Thousands of protesters surround Wis. Capitol
MADISON, Wis. - Thousands of protesters swelled the streets around the state's seat of government for a fifth day as pro-labor activists continue their fight against a measure that would gut the state's public employee unions.
Added to the mix today, however, was a rally of conservative supporters of Republican Gov. Scott Walker and his plan to balance the state's budget by ending state employees' right to negotiate contracts through collective bargaining.
In Madison, Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney predicted crowds could swell to as many as 70,000 people Saturday and said his department planned to add 60 deputies to the 100 who patrolled during the week.
Supporters of Walker gathered on the east side of the Capitol, surrounded by a much larger group of pro-labor demonstrators, who since Tuesday have filled the Capitol with chanting, drumbeats and anti-Walker slogans.
Walker has proposed requiring government workers to contribute more to their health care and pension costs. His proposal also largely eliminates their collective bargaining rights.
In an effort to postpone a vote on the bill, 14 Democratic senators fled the state.
CBS News correspondent Cynthia Bowers reports that pro-union protesters see this state as ground zero in their battle to save public sector unions.
Across the country, from Nevada to Florida, Republican governors are blaming unions (and their benefit packages) in part for their states' budget shortfalls, and are trying to reduce their power.
To support Walker after several days of pro-labor demonstrations, a rally was organized for Saturday by Tea Party Patriots and the business-allied front group Americans for Prosperity.
"We did have an election and Scott Walker won," said Deborah Arndt, 53, of Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin. "I think our governor will stand strong. I have faith in him."
Arndt and the other conservative backers of Walker had their faith rewarded shortly before the start of their noon rally, when Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald reaffirmed that Republicans -- who took control of both the state Senate and Assembly in November -- have the votes needed to pass the measure.
"The bill is not negotiable," Fitzgerald said inside a heavily guarded Senate parlor at the Capitol. "The bill will pass as-is."
By early afternoon, the New York Times reports, supporters of the bill were far outnumbered.
"I'm going to support the governor who's trying to do the right thing for the state of Wisconsin," Bob Clark, a real estate agent from Brookfield told the Isthmus. "He pays his own health insurance, funds his own pension, and does not get paid sick vacation or sick days. So naturally it rubs him the wrong way that state workers would object to having to pay more toward their health care and pensions."
Fitzgerald said the Senate is ready to act on the so-called "budget repair" bill just as soon as 14 Senate Democrats who fled the state on Thursday and remain in hiding return to the Statehouse. The missing Democrats have threatened to stay away for weeks unless Walker agrees to negotiate.
Speaking from Chicago on "The Early Show on Saturday Morning," Democratic State Senator Jon Erpenbach said Walker's proposal "has torn the state of Wisconsin apart."
"That's not the right way to go," Erpenbach said. "The state employees have talked about the money and giving up the money, and that's fine. But what they have a problem with - and what a lot of us have a problem with - is the fact that Governor Walker is taking decades of union law and throwing it out the window and trying to bust the unions altogether, and that's just not the right way to go."
Defeating the Wisconsin bill and others like it is crucial for public-sector unions, an important part of the Democratic Party base. President Barack Obama and other Democrats will need the campaign donations and strong support of unions in the 2012 elections -- especially in key swing states like Wisconsin -- to counter a huge influx of corporate funds allowed under a Supreme Court decision last year.
"I think it's a clear message," said the AFL-CIO labor federation's political director Karen Ackerman. "If you take on middle-class people and try to solve the budget crises on their backs, there's a price to pay. Many thousands of people will be energized to fight back."
Nearly every major union leader -- both public and private sector -- has united behind an ambitious $30 million plan to stop anti-labor measures in Wisconsin and at least 10 other states. A proposal to strip public employees of collective bargaining rights drew throngs of protesters this week at the Ohio Capitol in Columbus. Hundreds more have demonstrated in Tennessee and Indiana.
President Barack Obama and his political machine, Organizing for America, are offering tactical support to the Wisconsin protesters, eager to repair strained relations with some union leaders upset over his recent overtures to business.
Pro-labor activists worried about a confrontation with tea party members trained overnight Saturday at the Capitol in non-violent protest techniques, said Madison resident and protester Chris Terrell.
Democratic Sen. Tim Cullen refused to say where he was Saturday but said he didn't expect the Senate to meet again until Tuesday. Cullen said he was watching Saturday's rallies on television with some friends.
"I'm hoping to see no violence, that's what I'm hoping most to see," Cullen said. "This has been a very peaceful, respectful thing all week given the size of the crowds."
The governor was spending time with his family Saturday and wasn't expected to make an appearance at the tea party-organized rally. His spokesman said the governor's office has been receiving 1,000 e-mails an hour, most of them in support of his position.
Democrats offered again Saturday to agree to the parts of Walker's proposal that would double workers' health insurance contributions and require them to contribute 5.8 percent of their salary to their pensions, so long as workers retained their rights to negotiate with the state through their unions. The bill calls for the elimination of collective bargaining except over wage increases not greater than the Consumer Price Index.
