Rallies in 50 states support Wis. protesters

(CBS News) 

Updated 5:00 p.m. EST

Protests kicked off around the country today as the group moveon.org organized noontime rallies in all 50 state capitals as a sign of solidarity for union workers in Wisconsin battling collective bargaining restriction measures.

Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker's recent legislation on public workers' rights has sparked a passionate debate nationwide over the rights of public sector unions and the need to balance unsteady budgets in all 50 states.

An estimated 1,000 union workers carrying signs and chanting "people power" gathered at the Colorado state Capitol in support of Wisconsin public employees who face the elimination of their bargaining rights.

Two raucous competing rallies over the union fight drew more than 2,000 people in freezing temperatures to Olympia, Wash., Saturday. The pro-union rally was the bigger of the two, with more than half a dozen unions sending members. They sang songs and held signs that said "Solidarity With Wisconsin" and "Unions Make Us Strong."

Tea party and conservative groups held a counter rally on the Capitol steps. Organizers estimated a few hundred people. Many of them filled petitions to "Stand with Walker."

Hundreds of Kansas labor union members and supporters rallied outside the Statehouse against what they see as political attacks on workers.

Participants in Vermont and New Hampshire labor rallies in support of Wisconsin workers said Saturday the existence of unions benefits the middle class.

Bill Townsend, a 66-year-old manager from Portsmouth, N.H., said a rally in his home city shows that not everyone agrees with Walker's effort to strip collective bargaining rights from most public workers.

"I feel the Wisconsin governor is totally wrong," said Townsend. "If we eliminate collective bargaining, we eliminate the major reason for unions to exist."

In Madison, Wisc., the political stalemate that has sparked these rallies continues.

After eleven days of protests, the Wisconsin state house began clearing out last night.

Three long nights of filibustering by House Democrats finally came to an end as the controversial bill to cut collective bargaining rights for most public workers passed the State Assembly in the early hours of Friday morning.

"What a terrible, terrible day for Wisconsin," said one Democratic Assemblyman. "What's started here goes way beyond tonight and goes way beyond this building."

And even outside its border. Protests have spread to Ohio, Indiana, and on Friday to New Jersey, where thousands came out in support of Wisconsin workers.

In Providence, Rhode Island - where the school committee is currently facing a $40 million budget deficit - the school board voted in favor of sending termination letters to the city's nearly 2,000 city teachers. The mayor insists not every teacher will lose their job.

"I feel numb. I almost feel like I need to mourn the death of an innocence. It's just surreal," said Providence teacher Mary Bush.

Wisconsin Gov. Walker is hoping to avoid the "dire consequences" of potentially laying off 1,500 state workers, which he says will be necessary if the legislature doesn't approve his budget plan as-is.

On Friday, he repeatedly called for the 14 Democratic State Senators who have been MIA for ten days to come back to Madison.

"Come back to the state capitol," Walker said. "If you want to participate in democracy. democracy happens when you are in the arena. The arena is not in Rockford, Illinois. It's not in Freeport, Illinois. It's not in Chicago."

Illinois might be the safe house for Democratic politicians in neighboring states, but the state budget is considerably worse in Illinois with a $15 billion shortfall.

The top House Democrat here in Illinois hinted recently that he was open to discussions about scaling back state worker's pensions - a move that is sure to be a talking point at today's rally.

[pmbalele]

Would someone in Republican party call Governor Walker to retreat from his stand against teachers, firefighters, police, nurses and other government employees and private citizens' unions? Walker is killing both the TEA Party and Republican Party. Even FoxNews analysts are worried that nobody is going to elect republicans in 2012. American people feel abused by Republican leaders. TEA Party members are now drifting away from Republicans. Did you know some of TEA Party and republicans belong to unions? Walker political career will die if not next year - it will be in 2014. When young I made a similar stubborn mistake. I learned the hard way.

[pmbalele]

Would someone in Republican party call Governor Walker to retreat from his stand against teachers, firefighters, police, nurses and other government employees and private citizens' unions? Walker is killing both the TEA Party and Republican Party. Even FoxNews analysts are worried that nobody is going to elect republicans in 2012. American people are scared of being abused by Republican leaders. TEA Party members are now drifting away from Republicans. Did you know some of TEA Party and republicans belong to unions? Walker political career will die if not next year - it will be in 2014. When young I made a similar stubborn mistake. I learned the hard way.

[tjsroch]

I have been on the PBS blog, posting about the same subject. I've been civil and do not call names, but sometimes disagree with their stance (usually the lack of in depth investigation). They now have a policy of censuring posts that they do not like.

The same subject, where there are over 2500 comments here, have only 14 on PBS. The "Ombudsman" will NOT ANSWER my e-mails.

I don't care if your for or against this issue, your reasonable comments should not be censured just because they do not agree (and in my case are critical of thier censuring). I enjoy many educational programs but have seen a big shift into pursuit of certain political agenda that has a purpose...hiding wrongdoing of public officials.

Where I was a supporter in the past, I will now ask my legislators to DEFUND them now. If they are a political organization, they should compete with commercial TV, not be funded by my tax money.

