Oy… this stuff comes in waves.
Via JSonline.com:
Madison — The Senate – without Democrats present – abruptly voted Wednesday to eliminate almost all collective bargaining for most public workers.
The bill, which has sparked unprecedented protests and drawn international attention, now heads to the Assembly, which is to take it up at 11 a.m. Thursday. The Assembly, which like the Senate is controlled by Republicans, passed an almost identical version of the bill Feb. 25.
The new version passed the Senate 18-1 Wednesday night, with Sen. Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center) casting the no vote. There was no debate
Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller (D-Monona) said Democrats who have been boycotting the Senate for three weeks would return to Wisconsin once the bill passes the Assembly, although he declined to be more specific.
From Feb. 17 until Wednesday, the Senate Democrats were able to block a vote on the bill because 20 senators were required to be present to vote for it. Republicans control the house 19-14.
Late Wednesday, a committee stripped fiscal elements from the bill that they said allowed them to pass it with a simple majority present. The most controversial parts of the bill remain intact.
That committee, formed just hours earlier, quickly approved the bill as the lone Democrat at the meeting screamed that Republicans were violating the state’s open meetings law.
The law requires most public bodies to give 24 hours notice before they meet. The conference committee met with about two hours notice.
and of course, batty crazy broke out! 😯
Jeeez…. and they call Conservatives crazy? 🙄
The problem I have with all of this; is this, these knuckleheads make better money and get better benefits, than my dad and he is a retired General Motors employee! (He worked as a Hi-Low driver for 31 years…Union too!) President Obama told everyone and I mean everyone; that they had to take a haircut; and these public sector unions are acting like children that do not want to go to barber! 🙄
The private sector unions have to take and have been taking massive “haircuts”, so, why not these people? It just makes not sense at all to me. Also what gets me, is all the nuttiness! Is it really helping the cause of the Democratic Party to have senators fleeing the state? I mean, can you imagine the political ads come 2012? Holy Moses! The Republicans are going to eat the Democratic Party for lunch come 2012. Does anyone over in Wisconsin think beyond the end of their nose?
I guess the only way I can put it, is this way; I am 38 years old. I have seen much politics and much strange stuff in my days. But this sort of nonsense just takes the cake; and it is not helping the Democrats cause, at all.
I do truly believe, that the way this is all going; that Democrats are not going to be able to be elected for Mayor’s of cities; much less State Senate —- and as someone who believes in divided Government, it makes me a bit sad. 🙁
> “The private sector unions have to take and have been taking massive “haircuts”, so, why not these people?”
Do you realise that the unions accepted the proposed cuts?
Do you understand that the objection was to the removal of collective bargaining rights?
Do you understand that the manoeuvre of removing all fiscal items from the bill so that quorum was not required implicitly demonstrates that the measure has nothing to do with balancing the budget?
If so your position is incomprehensible. If not you have no business calling anyone a knucklehead.
Government workers do not deserve ANY collective bargaining rights. AT ALL.
FDR said this; and it was ignored and now, they’re paying the price for that. Their salaries come out of pockets of the American people, in this case the people of Wisconsin! It just so happens that the STATE IS DAMNED BROKE and cannot afford these fucking lavish benefits and salaries any longer!
Now take your god damned medicine and shut the hell up! 😡
Fucking idiot socialist twits…. 🙄