Wis. Democrats speak out

As the blaring protests continued just outside their chambers, 19 Republican senators returned to work today in Madison, reports CBS News correspondent Cynthia Bowers.

Noticeably absent - the 14 democrats who fled the state six days ago to prevent a vote on legislation that would effectively strip public employees' collective bargaining rights.

Late Monday night, we sat down with seven of them just across the border in Illinois in a location they asked us not to disclose.

"I don't think we've gone AWOL, I think the governor's gone haywire," said Tim Carpenter, D-Milwaukee.

"We felt that it was imperative to use the only constitutional provision available to us which was to deny a quorum so that bill did not get railroaded through the legislature," said Senator Mark Miller D-minority leader.

When asked what Senator Frank Risser would say to people who say he lost the election that's the facts, he said:

"I was present in 1959 when the state of Wisconsin became the first state in the union to authorize collective bargaining by its state employees. To have it wiped out in less than five days without any previous explanation just isn't right."

Even so, Republican leaders say they have the votes and they vow to pass this legislation. Tuesday night Governor Scott Walker will give a televised fire side chat hoping he can bypass the ongoing protests.

[MLK1234]

Things have been terrible in this country for so long !!
Nothing has changed , especially while the REpublicans held the whitehouse forlong and are now fighting and threatening the this sitting President as many WAYS AS THEY CAN !!! AS A MATTER OF FACT
ALOT OF FEEL THEY WILL TRY TO PHYSICALLY HARM HIM , BUT THIS WILL BRING BACKTHE CIVIL WAR ! IT'S GUARANTEE BECAUSE THEY THINK OF NOONE BUT THEMSELVES, RICHES AND MONEY !!
THIS IS WHY THEY WANT THE POOR TO CONTINUE TO CARRY THE TAX BURDEN !!, AND RACISM IS STILL WHITE AND STRONG !!
THOSE THAT ARE OUT OF JOBS and of different persuasions are going to have to let not only the white house but the news media also !!
Even in Nursing , there is so much racism !!!
To people of color watch yourselves in hospitals and with your insurance companies and coverage . Question your care if it doesn't feel right or seem right , talk to your doctors , call them even after you are discharge , let them know about your care in the hospital and how you were treated, check your insurance bills. Call the State office you live in and get the number for Patient Rights and Complaints against nurses, physicians, Insurance Companies and anyone working in a medical capacity that treated you badly or did harm.

TAKE CARE AND PROTECT YOURSELF,RACISM IS NOT GONE,IT IS JUST HIDDEN !

MLK1234

[Thecoldhardtruth7]

I have been trapped in Wisconsin for 11 years. My children got a 2nd rate education from 2nd rate teachers. Time for some facts vs. the pablum being spewed by union greed. For 5 years running - the Milwaukee School District and its union teachers have failed to meet the basic requirements as set forth by the No Child Left Behind statute. Despite this 5-year failure, the union-backed head of the WI Department of Public Instruction handed over $175 million of those unearned funds to teachers. The 2 largest teacher unions in the state WEAC and MTEA refuse to call themselves "unions" preferring to be known as "educational associations." In 2 different applications for federal money under the Race for the Future program, WEAC and MTEA lobbied to have language directly linking teacehr promotion/firing/hiring to student evaluations removed from the applications. In both instances, the federal review committees denied WI the funds based on the absence of that very language. Union contracts pay teachers an annual salary for working only 185 days out of the year. The average private worker must work 260 days out of a year. If WI has a snow day - the union teachers still get paid and get additional money for the make-up day. Public employees never want taxpayers to know their true net wages. Because then, we would see the fabulous combination of salary and benefits they get. Each work day - WI union teachers get 1.5 hours of free time when they have no students. That means they actually work 6.5 hours out an 8-hour school day, but get paid for 8. Finally, remember how much money taxpayers had to spend to bail out GM and Chrysler? Ford was nearly in the same boat. The cause - union-coerced wages and benefits that drove the cost of making those cars too high. Ever wonder why the chairmen of Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Volvo, VW, Hyundai and all the other non-US auto makers were not in front of Congress begging for help? Non-US car makers refuse to be bullied by the greedy unions. If you are a privately-employed taxpayer ask yourself this one question. Why is the public servant industry the only industry that the employees (public servants) make more than the employers (taxpayers)? How many of you private company employees get guaranteed raises? How many privately-employed taxpayers in WI could leave their jobs and go to Madison for 2-5 days to protest and know that their job will be waiting for them? To the selfish greedy union teachers, firemen and police that wasted my tax dollars in Madison - you violated your contracts with me - your boss. You are FIRED! I know lots of unemployed folks who will take Gov. Walker's deal and show up for work. WE DON'T NEED UNION GREED!!

[WakeUpRepublicans]

You sound as if your jealous...Perhaps you should have made a different career choice? The union has agreed to make the financial sacrifice...
They just want to keep their collective bargaining rights. If you understood the history of the labor movement you would not be so against
unions. They have been very instrumental in securing compensation standards for both union and non-union employees in regards to their contribution to their employer. Also if you understood how Japanese companies treated their workers you would understand why they do not have a union...American companies could learn a lot from the Japanese management model. So perhaps before you start blowing off steam, you could do a little
research...You don't want to sound like a Tea-Bagger...Do you?

[AndrewLado]

U.S. can easily print another 10 trillion dollars by 2020.

