

[BobbyBlueChip]

Just a question but if that idiot in Wisconsin layed off 1500 people who would provide the services the peoplle obviously provide? And how would he pay them unemployment? And what about their health care if someone got sick?

If they can still do the job without the 1,500 people, then why are they still working? :shrug:

 

[ssd]

Good question.....

 

[Mags]

Just a question but if that idiot in Wisconsin layed off 1500 people who would provide the services the peoplle obviously provide? And how would he pay them unemployment? And what about their health care if someone got sick?

Not Walkers fault that we are in the huge deficit - look at Doyle.

 

[StevieD]

Not Walkers fault that we are in the huge deficit - look at Doyle.

Soooooooooo I guess you don't have an answer?

 

[Mags]

Soooooooooo I guess you don't have an answer?

Sorry - StevieD - running out the door right now.. .will look at Sunday if really matters to you (which I doubt it will).....

Gotta get to Madison and protest! j/k.....

 

[StevieD]

Sorry - StevieD - running out the door right now.. .will look at Sunday if really matters to you (which I doubt it will).....

Gotta get to Madison and protest! j/k.....

Geesh, didn't mean to run you out of your house!:scared

Have fun.

 

[yyz]

If they can still do the job without the 1,500 people, then why are they still working? :shrug:

That's part of the dog and pony show, bro.


Listen, I don't want ANYONE to lose a job, period.


But that is a great point. So, isn't he "wasting" money now, by puting these 1,500 jobs back on the table?

Fact is, there will still be TONS of layoffs........he just won't be the one making them. He has, to use his words, "kicked that can" down to the local levels.

 

[Trench]

OK... see if you guys can guess who I'm impersonating now:

"That Scott Walker... what a guy!!! :00hour He's my hero!!! :00hour He SAVED 1500 jobs today!!!" :00hour

Give up?

It's M-A-G-S!!!

One question: If the little dictator was interested in saving jobs, why didn't he just take back the $140 MILLION he gave away in tax cuts to businesses the day he took office?? :shrug:

 

[WhatsHisNuts]

Did he "save" the jobs he was threatening to cut? :mj03:

 

[Trench]

Hold the phone... the "genius" of Scott Walker and the Republican Party just occurred to me. This IS all about jobs. They plan to make working conditions so poor in this country, it will reverse the flow of illegal immigrants between the U.S. and Mexico. Not only will illegals be flooding back across the border, many Americans will be flooding into Mexico for the promise of a better future.

We'll be having our little white anchor babies in Mexican sanctuary cities and we'll be pressing "2" for English... :142smilie

 

[Duff Miver]

Hold the phone... the "genius" of Scott Walker and the Republican Party just occurred to me. This IS all about jobs. They plan to make working conditions so poor in this country, it will reverse the flow of illegal immigrants between the U.S. and Mexico. Not only will illegals be flooding back across the border, many Americans will be flooding into Mexico for the promise of a better future.

We'll be having our little white anchor babies in Mexican sanctuary cities and we'll be pressing "2" for English... :142smilie

Bingo! Sending all those jobs off to where little brown and yellow people don't even speak English is a big PITA.

Far better to have good ole English speaking serfs.

Give the Koch brothers and their puppets a few years, and working Americans will be doing 14 hour shifts for a bowl of rice and a fish head.

In the meantime they've got fools like doggie and Maggot pimping for them. Little do D&M realize that they're going to get the shit end of the stick too.

D&M think that 40 hour weeks, safe working conditions, decent wages, health insurance and pension plans dropped out of the sky, when in fact union workers fought and died for that stuff.

They would make good little Brown Shirts -

Hexecution lamps? Nein! Ve haf neffer heard of dis, Neffer! Heil Koch!!!!!

 

[Chadman]

On Friday morning, Walker directed two state agencies to rescind layoff notices because the Legislature had passed the bill.

Walker sent his directive to the state Department of Administration and the office of State Employment Relations.

In his directive, Walker issued a statement:

"The Legislature helped us save 1,500 middle-class jobs by moving forward this week with the budget repair. The state will now be able to realize $30 million in savings to balance the budget and allow 1,500 state employees to keep their jobs. The reforms contained in this legislation, which require modest health care and pension contributions from all public employees, will help put Wisconsin on a path to fiscal sustainability

Mags, perhaps I'm missing something in your euphoria. Didn't the union agree to the same savings he is taking credit for? I know I read and watched that reported by MANY outlets (other than Fox News, of course). He's talking specifically about the "modest health care and pension contributions from all public health employees" - didn't they agree to that? I can say assuredly that I saw several times that they did.

