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Wis. governor to Dems: Return or 1,500 workers will be axed

toomuchtime_

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Thousands of Wisconsin state workers were bracing for layoff notices Friday as Republican Gov. Scott Walker and absent Democrats remained in a standoff over a budget balancing bill that would also strip public workers of their collective bargaining rights.

Walker said he would issue 1,500 layoff notices Friday if at least one of the 14 Senate Democrats doesn't return from Illinois to give the Republican majority the quorum it needs to vote. Senate Republicans voted Thursday to hold the missing Democrats in contempt and force police to bring them back to the Capitol.

Walker says the bill is needed to ease a deficit that is projected to hit $137 million by July and $3.6 billion by mid-2013. His proposal comes up with the money for this year in part by forcing state employees to pay for half the cost of their pensions and twice their current health care premiums — concessions equivalent to an 8 percent pay cut.

With the labor bill stalled, Walker said he has to issue layoff notices starting Friday so the state can start to realize the $30 million savings he had assumed would come from the concessions. The layoffs wouldn't be effective for 31 days, and Walker said he could rescind them if the bill passed in the meantime.

Return or workers will be axed, Wis. Dems told - Politics - More politics - msnbc.com

No good choices here for the unions or the politicians who work for them.
 
Isn't it telling that Unions and the Democrat 14 would rather see people get a pink slip than to do something that could save their jobs?

This happens all the time and wrong every time.
 
This is the part that makes me really, really unhappy. True, when there is no money then people have to be laid off. What makes public union contracts so untenable is that the government does not get to choose who to lay off and who to keep. Union contracts force lay-offs to be based on seniority, not merit, so frequently the poor and mediocre employees with seniority stay on, while excellent employees (and teachers) are forced out.
 
This is disgusting, playing with people livelihoods for what amounts to little more than political points, the Democrats should just do the job they're paid for and stop acting like 3 year olds.
 
Isn't it telling that Unions and the Democrat 14 would rather see people get a pink slip than to do something that could save their jobs?

This happens all the time and wrong every time.

The Governor doesn't need to send pink slips to anyone. He is trying to blame others for his actions. It’s like a criminal saying that it is someone else’s fault when they kill. "If you had paid the ransom..." This is fraudulent. If the Governor issues pink slips it is because the Governor issues pink slips and blaming someone else is disingenuous.
 
The Governor doesn't need to send pink slips to anyone. He is trying to blame others for his actions. It’s like a criminal saying that it is someone else’s fault when they kill. "If you had paid the ransom..." This is fraudulent. If the Governor issues pink slips it is because the Governor issues pink slips and blaming someone else is disingenuous.

Can you share with us what you mean by the above. The state has to close a budget gap. Workers will either need to take a pay cut by paying more for their benefits or they keep the benefits and have fellow co-workers laid off.
 
Return or workers will be axed, Wis. Dems told - Politics - More politics - msnbc.com

No good choices here for the unions or the politicians who work for them.

gun_kitten.jpg
 
First of all, there's no magic here. The layoff notices reflect a day 30 days in the future. So all can be fixed.

But honestly? I think we're going to see some kind of compromise. There has to be...

Maybe not. Walker may allow the Dem senators some sort of face saving gesture, but I doubt he will back down on the bill. When this guy was Milwaukee County executive, he gave back half of his salary every year for his first term and a smaller amount during his second term in order to gain the moral authority for deep cuts in the County budget. Right or wrong, I think he is fully committed to his program.
 
Can you share with us what you mean by the above. The state has to close a budget gap. Workers will either need to take a pay cut by paying more for their benefits or they keep the benefits and have fellow co-workers laid off.

bingo. it's not like Walker created the massive budget gap, or the destructive union contracts.
 
Maybe not. Walker may allow the Dem senators some sort of face saving gesture, but I doubt he will back down on the bill. When this guy was Milwaukee County executive, he gave back half of his salary every year for his first term and a smaller amount during his second term in order to gain the moral authority for deep cuts in the County budget. Right or wrong, I think he is fully committed to his program.

wow, i didn't know that. props.
 
