File under: Tempest In A Teapot, But Are We Surprised?
Wisconsin politics — which hasn't been pretty of late — has made its way into a local Labor Day parade. The organizers of the Wausau Labor Day parade announced they would not let Republican lawmakers take part in the Sept. 5 display. The parade is organized by 30 local unions.
Ya gotta' love dose union guyz...they do know how to win friends and influence people.
All the good the union movement did (and it did some good in its day, truly) is now swallowed up in invective and thuggery.
November 2012 cannot arrive soon enough.
Showing posts with label Wisconsin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wisconsin. Show all posts
Monday, August 29, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Joe The Plumber Visits Madison, Until The Threats On His Family From Wisconsin Send Him Home
What a great bunch, our friends at NEA and SEIU.
Sorta' wants to make one stand up and cheer, don't-cha-know?
Actually, Joe's account of his visit was remarkably fair-minded, not a knee-jerk reaction at all.
I went to Wisconsin with an open mind. I wanted to understand exactly what was going between the state and the unions, so I spoke with people on both sides of the issue. While I did so, I recorded our conversations so that the people watching my interviews can make up there own minds.
The first day there I spoke to some great guys who were Correction Officers. They do a tough, dangerous job day in and day out and they do not get thanked enough for the job they do. They are squared away, salt-of-the-earth men; guys I would want to go fishing with and throw back some beers. I honestly believe what they get paid is not near enough for the job they do. Their worries and concerns were genuine.
Steve, a CO in Wisconsin says, “I make 32,000 dollars a year before taxes. How am I suppose to afford the extra healthcare that my family needs”?
This guy’s pay has been frozen for 4 years. That doesn’t begin to seem right.
Then the ugly started...the threatening phone calls to his house, from Wisconsin.
Home again, file the police report, buy another gun, get another dog.
And, still, remarkably fair-minded at the end of the day.
It's a good read, and some good insight.
Sorta' wants to make one stand up and cheer, don't-cha-know?
Actually, Joe's account of his visit was remarkably fair-minded, not a knee-jerk reaction at all.
I went to Wisconsin with an open mind. I wanted to understand exactly what was going between the state and the unions, so I spoke with people on both sides of the issue. While I did so, I recorded our conversations so that the people watching my interviews can make up there own minds.
The first day there I spoke to some great guys who were Correction Officers. They do a tough, dangerous job day in and day out and they do not get thanked enough for the job they do. They are squared away, salt-of-the-earth men; guys I would want to go fishing with and throw back some beers. I honestly believe what they get paid is not near enough for the job they do. Their worries and concerns were genuine.
Steve, a CO in Wisconsin says, “I make 32,000 dollars a year before taxes. How am I suppose to afford the extra healthcare that my family needs”?
This guy’s pay has been frozen for 4 years. That doesn’t begin to seem right.
Then the ugly started...the threatening phone calls to his house, from Wisconsin.
Home again, file the police report, buy another gun, get another dog.
And, still, remarkably fair-minded at the end of the day.
It's a good read, and some good insight.
Friday, March 4, 2011
What The NEA Leadership Tells The NEA Rank-And-File
It's or interesting to see what the leadership of an organization, any organization, says to the rank-and-file. Everybody does it--churches, businesses, organizations like NRA, or...labor unions. OS thinks the folks who turn out this copy, day after day, lull themselves into thinking they are holding a private conversation. They forget that, when they hit than 'Print' of 'Send' button, it actually means 'Publish'.
The following is a sample from today's 'NEA Today' email, which arrives every morning in OS's mailbox. OS, as a public service, shares them with you...with explanatory notes included.
A proclamation by President Obama declared today Read Across America Day, NEA President Dennis Van Roekel told the event’s crowd of students decked in “Cat in the Hat” stovepipe hats.“Today, there are 45 million people doing what we’re doing: wearing funny hats and reading!” he said.
You really must must must hit the link to see The First Lady in front of a crowd of Cats-In-Hats. Words fail. Not even Dr. Suess is equal to this occasion.
Day-in, day-out, year-in, year-out, the copywriters grind the verbiage out. Little wonder they, and their audiences, come to assume that they have a true and unique grip on reality, sharing a unique knowledge with a private audience.
Little wonder we witness the protests in Madison and Providence.
As he types out his thoughts, to be launched in a blog-bottle onto the sea of the internet, OS is watching Waiting For Superman, currently available on DirectTV Pay-Per-View movie service. It is staggering to watch, dismaying to view. The segment showing the lotteries for spaces in the good schools is agonizing to view.
The 4.99 spent keeps the movie going for twenty-four hours, and OS will be viewing it again.
The NEA loathes it, preaches against it, vilifies it at every turn. Little wonder. Prophetically, some of the most damning anecdotes are told about Madison, Wisconsin.
The following is a sample from today's 'NEA Today' email, which arrives every morning in OS's mailbox. OS, as a public service, shares them with you...with explanatory notes included.
- Ohio Senate Passes Collective Bargaining Overhaul (Those Wascawy Wepubwikans,Winning That Election Without Our Permission)
- Public Adamantly Opposed to Cuts in K-12 Education, Social Security (Sit tight! We've got those conservatives cornered!)
- NEA Kicks Off Read Across America Day
A proclamation by President Obama declared today Read Across America Day, NEA President Dennis Van Roekel told the event’s crowd of students decked in “Cat in the Hat” stovepipe hats.“Today, there are 45 million people doing what we’re doing: wearing funny hats and reading!” he said.
You really must must must hit the link to see The First Lady in front of a crowd of Cats-In-Hats. Words fail. Not even Dr. Suess is equal to this occasion.