If not, please explain? If so, I'd call it more admirable for the unions and union workers, since they agreed to take the hit "for the good of the people of Wisconsin." They would be the real heroes here, not some political opportunist who proposes the cuts to look good for his financial backers and for future public office hopes.

If this is what was truly the point of all this - which of course anyone with common sense knows it is not - both sides could have discussed this, agreed to it (which they did, from what I saw - AFTER there was no discussion offered from Walker and Co.), and the whole problem could have mostly been prevented.

 

[Mags]

Mags, perhaps I'm missing something in your euphoria. Didn't the union agree to the same savings he is taking credit for? I know I read and watched that reported by MANY outlets (other than Fox News, of course). He's talking specifically about the "modest health care and pension contributions from all public health employees" - didn't they agree to that? I can say assuredly that I saw several times that they did.

If not, please explain? If so, I'd call it more admirable for the unions and union workers, since they agreed to take the hit "for the good of the people of Wisconsin." They would be the real heroes here, not some political opportunist who proposes the cuts to look good for his financial backers and for future public office hopes.

If this is what was truly the point of all this - which of course anyone with common sense knows it is not - both sides could have discussed this, agreed to it (which they did, from what I saw - AFTER there was no discussion offered from Walker and Co.), and the whole problem could have mostly been prevented.

Chadman:

You don't understand the issues.

1. The unions did NOT agree to the financial concessions Walker brought up, when he brought them up after he won the election. Then he put them, along with the CB stuff, in his budget repair bill. At THAT point, the unions said they'd go along with the financial concessions, as they knew that there was no way they could argue those concessions. But it was too late - they had a chance to take Walker's offer earlier, and told him they weren't interested.

2. The layoffs were a tradeoff - either the CB was removed, thereby allowing local governments to be able to make signficant cuts to health benefits of workers (which they couldn't do because of CB - BUT needed to be able to do, due to big cuts in state aid to local governments) OR Walker would lay off all those workers - as he knew, with the cuts that were coming in his actual budget that was forthcoming, that unions would not agree to any of the benefit cuts that were needed.

Chad - you are certainly a smart guy. And I certainly understand that folks that don't live in WI don't follow this issue closely - many on this site make off the cuff remarks, without understanding the specific issues going on in WI. There are plenty of states that offer less worker "rights" than WI. Even the federal government has much less. A mountain is being made out of a molehill on this whole "workers" rights. State workers have civil service protections behind them - which are much better and stronger than any private sector employee has available to them. That should be enough - there should be no more special treatment just because you work for the taxpayer, er, I mean government.

 

[bleedingpurple]

Chadman:

You don't understand the issues.

1. The unions did NOT agree to the financial concessions Walker brought up, when he brought them up after he won the election. Then he put them, along with the CB stuff, in his budget repair bill. At THAT point, the unions said they'd go along with the financial concessions, as they knew that there was no way they could argue those concessions. But it was too late - they had a chance to take Walker's offer earlier, and told him they weren't interested.

2. The layoffs were a tradeoff - either the CB was removed, thereby allowing local governments to be able to make signficant cuts to health benefits of workers (which they couldn't do because of CB - BUT needed to be able to do, due to big cuts in state aid to local governments) OR Walker would lay off all those workers - as he knew, with the cuts that were coming in his actual budget that was forthcoming, that unions would not agree to any of the benefit cuts that were needed.

Chad - you are certainly a smart guy. And I certainly understand that folks that don't live in WI don't follow this issue closely - many on this site make off the cuff remarks, without understanding the specific issues going on in WI. There are plenty of states that offer less worker "rights" than WI. Even the federal government has much less. A mountain is being made out of a molehill on this whole "workers" rights. State workers have civil service protections behind them - which are much better and stronger than any private sector employee has available to them. That should be enough - there should be no more special treatment just because you work for the taxpayer, er, I mean government.

I guess I am at the point of not wanting to debate much of this anymore? We all have our own beliefs and it is what it is. But in your first talking points in response to Chadman, you mention that the Unions DID NOT AGREE to the financial concessions that Walker brought up.

What did you expect them to do? They are a union and are they suppose to just give in immediately. I am not a union employee but if my boss was to offer me a financial concession, I am surely not going to agree to it if given a choice. Name one person here who would? The Unions were just doing their job.

