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warrior bodhisattva
Super Moderator
Location: East-central Canada
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Apparently, the Wisconsin GOP grew too weary of all that democraticky debatey thing and decided to spring a vote, much to the ire of Democrats.
Quote:
Wisconsin GOP wins Round 1 over unions, but final victory still eludes
The Wisconsin GOP-led Assembly approved a bill Friday to sharply curtail the power of public employee unions. But the battle for public opinion, in Wisconsin and the nation, goes on, with the state Senate yet to vote.
By Peter Grier, Staff writer / February 25, 2011
Wisconsin Republicans pushing a plan to end collective bargaining rights for most public workers took a big step forward early Friday. The state Assembly – the lower house of Wisconsin's bicameral legislature – finally passed the measure in a sudden vote after almost 60 hours of debate.
Assembly GOP leaders had warned they were tired of talking about the issue, but Democrats were startled by the abrupt move to a vote and reacted with fury.
“I am incensed. I am shocked,” said Rep. Jon Richards (D) of Milwaukee.
It’s not clear, however, whether this short-term victory for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and his fellow Republicans will translate into longer-term success, either in Wisconsin or in the larger national debate.
IN PICTURES: Wisconsin protest signs
In Wisconsin
Democrats from the state Senate – Wisconsin's upper house – remain on the lam, frustrating efforts to pass the union bargaining rights bill in that chamber.
Right now, both sides of the debate have pushed the volume on their rhetoric all the way up to “stun.” Governor Walker has dispatched state troopers to try to snag fugitive Democratic Senators from their homes, while thousands of drum-pounding protesters opposed to Walker’s efforts continue to jam the state Capitol complex.
Walker remains unapologetic about his role in the controversy, saying that if the budget bill – including the union-limiting measure – does not pass on Friday, he will be forced to begin laying off state workers.
“The 14 Senate Democrats need to come home and do their jobs, just like the Assembly Democrats did,” said Walker in a statement following the vote.
On the national scene
Republicans on Friday said Walker’s confrontational tactics would play well with national voters aware that government needs to cut everywhere in today’s era of fiscal austerity.
They point to a new Rasmussen Reports nationwide survey which finds that only 25 percent of likely US voters approve of Wisconsin Democrats dashing for the Illinois border to deprive their state Senate of a quorum, and 67 percent disapprove.
Even self-described Democrats are divided on this tactic, with 48 percent approving of the move, and 44 percent disapproving.
However, a new Gallup survey finds that while voters have ambivalent feelings towards public sector unions, they oppose depriving those unions of collective bargaining rights by a 2-to-1 margin, 66 percent to 33 percent.
When it comes to balancing state budgets, “The new poll broadly suggests that Americans are not anxious to see state workers take the brunt of the pain – either in terms of reducing their pay or eliminating their collective bargaining rights,” concludes Gallup analyst Lydia Saad.
Thus the Wisconsin battle's long-term effects on national voter attitudes remain unclear, whatever either side says.
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Wisconsin GOP wins Round 1 over unions, but final victory still eludes - CSMonitor.com
Quote:
Wisconsin Dems shout 'shame' after union vote
By Matt DeLong
The Wisconsin Assembly passed a highly contested bill early Friday that would strip most public unions of most of their collective-bargaining rights. The budget plan by Gov. Scott Walker (R) has drawn tens of thousands of union supporters to protest at the State Capitol in Madison for the last two weeks. State Senate Democrats have refused to return to the Capitol to join the Republican Senate majority for a vote on the bill.
Apparently, the Assembly vote happened much too quickly for the Democratic representatives, who in the video below can be heard chanting "Shame, shame, shame" afterward.
TMJ4 explains what happened:
Shortly after 1:00 a.m., after more than 60 hours of debate on this, the Republicans quickly called for the vote, which ended all debate. [...]
The vote happened so fast, within seconds, that the bill pass with Republican voting for it, but while they were voting, Democrats kept yelling, "No! No! You can't do this!"
Republicans kept on voting, and within seconds, the bill had passed 51-17.
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44 - Wisconsin Dems shout 'shame' after union vote
Meanwhile....
Factbox: Several U.S. states consider union limits | Reuters
__________________
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—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön
Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
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Last edited by Baraka_Guru; 02-26-2011 at 07:30 AM..
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