WI Supreme Court: If I were a betting man...

Well, the WI Supreme Court started hearing arguments as to whether or not it should take on the collective bargaining atrocity of Walker and his pals.  And, if they do, hmmmm, which way would they rule?

Not surprisingly,the four conservatives on the bench banded together during the hearing (to be fair, as did the other three justices).  But, surprisingly to me, it doesn't appear they were challenging how the bill was advanced in an illegal meeting, but rather they were challenging Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi's order blocking implementation of the bill as law. Conservative Justice Michael Gableman asked, during what the Journal Sentinel called "aggressive" questioning, if a judge can stop a law from being published, could a judge stop a senator from even introducing a bill?

That just sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?  Wasn't this about the legality of the bill's creation and passage in a violation of the open meetings law?  If the meeting wasn't legal, would anything else matter?

Walker's Deputy Attorney General Kevin St. John actually did address the issue of the open meetings law by basically saying the open meetings law doesn't apply to the Legislature, which was echoed by conservative Justice Patience Roggensack's comments. St. John went on to mention that the Legislature has the right to lock doors, and that even letting in one member of the public would satisfy open meetings requirements.

Either way this falls, it's a scary thing--the Court agreeing with this, or the Legislators in power actually believing what they say about open meetings.  Attorney Lester Pines, who is representing State Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller (D-Madison) says, “I don’t hold the view that the court makes its decisions solely based on ideology.”

I wouldn't bet on it. 

And, at this juncture, I'm not sure it would even matter.

JS article catalogs Walker's Feb deceit

Words including mistake and firestorm greeted Walker's plan to destroy public-sector unions back in February, and the Governor didn't care.  The deceit of the measure, along with behind-the-scenes info and candid reactions from many in the midst of it, can be found in a riveting article in this morning's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "Budget confrontation rocked the state and beyond" by Bill Glauber, Dave Umhoefer and Lee Bergquist. I just don't understand how Walker backers can't see him for the slimeball that he really is.

Walker planning Sat., June 4, visit to Rock County farm

Walker will appear tomorrow morning at the Rock County Dairy Breakfast at the Daluge farm on Highway G between Janesville and Beloit. Visitors to WEAC's facebook are hoping to provide a "welcoming committee." Non-Walker-related info about the event here.  I can't make it, but give my best to the guv.

UPDATE: SAT. 1PM--if you were at either of Walker's farm visits today (in Iowa or Rock Counties), please leave a comment about what you saw.  THANKS!

WI teachers: Paying union dues IS important

I haven't posted in a week because, due to some family sadness, I couldn't feel the passion.  Our 30 year old niece went into hospice care, and quite frankly, I couldn't see the importance of my little blog compared to that immense sadness.

Today, I got an e-mail from a first-year teacher who logically wondered why teachers should continue paying union dues despite unions having been emasculated by Walker's collective bargaining "law." Without minimizing our family tragedy, I realized that other things do matter, and, if nothing else, I want teachers reading this to understand that continuing to pay union dues is unbelievably vital for the sake of our students, our profession, and our state.

Here's my reply:
I can understand the saving money aspect, especially with all the extra money the Republican legislature is making public workers pay (that no one else has to).  Recouping that $800 is awful tempting.

As a matter of fact, even in our district, there are veteran teachers who are questioning the necessity of paying union dues if the union has such little power.

I guess the biggest thing for me is that the money goes towards lobbying and people who make sure our voice gets heard--both for teachers and for education.  If union payments stop, there's a very good chance the pendulum would never swing back towards us (or even towards the middle) regarding salaries and procedures that have been negotiated fairly between teachers and elected officials over the years, but would very likely continue to swing towards more payments from, and fewer rights for, us.

And it's not just about us and our salaries/benefits, it's about providing a voice for what's in the best interest of student education--Walker has proposed almost a billion dollars in cuts to education, and has increased programs to diminish the institution of public schools (including increasing the voucher system, no limits on the amount of kids in computer "virtual" schools, not using the same tests every public school and teacher will be judged on, not even requiring teacher certification in charter schools).  Without a continued and unified presence, education--and the teaching profession--will be severely limited in the future.  To be honest, in my opinion, salaries and benefits will continue to slide, because they will be allowed to slide--as will things such as "specials" and extra-curriculars--and our kids (not just us) will be in a lot worse shape because of it. So, even if unions are severely crippled because of Walker's plan, again, in my opinion, it really is important to keep the unions intact, and that pro-education voices continue to be heard in Madison and in the nation (and in our community).

But my thoughts are still elsewhere.

Scraps from Master Walker's table

While corporations feast at his taxpayer buffet, Walker and his pals have agreed to give back to education roughly a scant $100 million of his originally proposed $842 million in cuts over the next two years.  For those keeping score at home, that's a paltry 12%, despite an extra unexpected $636 million now forcast from increased tax revenues over those two years.  Meanwhile, the same Republican-heavy budget committee decided to increase road funding by $160 million, including moving $9 from title fees currently going towards the environment to roads.  Using the scraps from the master's table comparison, doesn't starving the animals just make them meaner?

Stay tuned for the recall elections.

When Wisconsin bites back.

Out of touch in Wisconsin

Like many state Republican legislators, I, too, will be pretty much out of touch with Wisconsinites for the next couple days.  I'll be without phone, television, or Internet.  No, it's not Gilligan's Island, so regular posts should resume in a few days.  Meanwhile, remember to check out the "Links Worth Your Time" over to the right (because they are), and the always interesting and informative "Lefty Blogs" below that.

Walker's "shoot-first" decision-making: the gift that keeps on giving

Walker's been out of Milwaukee County for what seems like forever, but his shoot-first, above-the-law actions there could yet cost the county millions in back pay for excessively mandated furlough time.  The Wisconsin Employee Relations Commission found the county negotiated in bad faith with its employee union and its furlough decision now could cost Milwaukee County up to $4.5 million.  The Commission says the county should have upheld a tentative agreement with the union in 2009, but then-County Exec Walker disagreed.   He attempted at the time to also institute a 35-hour work week for county employees to cover what he said was a $14.9 million shortfall--the County Board voted to rescind Walker's order when they declared the deficit was grossly exaggerated by Walker (Walker's number was more than three times the actual $4.5 million projected shortfall).

His arrogant actions have continued as Governor in making decrees that include numerous policies that are facing--or those on which he flipped because of--legal questions: collective bargaining, voter ID, additional furloughs for state prosecutors, to name a few.

Walker's actions follow the credo that it's easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission. The only difference being, asking for forgiveness isn't even anywhere on his radar.