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Sunday
Mar062011

Democracy's Ugly!

"It's the worst form of government... except for all the others" said one Winston Churchill. If the past two weeks in the State Capitol in Madison are anything to go by, this is certainly the case.

I left off over a week ago, when on Friday, Republicans in the State Assembly tried a dirty trick, attempting to pass the budget repair bill and end collective bargaining without any Democrats aware what was going on. Or even present in the chamber. Apparently Republicans did not learn their lesson that evening.

After a weekend of Democrats listening to over 3000 citizens voicing their opinions on the bill, the week began in earnest on Tuesday at 11.45am, when the Assembly convened to debate and vote on this monumental piece of legislation which as made worldwide news.

That day never really ended.

Despite the sun rising and setting on five different occasions, the Assembly continued on debating the bill, without a recess. A marathon 61 hour session. Democrats put forth over one hundred amendments in an attempt to at least make this rushed, ridiculous bill into a nominally legitimate piece of legislation. They attempted to offer better ways to fix the state's budget deficit, to safeguard those who rely on Medicaid, SeniorCare and BadgerCare, and to protect those prison officers who protect Wisconsin.

Yet the Republicans were having none of it. One by one, after allowing only 10minutes of joint debate on each amendment, the improvements were tabled along party lines, 58-37. It didn't matter if the amendment was a simple tiny detail, or a way to get free federal money; GOPers were not listening. Dems talked and talked and tried to convince the other side of the aisle of the merits of their argument, but as time wore on, almost no-one was listening. The results were a forgone conclusion, in that you could tell none of  the Republicans would even consider an amendment, because they left for naps, and told their seat mates to vote for them, against all amendments. Democratic huh?

I was with the legislators for at least 40 of these 60 hours. Or at least in the building at work. I came to the Sgt's office at 8 am Tuesday morning. I left 8am Wednesday. That was an intense 24 hours, helping to set up everything, and then watching things take off. After a few hours sleep at home, I was back in the Capitol at 5pm. Another night, same old routine. Doing what I hear you ask? Well, we have a number of duties on session day, which include setting up the Assembly chamber, manning the doors and the public viewing galleries (ensuring only legislators are allowed onto the floor, and making sure the public are following the rules), and attending to any errands the representatives required- such as getting energy drinks!

I spent a lot of the time last week as gallery coordinator, running between galleries checking everything was ok, counting empty seats, liaising with police officers who were screening any members of the public who wanted to watch the proceedings- no bags, empty pockets, and a metal wanding. I also had to do my tour guide duty again, escorting visitors to one of the three galleries, and explaining the rules of the gallery to them. This is well beyond what normally occurs on session day, where we just let visitors wander into the gallery themselves. All the extra security and attention to rules was to ward off any bad behaviour from the protesters, who were the ones coming to watch.

Thankfully, there were very few, if any incidents, at least during the time I was there. We only had to kick one guy out  of the gallery for booing at the Republicans- understandable yes, but against the rules. A number of State Troopers accompanied us in the gallery, just in case we did have some agitators. They didn't need to mobilise though.

I don't know numbers (I've never been one for memorising stats) but there has been a huge law enforcement contingent in the Capitol these past few weeks. To ensure the public safety-yes; to safeguard the Capitol-yes; to guard doors- unfortunately yes; to escort paranoid Republican legislators- also sadly true. They've been incredible in their jobs-my hats go off to them- all working regular 12 hr shifts, mostly in thankless, boring positions. Capitol and UW police have been there continuously, as have the State Troopers- they rotate in 3 day blocks from across the state, being housed in Madison. Everyday however it seems like there are some new officers there from some town or county in Wisconsin- Milwaukee PD; Dane County Sherrifs; Fond-du-Lac, Bayside, Ashland PD; Dep. of Natural Resources Rangers; etc etc. Some of them are even working during the day, then coming back in plain clothes to protest with everyone else, despite being exempt from the collective bargaining changes.

After all, if you don't speak up when they come for someone else, there may be no-one left to speak up when they come for you.

One good thing about working the long hours- I now know a lot of policemen and women in the state of Wisconsin. If I ever get caught speeding on a highway, maybe I'll be lucky and end up reminiscing with someone I met in the Capitol. And I think I know almost everyone on the UW Police Force, so if I'm in trouble on Campus, I'll know who to turn to.

After the 5pm- 9am shift Wednesday-Thursday, I was back once again at 5.30pm Thursday evening ready for another all-nighter. This night however, was a little more eventful than the previous two- for which I was grateful, as this was the hardest night to stay awake.

As the hour grew late and the debate continued, many of those in the gallery simply got bored, and left. But then suddenly we hear cries of anger and shouts of frustration. The public rushes back and we are swamped trying to get everyone in quickly. Turns out that the Republicans cut off debate and pushed the bill to the next stage- Engrossment- which basically means no more amendments. A lot of people watching actually thought the bill had passed, the passions of the Democrats were so strong.

