I've posted this on another thread, but would be happy to ruffle some feathers here as well: These so-called 'austerity measures' that we're seeing across the country, with so-called 'conservative' Wisconsin, Ohio and New Jersey lawmakers at the vanguard of legislation ostensibly designed to 'balance the budget,' will ultimately have a very salutary effect on true democracy and true political activism in America - but not because this is the kind of bitter medicine that lower-class, lower-middle-class, and middle-class American workers and the union rank and file need to swallow in these troubled economic times, as the neoconservatives would have you believe. The stoicism and the tolerance that the American people have often demonstrated over the years, their compliance with the rules and regulations, their 'that's just the way it is' mentality in the face of systematic abuse and injustice, can be puzzling, often confounding, even maddening at times - but 'new breed conservatives' like Scott Walker of Wisconsin and Chris Christie of New Jersey ("Meet the new boss, same as the old boss") are committing the age-old error of thinking that they can push the American worker around indefinitely while lining the pockets of special interests at the same time. By the way, just try and ask a Wal-Mart employee about fairness on the job without the protection of collective bargaining: it would be like trying to strike up a similar conversation with a California grape picker before C?sar Estrada Ch?vez and the UFW fought the good fight - and I ain't talking evangelical Christianity here, my brother. Si, se puede!
By the way, if you can't express yourself with courtesy in responding to these comments, please don't bother - and don't expect anyone to take you seriously.
Public unions represent public workers. Public workers get paycheck from gov. We the people pay tax to the gov. Public union tries to extort more money from employer...ie...the taxpayers.
Clear as day folks, public unions=bad news for tax payers.
See how easy that was boys and girls. Now, I would like to know how the liberal protesters have 3 weeks to protest when this conservative cant find time to go food shopping??
Or lets examine how violent the left has been this week or lets talk about the death threats. Gee, the left is so educated and civil. pfft...
Must be real nice being a liberal free loader. Gee, I wonder where all those t shirts the lib union members were wearing were made?? China perhaps?? Oh yeah....the left and unions support the USA workers and taxpayers.....pfft...
The rich are gouging us again in oil. How many times are we going to let these slimewads get away with this? It's time to make them pay the dues they owe.
If we get the rich to pay what they own to us we will have NO (zero, nada) budget issues. It's just that simple.
by forsanity1 March 10, 2011 6:56 PM EST Sorry Nmmrng -- but nobody who takes bids is "required to take the highest". Did you mean the lowest?
Think about it. If they had to take the highest, light bulbs would be listed as seven grand each... (hmmm, maybe the US Military does have this requirement?... just kidding, I am loving my military folks).
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I am sorry for singling you out, forsanity1, but,
when you are the seller, you definitely want to take the highest bid! Good thing you aren't in charge of selling the power plants.
Does it disturb anyone but me that the political activists, if they really cared about people and believed in what they claim they believe in, could donate their money to pay down government debt or for any good use other than campaigning for causes via television ads? Do distorted and biased messages from activists, instead of a reasoned approach, always have to be the norm in this country anymore? The union behaviors, along with the actions of the elected Democrats who fled their responsibility to vote,are disgraceful. This trend of people violently rejecting the results of an election or vote that does not favor their side has to be stopped at any cost or the U.S. will crumble into a mob-rule regime. The irony is enormous given President Obama's contempt for the Congressional minority after his election. At least the Tea Party proponents are consistently civil, win or lose; it's a shame that comparison is not highlighted by the bulk of America's media. And I have seen no reporting covering the job titles, average wages or cost of benefits of the government employees compared to those of the average non-government worker in Wisconsin. Surely, someone, somewhere has an interest in the pertinent facts, the ones that an opinion should be drawn from rather than from histrionics and political party loyalties.
by USA__Is-back March 10, 2011 6:35 PM EST We'll see Nmmrng. We'll see. They were HEAVILY involved in the Wisconsin governors election, even though they are from Kansas. Now why would they do that? Also, don't you find it strange that the selling of the public utilites with a NO BID option is in this bill? The first bill proposed by the Koch financed governor? Why not sell them to the HIGHEST bidder? Nothing wrong with that is there? Why a NO BID option?
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From what I have been able to find out, these plants are losing money and the state is hot to get out from under them. They were only able to sell one in the past decade and it became a political witch hunt with the Republicans accusing the Democrat governor of all sorts of impropriety. There were charges and indictments and court rulings. The current bill comes from things learned in that experience and the fact that no one is bidding, thus the state would be required to accept a bid that might be way low. This bill allows them not to have to adhere to the bidding process and lets them try to get the best sale they can. As far as I have been able to find out, there has been no involvement from Koch industries.
If they are required to accept bids they have to take the highest. If only one bids, they are stuck at whatever is bid. Without the bid requirement, they can actively sell and try to get the best price.
Sorry Nmmrng -- but nobody who takes bids is "required to take the highest". Did you mean the lowest?
Think about it. If they had to take the highest, light bulbs would be listed as seven grand each... (hmmm, maybe the US Military does have this requirement?... just kidding, I am loving my military folks).
is thier any truth to the gossup that all the union opeated pizza parlers are boycotting wisconson cheeze products due to this overbearing of workers rights? or the truckers union not going to transport any wisconson products nationaly for the same reason? guess i get my chedder from walmart and what ever country its selling from today?? ghee all because of over zellot right wing oh well we need to loose weight anyway.