The Governor doesn't need to send pink slips to anyone. He is trying to blame others for his actions. It’s like a criminal saying that it is someone else’s fault when they kill. "If you had paid the ransom..." This is fraudulent. If the Governor issues pink slips it is because the Governor issues pink slips and blaming someone else is disingenuous.

Not at all. The layoffs will save the state roughly the amount that the bill would. This guy is committed to cutting the budget one way or another.
 
Isn't it telling that Unions and the Democrat 14 would rather see people get a pink slip than to do something that could save their jobs?
That could easily be flipped to read: isn't it telling that Republicans would rather give people pink slips than compromise on collective bargaining rights?

Can you share with us what you mean by the above. The state has to close a budget gap. Workers will either need to take a pay cut by paying more for their benefits or they keep the benefits and have fellow co-workers laid off.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the part of the bill that Democrats are protesting have no effect whatsoever on the current budget? As I understand it, it's more of a protection for the future (one that assumes Walker and the government won't be able to negotiate with the unions or do what they are doing at the moment to them)? As far as I can tell, the choices aren't accept the deal or see people fired. There are two other options: (1) compromise on the collective bargaining rights, or (2) raise taxes (which apparently would be somewhat supported in WI if the polls are to be believed).
 
That could easily be flipped to read: isn't it telling that Republicans would rather give people pink slips than compromise on collective bargaining rights?

not really. Republicans know that that is the core issue; the institution that creates the budget deficits. such a move would be a "kick the can" maneuver.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the part of the bill that Democrats are protesting have no effect whatsoever on the current budget?

you are correct; it is future budgets that this portion of the bill will effect.

mind you, taking the long view and doing the responsible thing used to be considered 'the right thing to do' in American politics...

now, of course, it seems that we are determined to keep the party rolling until we max out the credit card, devil may care.
 
When this [Scott Walker] was Milwaukee County executive, he gave back half of his salary every year for his first term and a smaller amount during his second term in order to gain the moral authority for deep cuts in the County budget. …

For all of the governor's give-backs as a county executive, he cost them far more when his reckless dismissal of county employees was eventually overturned by the Wisconsin court system.

“We are basically paying for the service twice now.” — John Ruggini, Milwaukee County's assistant budget administrator

Excerpted from “Milwaukee County security guards return to job; Walker’s outsourcing effort reversed, but private guards also remain” By Steve Schultze of the Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, March 2, 2011
[SIZE="+2"]T[/SIZE]he full cost of the court ruling has not yet been calculated, but none of the estimated $153,000 in annual savings is expected to materialize. The court ordered back pay for the county guards, minus any unemployment or retirement benefits or earnings from another job.

A few county security guards who retired a year ago when Wackenhut was brought in have been allowed to reverse their retirement and return as active employees. The amount of any pension benefits they already received will be deducted from their back pay, Takerian said.

An earlier estimate said the county could wind up spending an extra $430,000 on security, as a result of the outsourcing reversal ordered by the court. …
 
That could easily be flipped to read: isn't it telling that Republicans would rather give people pink slips than compromise on collective bargaining rights?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the part of the bill that Democrats are protesting have no effect whatsoever on the current budget? As I understand it, it's more of a protection for the future (one that assumes Walker and the government won't be able to negotiate with the unions or do what they are doing at the moment to them)? As far as I can tell, the choices aren't accept the deal or see people fired. There are two other options: (1) compromise on the collective bargaining rights, or (2) raise taxes (which apparently would be somewhat supported in WI if the polls are to be believed).

The problem is that the Walker bill is a complete plan for preventing the state from setting wages and benefits higher than it can reasonably afford to fund. Not only would the present cuts help with the deficit now, but wages in the future could never rise faster than the cost of living without voter approval, and once the present contracts expire, merit can replace seniority as the basis for promotions and pay raises and work rules won't stand in the way of reforms that will increase efficiency and productivity, thus further reducing costs to taxpayers. In addition, benefit packages and employee contributions to them can be adjusted as needed to keep expenses manageable.