But this was nothing. A few hours later the same thing happened, a quick sneaky vote to put the bill past it's third reading and to a final vote on passage. Dems were outraged, and even called for the removal of the Speaker Pro Tempore (the guy who does the Speaker's job). That gave them some extra time on the discussion of the bill.

Finally at 1.07am, the unthinkable happened again. Despite the Dems asking how many people were in the queue waiting to speak (15), Republicans had all their legislators file slowly into the chamber, and then suddenly cut off debate, the Speaker rushing a reading of the motion, and then finally voting on the Budget Repair Bill. Democrats didn't know what hit them, and were screaming in outrage, along with most of the crowd in the gallery. With the roll call open only 17 seconds, the final vote was 51-17 in favour, with over 30 legislators not having the chance to vote.

On this video, (Part 7- skip head to 9.58.00), you can actually see the chief clerk jump for the desk, so unaware that the vote would occur. For an alternate view of the proceedings, you can also check out this video here. (I love how Fox has to say its coverage is "balanced").

After 61 hours of debate, Republicans stifled free speech. Everyone was tired, tensions had risen, and with this somewhat illegal manoeuvre, the Democrats erupted. Shouts and jeers. Pointing frantically in anger. Pumping fists in shame. Paper was flung into the air; water thrown across the chamber. Things were said, on both sides of the aisle, that perhaps shouldn't have been said.

At the end of the day, one could argue that even had the Democrats been allowed to continue speaking, sooner or later the vote would have come, and Republicans, given their majority, would have beaten the Dems and passed the bill. However, I think there is certainly an argument to be made that there were a number of Republicans unhappy with this bill, and the more they heard from Dems, the more likely they were to vote against it. 4 indepedent Republicans, who didn't follow their leadership like sheep voted against the bill. 2 others chose not to vote, as did the one Independent (who used to be Democrat). Had those seven, along with all Democrats, voted against the bill, the result would have been 51-46. Only three more Republicans needed to be convinced of the evils of this bill.

Unfortunately though, the bill passed the assembly. The task of stopping this bill now falls to the power of the protesters, who continue to flock to the Capitol on a daily basis, and to the Senate Democrats, who remain in hiding in Illinois. It was a brave move they took to leave Wisconsin in order to delay a vote on the bill and allow people time to analyse the ramifications of the policy within it. They are starting to come under a large amount of criticism from the media and some citizens in Wisconsin "for not doing their jobs". I contend that they are doing a far better job out of state than their Republican counterparts in the Senate, and are well within their right to do what they are doing according to Senate rules.

As I said, Democracy is ugly. When a controversial bill such as this forces the events that have occurred- Dems fleeing the state, Republicans walking out of the Assembly with their tails between their legs after a vote they know they shouldn't have done- then you know something is wrong with the bill itself.

Something has to break. Wisconsin is at an impasse, as two sides face off against each other. Compromise is on the table, but Walker and the Repubs don't want to negotiate. Sooner or later, something has to give.
Saturday
Feb192011

Power to the People- Assembly Dems make their stand

I want to urge anyone remotely interested in politics, and especially the events unfolding in Wisconsin, to click on the following link, and take the time to watch Assembly Session Part 4.

It is a video which shows Republicans in the Assembly, cheating the rules and trying to sneak through passage of the budget repair bill- the one about collective bargaining- without healthy debate, and without allowing Democrats to add amendments.

Dems were working on amendments, waiting to be briefed by a non-partisan agency about the contents of the bill, when Republicans called the session to reconvene, denying requests by Dems for extra time. Furthermore, Dems were told 5pm, which usually means about 5.10pm. At 4.50pm, Republicans requested a quorum call. By 4.56pm, as can be seen on the TV clock, Republicans were agreeing to suspend rules, and were seconds away from passing the bill entirely by a voice vote, when Dem Representative Gordon Hintz comes running into the chamber. He is followed by the Democratic minority leader, who proceeds to shout to the whole chamber, demanding the floor, demanding he be recognized by the speaker. They finally give in, and turn his microphone on, where he duly provides a scalding rebuke of Republican actions, and defends democracy in Wisconsin. He is followed by other Dem representatives. It is truly impressive and inspirational.

Watch it!

http://www.wiseye.org/Programming/VideoArchive/EventDetail.aspx?evhdid=3759

 

Session- repubs and dirty trick. feeling of inspiration- back on tuesday- if not over the weekend.
Saturday
Feb192011

Power to the People- News stories and Pictures

Saturday
Feb192011

Power to the People

Rachel Maddow's national news show on MSNBC began today with the tagline "Thank Wisconsin It's Friday." She proceeded to announce that "The center of American Politics right now is Madison, Wisconsin." Here's why....