- Wisconsin Governor is Waging ‘Jihad’ Against Unions (Beheadings? Honor Killings?)
- What You Need to Know About State Pensions (It's all the fault of greedy legislators and the housing meltdown. Stand fast, brethren, we'll get every penny. There is no real crisis...)
- House of Representatives Slashes Education for Low-Income Kids (Those Wascawy Wepubwikans, With Their Dwaconian Cuts!)
Day-in, day-out, year-in, year-out, the copywriters grind the verbiage out. Little wonder they, and their audiences, come to assume that they have a true and unique grip on reality, sharing a unique knowledge with a private audience.
Little wonder we witness the protests in Madison and Providence.
As he types out his thoughts, to be launched in a blog-bottle onto the sea of the internet, OS is watching Waiting For Superman, currently available on DirectTV Pay-Per-View movie service. It is staggering to watch, dismaying to view. The segment showing the lotteries for spaces in the good schools is agonizing to view.
The 4.99 spent keeps the movie going for twenty-four hours, and OS will be viewing it again.
The NEA loathes it, preaches against it, vilifies it at every turn. Little wonder. Prophetically, some of the most damning anecdotes are told about Madison, Wisconsin.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Open Letter To Racine County
The thoughts of a newly-minted GOP State Senator in Wisconsin.
Well worth reading, since it is from a direct source.
Well worth reading, since it is from a direct source.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Organizing For Wisconsin: So Much For The 'Adult Conversation' Obama Claims He Wishes To Undertake
One of the scariest things we learned about Richard Nixon in the early 1970's was that he had an entirely separate operation, aptly named CREEP ('Committee to Re-Elect The President), that operated at his behest. Apart from the Republican Party, out of sight, often operating in laundered cash. He had his Plumbers to do covert intelligence for him. He had an Attorney General (Mitchell) who served as his muscle. He had an enemies list, and used the IRS to harass them. He was on the way to setting up his own personal governance in the shadows. It was, well, scary.
So, now, forty years later....we have Obama inserting himself and his personal one-off machine into Wisconsin's local debate.
Those crowds with the printed signs did not appear out of thin air, ya'll. This appears to be severely ginned-up.
MADISON, WIS. - President Obama thrust himself and his political operation this week into Wisconsin's broiling budget battle, mobilizing opposition Thursday to a Republican bill that would curb public-worker benefits while planning similar action in other state capitals.
Obama accused Scott Walker, the state's new Republican governor, of unleashing an "assault" on unions in pushing emergency legislation that would nullify collective-bargaining agreements that affect most public employees, including teachers.
The president's political machine worked in close coordination Thursday with state and national union officials to mobilize thousands of protesters to gather in Madison and to plan similar demonstrations in other state capitals.
Their efforts began to spread, as thousands of labor supporters turned out for a hearing in Columbus, Ohio, to protest a measure from Gov. John Kasich (R) that would cut collective-bargaining rights.
By the end of the day, Democratic Party officials were working to organize additional demonstrations in Ohio and Indiana, where an effort is underway to trim benefits for public workers. Some union activists predicted similar protests in Missouri, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
There is a common denominator here: Obama must win these states to retain the Presidency.
Having lost at the ballot box, pretty decisively, we now face the prospect of a President of The United States actively fomenting mobs of loyalists to show up at state houses, to protect his core constituents, and likely to intimidate any and all who may disagree. It is his organization undertaking this. It is for him to say 'yea' or 'nay' to its activities. As President, his 'nay' would bring this sort of thing to a halt.
We are now on very dangerous ground. Heaven help us all. It is significant that The Washington Post would devote this much energy to reporting this story, as it is the organization that unraveled the Nixon machine.
We will be fortunate if no blood is spilled in the meantime. We are on very dangerous ground. The scenes we have viewed in Athens and London may be local events, unless wiser heads prevail.
So, now, forty years later....we have Obama inserting himself and his personal one-off machine into Wisconsin's local debate.
Those crowds with the printed signs did not appear out of thin air, ya'll. This appears to be severely ginned-up.
MADISON, WIS. - President Obama thrust himself and his political operation this week into Wisconsin's broiling budget battle, mobilizing opposition Thursday to a Republican bill that would curb public-worker benefits while planning similar action in other state capitals.
Obama accused Scott Walker, the state's new Republican governor, of unleashing an "assault" on unions in pushing emergency legislation that would nullify collective-bargaining agreements that affect most public employees, including teachers.
The president's political machine worked in close coordination Thursday with state and national union officials to mobilize thousands of protesters to gather in Madison and to plan similar demonstrations in other state capitals.
Their efforts began to spread, as thousands of labor supporters turned out for a hearing in Columbus, Ohio, to protest a measure from Gov. John Kasich (R) that would cut collective-bargaining rights.
By the end of the day, Democratic Party officials were working to organize additional demonstrations in Ohio and Indiana, where an effort is underway to trim benefits for public workers. Some union activists predicted similar protests in Missouri, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
There is a common denominator here: Obama must win these states to retain the Presidency.
Having lost at the ballot box, pretty decisively, we now face the prospect of a President of The United States actively fomenting mobs of loyalists to show up at state houses, to protect his core constituents, and likely to intimidate any and all who may disagree. It is his organization undertaking this. It is for him to say 'yea' or 'nay' to its activities. As President, his 'nay' would bring this sort of thing to a halt.
We are now on very dangerous ground. Heaven help us all. It is significant that The Washington Post would devote this much energy to reporting this story, as it is the organization that unraveled the Nixon machine.
We will be fortunate if no blood is spilled in the meantime. We are on very dangerous ground. The scenes we have viewed in Athens and London may be local events, unless wiser heads prevail.
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