 

[Mags]

I guess I am at the point of not wanting to debate much of this anymore? We all have our own beliefs and it is what it is. But in your first talking points in response to Chadman, you mention that the Unions DID NOT AGREE to the financial concessions that Walker brought up.

What did you expect them to do? They are a union and are they suppose to just give in immediately. I am not a union employee but if my boss was to offer me a financial concession, I am surely not going to agree to it if given a choice. Name one person here who would? The Unions were just doing their job.

I understand what you saiid, BP. Chad was pointing out that the whole bill was unnecessary since the union already agreed to the concessions. I was pointing out that was false - this did not agree to the concessions until they were forced to by the bill. If the union did the right thing in the first place, then Walker's bill may never have been brought out. The union overplayed it's hand. If I was a state employee, the union is who I'd be pist (your word) at - if they just agreed in the beginning, they wouldn't be in the mess they are now.

 

[bleedingpurple]

I understand what you saiid, BP. Chad was pointing out that the whole bill was unnecessary since the union already agreed to the concessions. I was pointing out that was false - this did not agree to the concessions until they were forced to by the bill. If the union did the right thing in the first place, then Walker's bill may never have been brought out. The union overplayed it's hand. If I was a state employee, the union is who I'd be pist (your word) at - if they just agreed in the beginning, they wouldn't be in the mess they are now.

Ok, yeah that makes sense. Too tired from watching hockey all day. Don't know if they overplayed but I am sure they were not expecting Walker to go all in right away.

 

[Trench]

Chadman:

You don't understand the issues.

Mags,

Perhaps it's you that doesn't understand the issues. Allow me to recap them for you:

1. The runaway greed of a deregulated Wall Street crashed the entire U.S. financial sector... derivatives, credit default swaps, toxic assets, hedge funds, junk bonds, Bernie Madoff, AIG, Goldman Sachs, Lehman Bros., Citibank, Chase, Bear Stearns, Wells Fargo, Nationwide, the list of Wall Street scam artists pilfering pension funds, 401K's, savings and investments was endless. The deregulation of the financial sector even made speculators out of ordinary home-owners, continually up-buying with the easy credit available to even those with modest incomes. This was all made possible by the scams the mega-banks and investment firms listed above were running, as well as the easy credit made available to buyers via GSE's - Fannie May and Freddie Mac.

2. The overall economy crashed as a result of the financial sector meltdown and the bursting of the housing market bubble.

3. As the economy crashed, revenues in states across the country dropped accordingly, resulting in budget deficits in 45 of the 50 states.

4. The conservative Supreme Court then ruled against Citizens United, opening the door for unlimited corporate contributions to political campaigns.

5. Corporate contributions to political campaigns heavily influenced the outcome of the mid-term elections across the country in 2010.

6. Corporate interests like the Koch Brothers pumped $5 million through the Republican Governors Association into the Scott Walker campaign to be used for attack ads against Walker's opponent - Tom Barrett. Note: More on the Koch Bros. in my next post.

7. Scott Walker took office and immediately began carrying out the agenda of the corporate interests he represents. First order of business: 4 bills cutting taxes for businesses. Result: Gov. Doyle's projected budget surplus turns into a budget deficit.

8. After creating a budget deficit in an attempt to gain leverage and public support for his 2nd order of business, Scott Walker announces "We're broke. Our only option is to cut benefits for all public employees and strip them of the collective bargaining rights they've had for 50 years."

9. Walker spends the next month demonizing public employees and threatening to fire tens of thousands of public employees unless he gets his "Budget Reform" bill passed. Walker succeeds in convincing the "uninformed" citizens of Wisconsin that the budget shortfall is a direct result of the exorbitant salaries and cushy benefits like healthcare coverage and pensions that public employees enjoy.

10. Meanwhile, the "informed" citizens of Wisconsin see through the Scott Walker/Koch Bros. ruse and mount massive protests at the state capitol for weeks on end. Public sentiment increasingly turns against the Walker/Koch Bros. war on the middle-class.

11. Sensing that public sentiment has turned against his "Budget Reform" bill and realizing that the longer the fight drags on, the more sentiment shifts away from his extreme agenda, Walker and the Senate Republicans devise a plan to remove the collective bargaining issue from the budget bill, put it on a non-budget related bill and pass it without a quorum, via a "Conference Committee".