OK folks here's an interesting thought from both sides of the aisle (Pro and Anti-Union).
Walker has technically gotten his way. The pressure is on him now to deliver the goods. He'll either be right, or he'll fail. But at the moment, he's on the hook.
I have said the same thing. He seems like a "star" now, but if he does not deliver, somebody is going to hold him accountable. And it will not end well for him politically.
Heck, maybe he can write a book. Everyone writes books these days... why in hell are the libraries closing.... ah, I digress.
by AVoiceofR3ason March 10, 2011 5:48 PM EST I have not problem with firefighters and police being exempt. These folks put their lives on the line everyday. You can't pay them enough for what they do.
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If you go to the FBI statistics of deaths on the job you will not see a cop anywhere in the top ten. But you might see some ordinary jobs like truckdrivers and such. And when it comes to debilitating injuries, these guys aren't even on the same planet as a normal plumber or carpetlayer or construction worker. If you see them as heroes that is fine. But, they are far from in the most dangerous jobs.
I agree truckdrivers or plumbers may sustain more injuries from on the job, but for the most part, people do not shoot at them for their profession, nor does there work take them into buildings that are ablaze. Because there are many more truckers, plumbers and construction workers than police or firemen the numbers will obviously be higher.
When you die does it matter if it was a bullet or a hood ornament that killed you? You are just as dead. What a moronic thing to say and statistics are per a certain amount equal for each occupation. You hear of a cop killed in Chicago, but 5 others died that day that you won't hear of because it wasn't as glamorous.
Republicans. Bad for Wisconsin, bad for democracy, bad for America. Recall every Republican before they sell all of the US to the Koch brothers and their right-wing buddies.
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By the way, if you can't express yourself with courtesy in responding to these comments, please don't bother - and don't expect anyone to take you seriously.
Public unions represent public workers.
Public workers get paycheck from gov.
We the people pay tax to the gov.
Public union tries to extort more money from employer...ie...the taxpayers.
Clear as day folks, public unions=bad news for tax payers.
See how easy that was boys and girls. Now, I would like to know how the liberal protesters have 3 weeks to protest when this conservative cant find time to go food shopping??
Or lets examine how violent the left has been this week or lets talk about the death threats. Gee, the left is so educated and civil. pfft...
Must be real nice being a liberal free loader. Gee, I wonder where all those t shirts the lib union members were wearing were made?? China perhaps?? Oh yeah....the left and unions support the USA workers and taxpayers.....pfft...
If we get the rich to pay what they own to us we will have NO (zero, nada) budget issues. It's just that simple.
Sorry Nmmrng -- but nobody who takes bids is "required to take the highest". Did you mean the lowest?
Think about it. If they had to take the highest, light bulbs would be listed as seven grand each... (hmmm, maybe the US Military does have this requirement?... just kidding, I am loving my military folks).
------------------------------------------
I am sorry for singling you out, forsanity1, but,
when you are the seller, you definitely want to take the highest bid! Good thing you aren't in charge of selling the power plants.
I was thinking of the purchaser. I was wrong on that point.
And it doesn't hurt to admit it, being human and not perfect and all...
We'll see Nmmrng. We'll see. They were HEAVILY involved in the Wisconsin governors election, even though they are from Kansas. Now why would they do that? Also, don't you find it strange that the selling of the public utilites with a NO BID option is in this bill? The first bill proposed by the Koch financed governor? Why not sell them to the HIGHEST bidder? Nothing wrong with that is there? Why a NO BID option?
------------------------------------------
From what I have been able to find out, these plants are losing money and the state is hot to get out from under them. They were only able to sell one in the past decade and it became a political witch hunt with the Republicans accusing the Democrat governor of all sorts of impropriety. There were charges and indictments and court rulings. The current bill comes from things learned in that experience and the fact that no one is bidding, thus the state would be required to accept a bid that might be way low. This bill allows them not to have to adhere to the bidding process and lets them try to get the best sale they can. As far as I have been able to find out, there has been no involvement from Koch industries.
Think about it. If they had to take the highest, light bulbs would be listed as seven grand each... (hmmm, maybe the US Military does have this requirement?... just kidding, I am loving my military folks).
Walker has technically gotten his way. The pressure is on him now to deliver the goods. He'll either be right, or he'll fail. But at the moment, he's on the hook.
I have said the same thing. He seems like a "star" now, but if he does not deliver, somebody is going to hold him accountable. And it will not end well for him politically.
Heck, maybe he can write a book. Everyone writes books these days... why in hell are the libraries closing.... ah, I digress.
I have not problem with firefighters and police being exempt. These folks put their lives on the line everyday. You can't pay them enough for what they do.
--------------------------------
If you go to the FBI statistics of deaths on the job you will not see a cop anywhere in the top ten. But you might see some ordinary jobs like truckdrivers and such. And when it comes to debilitating injuries, these guys aren't even on the same planet as a normal plumber or carpetlayer or construction worker. If you see them as heroes that is fine. But, they are far from in the most dangerous jobs.