Since there’s no way I could do it better, below is the incomparable Rachel Maddow’s summary of the fraud and phoniness in Wisconsin, perpetrated by too-clever-by-half Republicans.
This war on unions and working people is not over, of course, and in some ways what the shameless Republicans have done couldn’t have worked out better for Democrats, not only in Wisconsin, but nationally.
That is, if they know how to take advantage of it. Watch:
Vodpod videos no longer available.
The Erstwhile Conservative: A Blog of Repentance 
ansonburlingame
/ March 10, 2011Well now look what happens when legislators shirk their duties is my first observation.
Second point is a question. Did the Republicans violate any laws in passing such regulations. I hear both sides, one, yes, and one, no. For me, I leave that to lawyers and courts to decide. I don’t have enough training (legally) or frankly, interest to join that “uneducated” debate amongst the layiety. It will in all liklihood be challenged legally and the courts will then decide, sometime.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, how is Wisconsin to govern effectively without 14 Democrats debating and standing up publicly in the legislature to so engage? All we have now is the rancor from both sides in front of cameras and via press releases or pundits views from all over the map.
So for those on the left, how do you propose Wisconsin to effectively govern itself, day to day, to do the people’s business, not just union business? And you know as well as I do that once a single Democrat rises to that challenge the bill proposed will be passed by a sweeping majority vote, sometime in the next two years!!!!
One final point. Wisconsin is battling mightily to protect collective bargaining, right????
But the NFLPA, having not achieved the success they want in collective bargaining with the NFL owners, are now seriously contemplating DISBANNING THEIR UNION (decertification) to achieve their goals in fighting over money, some $750 Million it seems right now.
NFLPA wants to now DEUNIONIZE, give up any and all collective bargaining in order to “negotiate” through the courts to achieve the goals of labor.
I am now really confused. DOES LABOR want collective bargaining, or does it only want such when it serves the purpose of getting more money for Labor?
Government, particularly Democratic controlled government rarely bargains in the best interest of ALL Americans or at least taxpaying Americans. But when a union confronts some hard nosed bastards LEGALLY bargaining, they want to, it seems , disband such bargining and go back to government, now in the form of courts, to get “their” money.
Like I said, I am confused, sort of. Acutally I am just cynical as hell over Labor tactics that ALWAYS are going after MONEY, anyone’s money other than theirs.
Some people call that being two-faced.
Anson
LikeLike
Duane Graham
/ March 10, 2011Anson,
Look, I don’t expect you to understand just why it was that Democratic Senators in Wisconsin left the state. We’ve had that discussion and you just don’t get it. It was the only avenue left to them in the Wisconsin system, since Senate Republicans and the governor refused to take “yes” for an answer on concessions from the public unions.
It was all about killing those unions, as now at least is clear to even the most hard-headed skeptic.
As for your confusion over decertifying the NFL Players Association, it is a risky bit of strategy, but it has nothing to do with collective bargaining pro or con. It has to do with anti-trust laws. Owners of sports teams need players to unionize for a lot of reasons, but especially because it exempts their leagues from antitrust laws. If there is no union, the NFL can be sued under antitrust law. Thus, the players have the option of decertifying available as a threat to the owners.
Finally, you don’t seem to mind it too much that fat cat Wall Street bankers “ALWAYS are going after MONEY,” but, GDI, when a bunch of regular Joes band together to improve their working conditions and pay, you are tossing around epithets.
Amazing.
Duane
LikeLike