Sunday
Mar062011
It just gets crazier by the minute
Sunday, March 6, 2011 at 6:49PM
It seems like it's just one thing after another. You really couldn't make these kinds of things up. Everyday there is some new development, which if it weren't so unbelievable and shocking, you'd just want to laugh.
If it's not the Senate Dems leaving the state, then it's Governor Walker taking a prank call from a New York blogger and divulging some dirty secrets. That's right- despite ignoring multiple calls from Democratic leaders wanting to talk about his budget repair bill, Walker found the time to take a call from one of the billionaire Koch brothers- ardent Republicans who helped finance his campaign. Refusing to negotiate with Dems, he still managed to find 20 minutes to talk to a man who helped secure his victory, and is obviously very self interested.
And boy, what a conversation. Thankfully it was recorded and wasn't actually a Koch brother. In the full transcript, Walker talks about his unwavering will to stand firm and be uncompromising, and his grateful support for his Republican backers, including the desire to have them fly him out to California for a nice break. He also talks about tricking the Senate Democrats into coming back to the Capitol, if they are not able to force them back.
But worst of all, Walker openly admits to thinking about planting troublemakers in amongst the crowd of protesters in order to antagonise them and stir up some violence. He openly thought about trying to start a riot!!! Can you believe that? He decided it could backfire on him, and force his hand, so decided against it. But just the fact that the thought crossed his mind is simply incredible!!
Then there is all the talk and attempted actions on getting the 14 Dem Senators back into the state. It began with locking their paychecks in their desks on the Senate floor. Then there were talks about fines for not showing up to work- $100 a day. That was followed by cutting off Dem staffers photocopying codes, and assigning them Republican bosses to oversee their work. How extremely childish! Most recently, their has been renewed talks of criminal action, and a Senate resolution to arrest the 14 Democrats and forcibly bring them back to the Capitol.
But the Dems have been standing firm. And though they have been starting to receive some negative media coverage from sources other than Fox, I think they still largely have the public support behind them. They are the only thing that is stopping Walker and the Republicans from ramming through this terrible legislation. T-shirts have been made supporting the "Wisconsin 14". (Just one of the great t-shirts I have seen, including one with the image of the state shattered into pieces, and one which is a play on the "Teach Me How To Bucky" slogan which is popular here, now changed to "Teach Me How To Bargain")
And they have been having an impact, with the eyes of the world on them. Walker's actions proved to be somewhat of a test case for Republican governors across the country. I don't think anyone thought the reaction would be as strong as it has been in Wisconsin, and it has thus resulted in many governors reconsidering their actions, and in fact scaling back their attacks on public workers in the US.
Don't get me wrong; I think public workers should be contributing to help solving the budget Problem-not Crisis- in the state and the country. But they should only be contributing a little, a small amount that they can afford. Everyone should be chipping in- proportionately. Because that's the thing about Walker's new budget- it is simply unfair. It calls for huge cuts in public services, education and Medicaid, as well as reducing the income of those people who also rely on these services. It's like a double whammy. Meanwhile, those who don't use or need these services, get tax breaks for their companies, and don't see any increase in hardships. On the contrary, they actually stand to perhaps make a little more money.
Taking from the poor and giving to the rich is not how it is supposed to work.
To solve the budget problem effectively requires the cutting of spending, and an increase in revenue. That means raising taxes. I think that this tax increase should only fall on those who can afford it- the upper class. That way, everyone is contributing to society- FAIRLY. But Walker has promised that there will be absolutely no tax increases, and has even prohibited local authorities from increasing taxes themselves. That stinks of favouritism to the rich if you ask me.
I never thought I would say this, but comparatively speaking, David Cameron has been doing the right thing in England to address the budget problem- cutting spending and raising taxes.
Enough on this post for now- More craziness and hilarity to follow in the next post. I'll leave you with this interesting and amusing read, which aptly sums up Walker and his fellow Republicans. Congrats to Rick Horowitz for a witty piece.