12. The Koch Bros., Scott Walker, his pet Republican senators and wealthy corporate interests everywhere rejoiced in the satisfaction of believing they've just crushed the last remaining vestige of organized political support for the opposition party ? unions. They ignore the fact that they've also crushed one of the pillars of democracy, one that was fought for and established over the last century and a quarter.

Take notes, there may be a pop quiz... opcorn2

 

[Mags]

Mags,

Perhaps it's you that doesn't understand the issues. Allow me to recap them for you:

1. The runaway greed of a deregulated Wall Street crashed the entire U.S. financial sector... derivatives, credit default swaps, toxic assets, hedge funds, junk bonds, Bernie Madoff, AIG, Goldman Sachs, Lehman Bros., Citibank, Chase, Bear Stearns, Wells Fargo, Nationwide, the list of Wall Street scam artists pilfering pension funds, 401K's, savings and investments was endless. The deregulation of the financial sector even made speculators out of ordinary home-owners, continually up-buying with the easy credit available to even those with modest incomes. This was all made possible by the scams the mega-banks and investment firms listed above were running, as well as the easy credit made available to buyers via GSE's - Fannie May and Freddie Mac.

2. The overall economy crashed as a result of the financial sector meltdown and the bursting of the housing market bubble.

3. As the economy crashed, revenues in states across the country dropped accordingly, resulting in budget deficits in 45 of the 50 states.

4. The conservative Supreme Court then ruled against Citizens United, opening the door for unlimited corporate contributions to political campaigns.

5. Corporate contributions to political campaigns heavily influenced the outcome of the mid-term elections across the country in 2010.

6. Corporate interests like the Koch Brothers pumped $5 million through the Republican Governors Association into the Scott Walker campaign to be used for attack ads against Walker's opponent - Tom Barrett. Note: More on the Koch Bros. in my next post.

7. Scott Walker took office and immediately began carrying out the agenda of the corporate interests he represents. First order of business: 4 bills cutting taxes for businesses. Result: Gov. Doyle's projected budget surplus turns into a budget deficit.

8. After creating a budget deficit in an attempt to gain leverage and public support for his 2nd order of business, Scott Walker announces "We're broke. Our only option is to cut benefits for all public employees and strip them of the collective bargaining rights they've had for 50 years."

9. Walker spends the next month demonizing public employees and threatening to fire tens of thousands of public employees unless he gets his "Budget Reform" bill passed. Walker succeeds in convincing the "uninformed" citizens of Wisconsin that the budget shortfall is a direct result of the exorbitant salaries and cushy benefits like healthcare coverage and pensions that public employees enjoy.

10. Meanwhile, the "informed" citizens of Wisconsin see through the Scott Walker/Koch Bros. ruse and mount massive protests at the state capitol for weeks on end. Public sentiment increasingly turns against the Walker/Koch Bros. war on the middle-class.

11. Sensing that public sentiment has turned against his "Budget Reform" bill and realizing that the longer the fight drags on, the more sentiment shifts away from his extreme agenda, Walker and the Senate Republicans devise a plan to remove the collective bargaining issue from the budget bill, put it on a non-budget related bill and pass it without a quorum, via a "Conference Committee".

12. The Koch Bros., Scott Walker, his pet Republican senators and wealthy corporate interests everywhere rejoiced in the satisfaction of believing they've just crushed the last remaining vestige of organized political support for the opposition party ? unions. They ignore the fact that they've also crushed one of the pillars of democracy, one that was fought for and established over the last century and a quarter.

Take notes, there may be a pop quiz... opcorn2

Trench - I know that is how you see it. You've pointed that out before.

I don't put much stock in the rally in Madison. I'm sure it was cathartic for the folks that went there, but it won't change anything.

There is a large number of people that feel just as strongly for what was done - but we have jobs, so we can't afford to call in sick and go to Madison. Nor will we on a Saturday - we don't need to, because our elected representatives are doing what we asked them to.

Of course, the Dem's electred representatives didn't go to bat for them, they hid.

I'm also sick of hearing about the Citizens United Decision. It was about fair play. I'd be happy if they reversed that decision, and at the same time did not allow unions to donate money either. The unions have been buying elections since they first existed. Now, the Republicans are on even ground - and face it, you don't like that because you are a liberal democrat. I get that.

I don't think public employees should have better pay, better work rules and better benefits that private sectors works - at the expense of taxpayers. Just doesn't make sense. Governments bid out contracts all the time, and the vast majority they will take the lowest bidder (which I've learned first hand). It doesn't make sense to take the highest bidder (union labor) when it comes to workers.