Without question, the results from this bill would be good for the state, but not so good for public employees, and downright bad for unions and the politicians they support, but unions would not be powerless to represent the interests of their members. If they feel the government has gone too far in cutting costs, they can always try to make changes by taking the issue to voters in a referendum. In effect, instead of negotiating with politicians, the unions would be negotiating directly with taxpayers.
 
The Governor doesn't need to send pink slips to anyone. He is trying to blame others for his actions. It’s like a criminal saying that it is someone else’s fault when they kill. "If you had paid the ransom..." This is fraudulent. If the Governor issues pink slips it is because the Governor issues pink slips and blaming someone else is disingenuous.

But the state of Wisconsing can't afford to give corporations $100 million in tax cuts if teachers keep making these exorbinant salaries that allow them to lord their '93 Honda Acura's over us!

I saw a joke the other day that describes the sitution in Wisconsin perfectly,

"A CEO, a Tea-Partier, and a union member at a table with a plate of 12 cookies. The CEO takes 11 of the cookies, turns to the Tea Partier and says, "Watch out for that union guy. He wants a piece of your cookie."
 
For all of the governor's give-backs as a county executive, he cost them far more when his reckless dismissal of county employees was eventually overturned by the Wisconsin court system.

“We are basically paying for the service twice now.” — John Ruggini, Milwaukee County's assistant budget administrator

Despite some setbacks, Walker did manage to cut the county's debt by 10% during his time in office.
 
It looks like Walker no longer has all the support from the people, he thought he had.

A new poll released on Monday suggested that if the 2010 election could be replayed the Wisconsin governor might lose. The Public Policy Polling survey found that if the election were repeated the result would flip with Walker's Democratic opponent Tom Barrett getting 52 percent and Walker 45 percent. Walker won with 52 percent in November. The shift came mainly from union households.

Democrats differed from Walker's estimate, quoting on Monday a report from state fiscal analyst Al Runde saying that the restructuring Walker wants would add more than $42 million of interest payments over the long term.

In an interview broadcast on Sunday, Walker said he hoped to delay sending layoff notices to state workers if the legislature makes progress on fixing the budget deficit, according to website wispolitics.com.

But to postpone the layoffs, Walker said it will be necessary that his budget repair bill, including the move to end collective bargaining, go into effect by April 1.
Governor gives Wisconsin Democrats an ultimatum | Reuters


I wonder why so many love Christie, want him to run for President, yet they support Walker's position?

Chris Christie: 'I love collective bargaining'
Chris Christie: 'I love collective bargaining' - Jennifer Epstein - POLITICO.com
 
The Governor doesn't need to send pink slips to anyone. He is trying to blame others for his actions. It’s like a criminal saying that it is someone else’s fault when they kill. "If you had paid the ransom..." This is fraudulent. If the Governor issues pink slips it is because the Governor issues pink slips and blaming someone else is disingenuous.

He is falling in the polls and the polls say the people favor collective rights, so he really isn't listening to the people who elected him and he didn't run on removing collective bargaining rights. For that reason, I think he sort of just abusing his power now and doing what he thinks is best and right, not really what the people want. This will probably be his only term...
 
similar actions by Daniels in Indiana gave him exceedingly low favorability ratings for a while there, too. then he won handily in 2008, picking up something like 20% of the black vote.

I wouldn't count Walker out quite yet. it depends on whether or not he succeeds here.
 
bingo. it's not like Walker created the massive budget gap, or the destructive union contracts.
The state legislators who voted to ratify destructive contracts should also get a pink slip.
 
Bottom line, if the money isn't there then it isn't there. If there is no agreement to reduce salaries and benefits to bridge the gap, then the only thing left is lay offs... when, due to union contract clauses, layoffs will be forcefully determined only by seniority and not by merit.

People can whine and stamp their feet all they want, but you cannot print money to pay your own personal bills and states cannot print money to pay theirs.
 
The state legislators who voted to ratify destructive contracts should also get a pink slip.

Most of them are hiding in Illinois. :)
 
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