It began one week ago. The newly elected Republican Governor of Wisconsin-Scott Walker- gave a speech announcing the contents of his Budget Repair Bill, a bill designed to plug the shortfall in the current fiscal budget of Wisconsin. There was to be a surplus this year, until the Republicans passed new tax cuts a few weeks ago. This bill calls for a number of controversial measures, including the loss of federal funding, changes to how medicaid eligibility is determined, and provisions making state workers contribute more to their pension and healthcare benefits. But most controversially of all, and the reason for the hubbub in this small Mid-West Capitol, is the measure which strips all public workers in Wisconsin (except those in the police and fire services) of their right to collectively bargain.

Or their voices about their working conditions.

Then and there, we knew this was going to be big. Just how big, I couldn't even imagine.

Emails immediately began flying across cyber space. Phone lines started to ring off the hook. Media teams got to work getting out the message. This bill was going to end fifty years of organized labour history, the first state in the USA to pass collective bargaining laws, and set the ball rolling on working conditions such as minimum wage and the 40hr work week. By Monday, the office I intern in -the Democratic Minority leaders office- had received over 700 emails about this bill, 99% of which greatly opposed it. Other legislators inboxes were in the same state, as were their voicemails. Around midday, we heard a commotion outside, something that sounded a lot like chanting. Running into the hallways, and looking down from the balcony of the second floor, we saw over a thousand people march through the west entrance and into the centre of the Capitol. For twenty minutes, they chanted "Kill the Bill", before turning and leaving the building.

Given the current political climate, the media immediately picked up on the "kill" part of "Kill the Bill". In a case of political correctness gone too far, they construed that it was violent, inflammatory language. Personally, I think its just a nice, short, catchy chant, that rhymes very nicely.

Regardless of this, protesters have continued to chant it throughout the week. On Monday, I thought this march into the Capitol was really cool, and I was really happy I got to witness it. What was to come next paled in comparison, as over the course of three days, a gathering of a few hundred opposed to the bill, turned into a rally of 40,000 protesters.

The bill itself began its journey through the legislative procedure on Tuesday morning, as the Joint Finance Committee held a public hearing to listen to those who wanted to speak in favour or against the measures proposed. Hundreds signed up to have their voices heard, a true testament to free speech. While they waited for their slot, many chose to visit their representatives to personally express their views. Staffers (in Republican offices) were a little nervous about how to deal with these constituents, but they would soon experience baptism by fire. For more and more constituents turned up every hour, desperate to express their opinions to the state government.  During the afternoon mail run, I had to navigate around a number of people in and out of offices.

At 9pm, the Republican chairs of the Finance Committee cut off registration to speak before them. They continued to allow those who had signed in, to testify until 3am. With a huge stack of paper indicating the number of people still waiting to speak, Republican's adjourned for the night, ready for a vote on whether to advance the bill on Wednesday.

But Democrats continued the listening session, arguing that everyone who came here wanting to speak should be given the right to testify. That is what democracy is. So, they continued to listen to people. From 3am Tuesday. Last I heard, they were still going strong, Saturday morning. Legislators and staffers have been switching on and off throughout the nights to ensure there are always people there to listen to the concerns these citizens of Wisconsin have. It is truly incredible. While Democrats kept listening, Republicans ignored the voices of democracy, refusing to negotiate on the bill, leaving voicemail inboxes full, and locking down their offices. One who decided he should speak to his constituent, ended up arguing and shouting at her!

I was in the hearing on Wednesday, listening to testimonies for about 8 hours. The stories and testimonies I heard were both wonderful and heart-wrenching. Many talked about how inspirational teachers had been to them, or how much they loved teaching themselves, and how amazing this whole experience was. It made be proud to be standing there, proud to see democracy at work, proud to be the son of working-class teachers and union members.

Others poured out their fears and concerns at the microphone, genuinely worried about what the future may hold, and shocked at what this bill proposed to do. I saw grown men cry, devastated about the road this Governor was taking. One in particular, was an ex-marine, who had fought in Iraq, and now worked as a correctional officer. He didn't know how his family could live if this bill passed.

As more and more teachers, nurses and other state workers testified, so too did children and students, eager to express their support for their own education. And they were serious; they weren't just there to be a part of the crowd. They knew what they were doing, what they believed in, what they were fighting for. You had be to serious, to spend hours and hours in the hot Capitol building, with many choosing to camp overnight inside.

With so many teachers present at the protests, schools across the state have been forced to close. Many teachers were torn between turning up for a work, or joining the rally, but most decided they needed to protect education for the long term, and will undoubtedly be teaching students about the week's events upon their return to the classroom. Crowds grew from 10,000 on Tuesday, to 25,000 on Wednesday, 30,000 on Thursday, and over 40,000 on Friday, when the Rev. Jesse Jackson turned up in Madison to help rally the crowds.

