Wisconsin in turmoil.

[Kobuk]

Anybody here been watching the news or reading the newspapers about the current financial crisis and Budget Bill reform going on in Wisconsin right now? I'm not that well informed politically or economically to make a decision on what's right, wrong, fair, etc. All I can say is that I hope this crisis ends soon. 
All I know is that Governor Walker and a vast majority of state Republicans want to get the state out of debt. And to do that, they want to cut benefits to a vast majority of state employees and remove their collective bargaining rights. There's a bill being debated in Madison right now, but voting on it has pretty much stalled because 14 Democratic Senators who oppose the bill have fled to Illinois and won't return to Wisconsin till Walker and other Republicans make amendments and listen to reason. You can catch more news excerpts here: http://www.todaystmj4.com/

[Narei Mooncatt]

I didn't hear about this until a couple days ago when it started making national headlines (I don't catch too much in the way of local news). I don't really know enough about the issue to have a full opinion one way or the other. I'm not a fan of big unions, the teachers unions especially have a bad rap for not allowing bad ones to be dismissed from work. Non-union businesses can also work more effeciently a lot of times. On the other hand, I've not really heard much from the opposers of the bill other than simple prostester type one liners that don't inform you much.

On the democrats that fled the state, how childish and cowardly of them. I wonder if there's any sort of punishment in store for them for abandoning their duties. At least stand up and fight for what you believe in. I also heard a rather interesting take on this that basically said Walker ran on this very issue and was voted in, now everyone is griping and complaining that he's doing exactly what he said he would do. I'm taking that with a grain of salt, but it's pretty funny if it's at least partially true.

[Ziel]

Ohio (and several other states, too, I'm pretty sure) currently has a bill being discussed regarding the collective bargaining issue. There have been protesters at the state capitol all week, so it's been a pretty big story here, locally.

But I have heard about Wisconsin in the news, too. Quite a situation, there, it seems. On one hand it is nice to see a state attempting to balance out it's budget deficit. But of course that is going to have a negative impact on somebody... And I don't think it's that unfair to do what the bill looking to do. I understand the point of unions and collective bargaining. And on the surface, they would seem fairly beneficial. But I feel like in some cases, unions have gotten a little out of control. That's what the bill seems to be working on. It's not completely removing unions at all. It's just putting a tighter reign on them, in hopes to keep them a little more under control.

[Avan]

I only heard about it in passing a while back.

[Sk Skunk]

Looks like some dem senators from Indiana have pulled the same stunt.

The people elect the representatives, governor. The representatives, governor, bring ideas for debate, vote on the outcome. The vote makes the law. If the losing side, and the people of the state don't like the outcome, there are other methods to reverse the decision, or at least stall the outcome. Ultimately, the people of the state can remove the people in charge. If the minority party does not get it's way, this should be all the reason/ammunition needed to change there position in the next election.

What these senators have done is childish at best. At worst, it is an undermining of our government.

It's also troubling to see people from outside of the state getting involved. This is an issue for the people of Wisconsin, Indiana to decide, not mobs or money from across the country.

I'm afraid the political system in the USA is broken. It's only going to get worse.

[Fen-Fen]

Teachers in Georgia have poured into the state capitol in order to protest this. I myself am pretty much caught in the middle which is funny since my mother is an educator and my boyfriend is siding with the Mayor of Wisconsin in all this so I'm a bit torn in more ways than one, haha.

I really don't know enough <i>un</i>biased information pertaining to both parties in order to form my own opinion. I'm an avid supporter of education and funding for it since I have seen many a teacher use their own check to buy their kids the pencils, paper, and other materials their parents didn't bother to send them to school with. I realize that the cuts affect all government sector employees, but the AFT is a strong force in this battle.

[Deval]

Personally, I think Wisconsin Governor Walker is doing a fine job.

One of the first things he did was refuse Wisconsin's share of the High Speed Rail funding, then Nippon Sharyo decided to build a factory in Roschelle, IL instead of Wisconsin, giving in Illinois 300 new jobs.

Now he is trying to break the unions and the state senators have fled to Illinois, and Illinois is getting their money for food and lodging.

So, he's been in office less than 6 months and given Illinois 300 new jobs plus a lot of new tourists - Governor Walker is doing a fine job for us here in Illinois.

[Narei Mooncatt]

So, he's been in office less than 6 months and given Illinois 300 new jobs plus a lot of new tourists - Governor Walker is doing a fine job for us here in Illinois.

If that's the case, then he's just doing his part to help offset the loses in Illinois from all the people relocating to WI, IN, etc after that massive income tax increase passed.