Scientific advances - a cure for the global crisis. Which company doctor crisis: Google, Youtube, Skype, Apple, Wi-Fi, Samsung, Sony, and others.

Example 1. Apple launched the iphone and Ipad demand in the world to them exactly 2 billion pieces, so it is possible for people to sell them to issue loans to $ 2 trillion.

2. Google and Sony are doing TV with Skype, demand for 1 billion people, you can print $ 1 trillion under the new TVs


3. Skype has launched a video and preparing to launch video conferencing to 100 simultaneous users, the demand for 1 billion people, then skype, you can print and issue a credit of 100 billion dollars to improve.

What else can print trillions of dollars and a grant? On what will be: to improve, simplify, accelerate, and reduce weight.

1. Windows is outdated, we need a new operating system to load instantly, and was simple - demand - 4 billion people - you can print and give Apple $ 1 trillion under the new system.

2. Wi-Fi should entangle all the inhabitants of the world's high-speed Internet - demand - 5 billion people, and everyone is willing to pay $ 1000 a year, you can print - $ 5 trillion.

In the Computer - the Internet world, you can easily put another 10 trillion

I gave her examples, and you have an idea of what you can print trillions?

http://lado1.livejournal.com/

[govmess]

Hey Katie....missed a great news story similar to what you reported on the Tea Party....all the vitriolic protestor signs...using words like "kill" "Hitler", etc. .... oops, sorry, forgot these are Democrats and you wouldn't want to offend them or Obama. Hooray for Freedom of Biased Speech and Reporting...Go CBS; remain at the bottom of the media news reporting channels.

[sindi1369]

take a look at Coolidge,FDR,& Truman an unions

[wfw3536]

If these 14 democrat senators do not want to take part in a democratic proess then they should quite. How sad they expect to be paid and are hiding out in another state.

[govmess]

wfw3536...naughty naughty....you are politically incorrect to use the word "weapon"; shame on you!

[ocreader]

I, think the very point that "doctor_know" has mentioned, that unions should not be allowed to donate to political campaigns. If a person belongs to a union and chooses to donate to a specific candidate, that is certainly their right, as it would be to any of us. But, for a union to take "dues" to target a specific candidate, that perhaps, the union member doesn't support, is wrong! It' pretty obvious that unions expect certain candidates to do their bidding, why else would they spend the money that they do?

[nearl451]

THe SCOTUS disagrees with you. They think that unlimited money = unlimited free speech for Unions and for Corporations alike. Even multinationals.

Of course if you undercut funcingfor the Unions, then youcn see who owns all of the free speech.

That's what all this is is a power play. It is really not needed for jobs or to balance the budget.

[tafhdyd]

I would be for no union donations to candidates if corporations were restricted also. If the drug companies, oil and insurance can buy the republicans why can't unions buy democrats?

[RobAla]

Democrat legislators need to stop talking (speaking out) from another state, and they need to return to the work they were elected to do. Running away is absolutely ridiculous. When the Democrats had the majority, did the Republican minority run away and refuse to show up for work?????

[doctor_know]

Well, on the national level the republicans used the senate filibuster a record number of times to stall the process...... I hardly see the difference. Did you support them when they were doing that?

[RobAla]

doctor_know: Filibusters have been used by both parties for many years, depending on which party is in power. It has been a recognized form of argument, and it requires a certain number of people to practice it. This is not at all like not showing up for work, and running away to a different state. These people are ridiculous. The minority party usually does not get it's way. That is what elections are all about. These so called representatives are prohibiting the majorities will in Wisconsin. The majority of people in that state elected this Governor to handle a budget crisis, and handling it may involve telling certain groups (including unions) "no".

[powertothepeople58]

It's funny to hear teachers characterized as greedy. Teachers nationwide are grossly underpaid. We need to be hiring only the best and brightest, and compensating them for their service. They are shaping the minds of our future leaders, doctors, scientists, politicians, etc. We will never be able to compete adequately in this fast changing global economy, if we continue to short change our education system. Wisconsin is going to lose many of their best and brightest teachers, many who will need to leave to seek better opportunities. Yes, teachers are people too, and they need to support themselves and their families. All I know is that I make twice as much money as a teacher and I work in entertainment. This is just wrong.

[doctor_know]

Yup

[RobAla]

I don't think people are against teachers, but the teachers via unions have protections that the majority of Americans do not have. I have to contribute more to my health care and retirement, why are they different?

The problem is having public funded employees in a union, which takes dues from the public funded employee to buy favor with certain politicians. Politicians are supposed to represent taxpayers. When being bought with taxpayer money (from public employees) they return the favor using taxpayer money (instead of looking out for the taxpayer). The public is getting screwed all the way around in this situation. I think it is wrong to have public funded employees in unions. Their collective bargaining is against the American taxpayer, and it isn't right.

[powertothepeople58]

It's funny to hear teachers characterized as greedy. Teachers nationwide are grossly underpaid. We need to be hiring only the best and brightest, and compensating them for their service. They are shaping the minds of our future leaders, doctors, scientists, politicians, etc. We will never be able to compete adequately in this fast changing global economy, if we continue to short change our education system. Wisconsin is going to lose many of their best and brightest teachers, many who will need to leave to seek better opportunities. Yes, teachers are people too, and they need to support themselves and their families. All I know is that I make twice as much money as a teacher and I work in entertainment. This is just wrong.