On Thursday, things took a turn for the intriguing. The State Senate was due to vote on the bill first, and when they took a quorum call (requiring 20 out of 33 Senators present to vote), they found that the Democratic Senators-14 of them- had disappeared. They decided not to come to the floor. After a call of the house- where Capitol police and State troopers can search for the Senators and bring them to floor yielded no results, the Senate was forced to postpone it's vote.

Turns out that the 14 Democratic Senators had all left the state, leaving just 19 Republicans- one short of the number needed to vote. By actively hiding away, the Democrats were allowing themselves, their staffers, and everyone in the state much more time to digest the ramifications of this bill. It was a bold move, but has proved to be smart, and extremely popular, as many across the country have congratulated their motives and their moves. They have become affectionately know as the Wisconsin 14.

Assembly Democrats meanwhile have been rallying the crowds in the Capitol, donning bright Orange shirts proclaiming their support for Wisconsin families. It's now their job to fight the bill in the Assembly, which will vote on it before the Senate. They are another symbol of hope for everyone here protesting in Madison, as they try to stop this bill being implemented. When they left the Assembly chamber to go to caucus, they needed no police escort; crowds parted to let them through, cheering and clapping, smiling and shaking hands. It was like walking down a tunnel lined with people, as if I was a Green Bay Packer who had just won the Superbowl!

The protests have remained incredibly peaceful; though a large security force has been present at the Capitol this past week, including Madison, UW and local area police, along with county sheriffs and state patrollers, there have been almost no confrontational incidents. I have only heard of 9 arrests this entire week. I actually saw one of them; a man somehow managed to get through the barriers to the chamber, but was tripped by a fellow page and then jumped on by police before being escorted away. You always get one idiot.

What's almost as remarkable as the continued peace-even with the Tea Party Rally which occurred today- is the organization of the protesters: There has been a continuous stream of them, with new people arriving all the time to reinvigorate the chants and cheers; hand made information signs have been posted all around the Capitol, and information stations have been set out, handing out flyers with info on what is happened, providing free food and drink for people, and even setting up a lost and found station. It has been incredibly powerful just to see the diverse groups of people here, and particularly moving when police and firefighter groups- who are exempt from this bill and have been working in the Capitol during the day, to come back at night in plain clothes and support their fellow state workers. The Madison fire department actually marched through the building in full dress uniform, accompanied by bagpipes and a marching band.

And then there are the signs- so imaginative, so clever. There is one man walking around dressed entirely in those candy necklaces, made like a dress, with a sign that reads "Even I don't look as ridiculous as Scott Walker". I saw a Walkerzilla sign, eating up the proposed train line, and a sign that read "Dumbledore wouldn't have let this happen"!!! Someone had created a mannequin Walker bent over with his backside pointing in the air hovering over his famous "brown bag". One man was simply representing America, stood on a plinth with a dog by his side, waving a huge American flag over his head.

More signs can be found here: http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-best-protest-signs-at-the-wisconsin-capitol

There were various signs and comments comparing Walker to Hitler and Mubarak in Egypt. Hyperbole to the max. I also heard a number of quotes meant to inspire all the protesters, including references to Martin Luther King, who was on his way to Memphis to support unions and collective bargaining when he was assassinated. My favourite quote is this one, courtesy of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1937 "The right to bargain collectively is at the bottom of social justice for the worker, as well as the sensible conduct of business affairs. The denial or observance of this right means the difference between despotism and democracy."

The following post will have links to various sites with more info on the Wisconsin saga, many of which have lots of pictures on there too- Check them out!

The nation's media attention will remain focused on Wisconsin for the coming week, as the fight over collective bargaining continues to unfold. As it was the first to give rights to unions in the fifties, so it is one of the first in the current climate to try and take them away. Many other states have a keen eye on Wisconsin, waiting to see what will unfold, as Governors across the US plans similar moves.

What is going to happen here remains a mystery. I know one thing for sure- these people will not give up. And they won't go home quietly.

I still here their chant in my head...."This is what democracy looks like"

 

 
Monday
Feb142011

Happy Valentines Day!

The 14th of February. St. Valentine emerges, the patron saint of Love! Right? Or it Venus, the Goddess of Love who rules today? Or is it all just made up by Hallmark to sell cards, and by florists to offload their excess stock of roses?

Am I a cynic? No, I love Valentine's Day! I was just pondering. I think it's important to have a day to share with everyone who is special to you, everyone who matters in your life, and everyone you love. It's also the perfect time for couples to take the time out of their busy schedules and spend some quality time together and show each other how much they love one another.

That's what me and my beautiful girlfriend will be doing. She means the world to me, and I hope she knows that. Despite our many arguments, I couldn't live without her.

It wasn't even Valentines Day today, and yet she made me breakfast! Yummy yummy yummy! :) To Love, for everyone, everywhere!