Fitzgerald said he was unimpressed given that the offer was something the Republicans have rejected for months. The restrictions on collective bargaining rights are needed so that local governments and the state will have the flexibility needed to balance budgets after cuts Walker plans to announce next month, he said.
Walker insists the concessions he is seeking from public workers are needed to deal with the state's projected $3.6 billion budget shortfall and to avoid layoffs.
Madison is no stranger to political unrest, having seen activists take to the streets to protest the Vietnam war, support civil rights and oppose cuts in social services.
The throngs of protesters -- including teachers, prison guards and many students -- have been largely peaceful. Police reported just nine citations for minor offenses as of Friday. Schools throughout the state closed this week after teachers called in sick, including in the state's largest district, in Milwaukee.
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I can imagine. What is worse is walking between buildings where the wind is stronger because it has less room to move freely, and parking a half a mile away from your class...lol...it happens. Plus, now that old man winter is back, all the parking seems to have moved and become non-existant here because most college students are stupid with their parking.
LET HIM FIRE EVERYONE, IT WILL TAKE YEARS TO REPLACE THEM AND IN THE MEAN WHO TEACH OUR CHILDREN, THE REPUBLICANS GOD FOR BID! MARK MY WORDS THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN OVER THE COUNTRY, THE MIDDLE CLASS HAS HAD ENOUGH!
Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8601-201_162-20033983.html?assetTypeId=30&blogId=&tag=contentBody;commentWrapper#ixzz1EWHBZVw9
Sorry, copied wrong link!!
Your corrected link shows that the Republicans caused the deficit problem, not the unions.
TruthTeller in Madison
TruthTeller in Madison
IDK what you meant about Ferris....we lost to Notre Dame twice in hockey. But, our basketball team killed #3 Nationally ranked Findlay for the division title.
ND won by 1 on Friday and by 3 on Saturday. 2 of the 3 were goals that don't really count in my mind. I would have them on the scoreboard, but I wouldn't consider them noteworthy. One was basically after everyone thought the whistle blew or something, either way no real effort was made to stop it. The last one was and empty netter.
So of course, we feel their pain. Although our wonderful Association ASEA (Arkansas State Employees Association) technically not a "Union" were instrumental in the 4 year battle of getting our salaries at the lower end of the spectrum re-vamped. Our turnover was tremendous, and cost our State a lot of money. Even though the cost of living is claimed to be lower in our State (I disagree on some of that statement) the wages for State Employees were ridiculous! Who in the world can live on a starting salary of $6.75/hour and not have to rely on help from the Federal government and/or State welfare systems? The insurance costs out of our pocket as an employee plus spouse is currently right at $400 per month!!
We were biting the hand that feeds us!
Thanks to 4 years of hard work, our wonderful ASEA team, our Governor Mike Beebe (D), and the Arkansas Operation of Personnel Management, this new salary structure was put into place last year. Even though they had to make concessions which upset those on the middle and upper scale salary range, the employees on the lower end, ones who were still having to sign their children up on Arkids (medicaid) and the ones who were having to do without healthcare altogether seen some light at the end of the tunnel. I know personally it helped me and my husband, at a crucial time in our lives when he had to go out on disability (from a private sector job), and of course, after his FMLA leave ran out, he lost his job, and our more affordable healthcare. If I had still been on the lower spectrum of the pay scale before the raises, we would have had to go without healthcare, which would result in him not being able to get the care he needs to sustain. We are praying his Social Security gets approved soon, but that is a whole "other issue"....
So keep fighting through your peaceful demonstrations! Use your Voices!!!
It's very sad that the unions have conceded the big pay cuts, and are only asking to keep their unions intact. The public employees are already paid less than private employees, even when total compensation is compared. The lower-paid employees, like the teacher's aid making $21,000, are going to be hurt badly.
TruthTeller in Madison
"The Democratic National Committee's Organizing for America arm -- the remnant of the 2008 Obama campaign -- is playing an active role in organizing protests against Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's attempt to strip most public employees of collective bargaining rights."
A campaigning arm of the President of the United States should not involved in this Wisconsin state issue. This is a behind the scene effort of President Obama to inject himself in a purely state concerned area. The President's group is agitating the situation, and this is beneath the office of the Presidency.
The President's budget failed entirely to properly address the federal government over spending problem that we face. Yet he is attempting to undermine a Governor's effort to bring resolution to a state spending problem. This is sickening. This is wrong.
Both OFA and AFP have every right to organize their members. We have the right to assembly in the USA, even politically motivated assembly.
Obama does not run OFA, by the way -- his "day job" takes up his time -- though I know how that just ticks your little tightie-rightie self off every day Rob ... because if the issue was plastic water bottles, you'd blame Obama for the plastic and then for pouring out the water ... and then for the wet spot on the carpet.
Now, try a fact.
The budget issues were agreed to by the unions, the Governor refused their capitulation ... because all he really wants is to take their negotiating rights away.
And you support this tyrant. Wow, true colors.