If it's not the Senate Dems leaving the state, then it's Governor Walker taking a prank call from a New York blogger and divulging some dirty secrets. That's right- despite ignoring multiple calls from Democratic leaders wanting to talk about his budget repair bill, Walker found the time to take a call from one of the billionaire Koch brothers- ardent Republicans who helped finance his campaign. Refusing to negotiate with Dems, he still managed to find 20 minutes to talk to a man who helped secure his victory, and is obviously very self interested.
And boy, what a conversation. Thankfully it was recorded and wasn't actually a Koch brother. In the full transcript, Walker talks about his unwavering will to stand firm and be uncompromising, and his grateful support for his Republican backers, including the desire to have them fly him out to California for a nice break. He also talks about tricking the Senate Democrats into coming back to the Capitol, if they are not able to force them back.
But worst of all, Walker openly admits to thinking about planting troublemakers in amongst the crowd of protesters in order to antagonise them and stir up some violence. He openly thought about trying to start a riot!!! Can you believe that? He decided it could backfire on him, and force his hand, so decided against it. But just the fact that the thought crossed his mind is simply incredible!!
Then there is all the talk and attempted actions on getting the 14 Dem Senators back into the state. It began with locking their paychecks in their desks on the Senate floor. Then there were talks about fines for not showing up to work- $100 a day. That was followed by cutting off Dem staffers photocopying codes, and assigning them Republican bosses to oversee their work. How extremely childish! Most recently, their has been renewed talks of criminal action, and a Senate resolution to arrest the 14 Democrats and forcibly bring them back to the Capitol.
But the Dems have been standing firm. And though they have been starting to receive some negative media coverage from sources other than Fox, I think they still largely have the public support behind them. They are the only thing that is stopping Walker and the Republicans from ramming through this terrible legislation. T-shirts have been made supporting the "Wisconsin 14". (Just one of the great t-shirts I have seen, including one with the image of the state shattered into pieces, and one which is a play on the "Teach Me How To Bucky" slogan which is popular here, now changed to "Teach Me How To Bargain")
And they have been having an impact, with the eyes of the world on them. Walker's actions proved to be somewhat of a test case for Republican governors across the country. I don't think anyone thought the reaction would be as strong as it has been in Wisconsin, and it has thus resulted in many governors reconsidering their actions, and in fact scaling back their attacks on public workers in the US.
Don't get me wrong; I think public workers should be contributing to help solving the budget Problem-not Crisis- in the state and the country. But they should only be contributing a little, a small amount that they can afford. Everyone should be chipping in- proportionately. Because that's the thing about Walker's new budget- it is simply unfair. It calls for huge cuts in public services, education and Medicaid, as well as reducing the income of those people who also rely on these services. It's like a double whammy. Meanwhile, those who don't use or need these services, get tax breaks for their companies, and don't see any increase in hardships. On the contrary, they actually stand to perhaps make a little more money.
Taking from the poor and giving to the rich is not how it is supposed to work.
To solve the budget problem effectively requires the cutting of spending, and an increase in revenue. That means raising taxes. I think that this tax increase should only fall on those who can afford it- the upper class. That way, everyone is contributing to society- FAIRLY. But Walker has promised that there will be absolutely no tax increases, and has even prohibited local authorities from increasing taxes themselves. That stinks of favouritism to the rich if you ask me.
I never thought I would say this, but comparatively speaking, David Cameron has been doing the right thing in England to address the budget problem- cutting spending and raising taxes.
Enough on this post for now- More craziness and hilarity to follow in the next post. I'll leave you with this interesting and amusing read, which aptly sums up Walker and his fellow Republicans. Congrats to Rick Horowitz for a witty piece.
Reader Comments (1)
Sorry Ben I can't agree with you about Cameron. You are too far removed from it now. You need to be back here to see what is really going on !