[pmbalele]

What a change in tone by Bill O'rielly? Bill sees a dump truck taking all republicans to dump them at dump yard. Bill is whinnying Walker should compromise with unions as quickly as possible before his political career ends. Bill also expressed concern that Scott Walker is hurting GOP and TEA Party. But what is most disturbing, according to Bill, is the erosion of republicans from republican base in Wisconsin and in the country. American people now hate republicans. Bill found out 50 percent pro-union demonstrators are republicans or people who belonged to TEA Party. For this reason Bill sees there is no way republicans can recover 2012. Well I welcome O'rielly observations. Obama will be re-elected in 2012. That's what I want.

[pmbalele]

I just listened to O'rielly Factor show. Bill is whinnying that Walker should compromise with unions as quickly as possible before his political career ends. Bill also expressed concern that Scott Walker is hurting GOP and TEA Party. But what is most disturbing, according to Bill, is the erosion of republicans from republican base in Wisconsin and in the country. American people now hate republicans. Bill found out 50 percent pro-union demonstrators are republicans or people who belonged to TEA Party. For this reason Bill sees there is no way republicans can recover by 2012. Well I welcome O'rielly observations. Obama will be re-elected in 2012. That's exactly what I want.

[laloba55]

@TxCharliex I really don't think the correlation between not paying your @TxCharliex I really don't think the correlation between not paying your taxes and getting a gun shoved inyour face is a fair comparison. If you don't pay your taxes, you are breaking the law. Eventually, you can be arrested and charged for this, although they usually don't do it that way. Actually, the IRS will work with you to settle. I owed $30,000 and they settle for $5,000. So, they aren't all bad. It isn't really fair to generalize and go after your fellow citizens just because they are employed in a public sector job. They work just as hard as you and I at their job. We do need the government after all. They are not the enemy here.
I'm wondering why you don't get outraged at the Corporations like Bank of America for not paying taxes at all. The only reason you could negotiate that interest rate down is because of what our government did. They took on those banks and high interest rates with legislation to regulate the banking industry. Of course, republicans didn't want this. They want the private sector to do everything with no regulation. Imagine what our Country would be like then. If we didn't have regulation, those Big companies would run all over consumers. Big Corporations are given tax breaks in America under the guise of creating jobs. That is a bunch whooey. It isn't even about paying their fair share anymore. It is about just paying taxes and contributing to America. I just wonder why tea baggers aren't outraged about this? They should be humble themselves, realize they were wrong and stand up for what is right and just in this Country.

[tjsroch]

We can go back and forth on this... but CBS stopped reading these posts 50 pages back.

[TxCharliex]

I hope every protester playing hooky from work is summarily FIRED - strikes are why I hate unions, and this is pretty much a strike, unless every one of these people are taking pre-arranged vacation hours. They get what they want by the constant threat of strikes, which is why they're over-paid.

The governors need to remember that these are just a few thousand screaming people who were stirred up by their labor unions - whereas the voters number in the millions.

[noloyalisti]

The "abuses" by the unions are literally a drop in the bucket compared to the outrageous compensation being provided to giant corporate CEOs. They make an average of 350 times what the average workers make. The banksters took $130 billion in compensation out of the economy in 2007 before they destroyed the American economy and now they are taking $140 billion.

Enough is enough. They have pushed too far and have woken the sleeping giant. It is now up to ALL progressive, liberals, activists and patriotic Americans to join together with the unions, the college students and progressive groups like MoveOn, Code Pink, Common Cause, People for the American Way, etc. We need to get MASSIVE numbers of people energized and ready to go out on the streets to stop the corporate right wing greed machine.

[TxCharliex]

Big difference though... I have a CHOICE whether or not to support CEO bonuses, because I can refuse to do business with their company. For example, I closed my Bank of America account and when they raised my credit card interest to 30%, I simply refused to pay them another dime until they lowered my interest rate. They finally offered me a settlement at 50 cents on the dollar. Playing hardball with them works.

In contrast, I am required by threat of a GUN to pay a government worker - Don't believe me? Just try to not pay your taxes. The IRS will eventually come to your house with a gun and ARREST you after harassing and fining you for a couple of years. The State and County will eventually send the Sheriff to take your house away from you and auction it off to pay the taxes.

So, a public union not only hangs the constant threat of a strike over everyone's head if they don't get paid every cent they ask for, but indirectly they can shove a gun at you if you don't pay up. It's criminal that they are paid more than most taxpayers.

[laloba55]

AMEN!

[vanniecal]

"...A racist, fascist, lily white, male society..." this politically correct left wing hate speech is perfectly fine: after all, it's left wing hate speech so were all ok with it, arent we?"


I see no "hate" in this comment. If you area racist or a fascist or believe in those principles, then how can that be hateful to be called out on it. Prove you aren't either. If you are lily white, you are lily white, and unless you hate being called a male, how can that be hateful.
Just to let you know, I've been called a communist (not one), a pinko (whatever that means), a libtard, a fascist (puhleze), stupid, dumb, a liar, and many other no so savory names.
No one has a corner on hateful verbiage, but I think conservatives win out, particularly when they have nothing in the way of proof for their claims.