by Tina Grazier
The state of Wisconsin is facing a budget crisis that rivals that of California. One of the most glaring problems is the unsustainable benefits package that state workers, including teachers, currently have. The governor and legislature have a bill pending which includes a proposal to end collective bargaining rights:
The governor will propose limiting labor negotiations for state and local public workers to salaries only, eliminating collective bargaining rights for other areas like benefits and pensions.
The proposal has caused a massive uproar with teachers venting their anger in protest in the streets. There have been reports that union activists have been bussed in to add strength to the protest.
In an amazing act of cowardice, the Wisconsin Democrat leadership has chosen to go into hiding rather than face voting on the controversial bill.
Hundreds of thousands of Americans have lost jobs, homes, and pension values while President Obama “saved” public employee jobs by piling trillions in debt on the taxpayers and future taxpayers of the nation. Apparently “living within our means” and “sacrificing” are “collective” sentiments that don’t apply to these government workers.
It occurs to me that many of the teachers engaged in this protest are not qualified to teach the nations children. If they are unable to understand the very basics of the financial crisis their state is facing, if they are unable to grasp the conditions they have created with their collective bargaining, then they have no business preparing young minds for adulthood.
If the report I just heard is correct, those teachers pay NOTHING toward their own pension and very little toward their health benefit. That is nuts. Im a retired PERS employee and I paid 7% of my salary to my pension for almost 25 years and my salary was reduced by the cost of our health care premium.
They are protesting to maintain their 100% free ride paid for by all of the other hard working private-sector individuals who are probably paying for their own benefits and pension. Even more unbelievable is, they are doing all of this at the risk of having a job at all.
Reagan fired all the air traffic controllers, and it was upheld by the courts. Hopefully, they will tell their union leaders to take a hike before they end up living on unemployment, which well all be paying for.
Hear Cuomo in NY is considering similar action. Wonder what Moonbeam will do. He sure did major cuts his first time as Gov.
The below article says the dems are apparently hiding out in Ill. just across the state line. And they are refusing to return until the bill is removed.
Unbelievable! What a bunch of cowards. Instead of doing the job they were elected to do, they are acting like a bunch of kids. God help us all if every state in the nation starts doing the same thing to prevent the work of running our states from being done.
Hope there is a law concerning their job requirements and they are held accountable for not reporting for duty/work when required to. If they can’t be fired, hopefully, the people will remember next election.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/update-fleeing-wisconsin-dems-found-lounging-at-illinois-resort/
How big is the tax cut that was just given out in Wisconsin?
Who received it?
Could Wisconsin’s deficit be alleviated by rescinding the governor’s recent tax cut?
It depends on who you ask. One article referred to a $1 million break and another a $67 million dollar tax cut.
Any company that brings jobs to Wisconsin will receive the tax break. The company won’t have to pay sales tax for two years but they are required to show 51 percent of payroll or at least $200,000. in payroll to qualify.
NO.
The tax cut was passed, with bipartisan support, so that jobs would become available for the people of Wisconsin and so that more revenue will begin to flow to the state. Jobs are the number one concern. Taxing businesses is really just a hidden tax on consummers because it pushes up the price on goods and services. When people work they have purchasing power, pay sales taxes and spur economic growth, and pay income taxes, Some will be able to keep their homes and pay proerty taxes instead of going into default. BUT before that can happen they have to have JOBS.
Its a no brainer, Q.
Wisconsin is turning into a little Tunisia, will the revolution spread to other states? I hope so!
“Taxing businesses is really just a hidden tax on consummers because it pushes up the price on goods and services.”
This is a popular misconception among the neoconned–kind of like saying Reagan was a tax cutting conservative. It is true up to a point, but it ignores the second rule of economics: people won’t pay more than they want to pay. If a company wants to stay in business, it will do what it can to stay in business.
If your company passes its tax cut through and raises the price of its products, I will go across the street to the company that cut executive compensation and kept its prices low.
Thye increase in prices we have witnessed over the last thirty years isn’t because taxes that are the lowest they have been in thirty years.
The increase in prices we have witnessed over the last thirty years is not due to increased employee compensation–houses cost fifteen times more, the guys who build them make two-thirds less.
What is bankrupting our nation is the greed of the corporations that run out nation.
I too, am praying for a revolution.
Alas, it won’t happen as we are too divided. Witness how many people are against what is happening in Wisconsin. Fools who should be as outraged as the teachers–but listen to hate radio instead–will actualy come out and demonstrate AGAINST their own best interests.
And Tina? OUR interests are what matter–not the interests of the corporations that run Wisconsin. And the United States.
It is odd that the Wisconsin Fiscal Bureau–the equivalent of the Congressional Budget Office–concluded that NO austerity measures are needed in Wisconsin. wisconsin will probably end this year with a budget surplus.
In fact this agreement will do nothing, in and of itself, to save a penny.
Q: “It is true up to a point, but it ignores the second rule of economics: people won’t pay more than they want to pay. If a company wants to stay in business, it will do what it can to stay in business.”
So far people have shown they are willing to pay quite a bit! One good example is the high cost of medial insurance and services. since the sixties Medicare has pushed prices through the roof. We have accepted this inequity only because we don’t understand the unsustainability of programs pushed through government. We pay more for the big bloated bureaucracy and at the point of service where added employee help is required to handle extra paperwork. Private insurance is also forced higher to make up for underpayment for services by the government.
The same can be said for these teachers and their union. They negotiated a deal that is breaking the back of the state budget. That deal was selfish and just plain stupid because when the house of cards falls they will be forced to make the more sensible deals that they should have made in the first place. Had they been more responsible and thoughtful in the first place they would have saved the state and its taxpayers all of this misery (and interest on debt).
High taxes on business drive up the expense side of the ledger. One way or another the consumer pays. The alternative is they buy less of the product (as they do when gas prices go up) or they do without. If you want less of something tax it…the democrat way. (jobs are included here too)
“If your company passes its tax cut through and raises the price of its products, I will go across the street to the company that cut executive compensation and kept its prices low.”
Good luck with that. This need to control what a private company chooses to pay its employees is naive and tyrannical and will lead exactly nowhere…unless of course you prefer tyranny to freedom. Only in a free country are you able to vote with your feet so be careful with those control freak wishes.
“What is bankrupting our nation is the greed of the corporations that run out nation.”
How are they doing this Quentin? You fail to make your case! besides, you just said all you have to do is vote with your feet and high compensation for these employees will stop. Obviously that’s BS.
“The increase in prices we have witnessed over the last thirty years is not due to increased employee compensation–houses cost fifteen times more…”
Several things cause house prices to go up but compensation to corporate CEOs isnt one of them. Demand is one of the biggest drivers in a stable economy. California experienced high demand over many years. Some of it was due to the number of companies that sprung up creating job opportunity and the number of people moving to California. Inflation in the seventies also drove prices up.
“…the guys who build them make two-thirds less.”
Once again, not because of corporate profits or high CEO pay! All that means is government gets more!
If carpenter pay is lagging the major culprit is probably competition. There may be too many carpenters seeking too few jobs. It may also be a result of undocumented workers who will work for less.
In any case the burden of government tax and regulation is growing year after year and choking out a lot of opportunity in the private sector. Amazingly the same is not happening to government employees who just keep making more without adding to size of the pie.
“Witness how many people are against what is happening in Wisconsin. Fools who should be as outraged as the teachers…”
Oh yea, POOR TEACHERS! They have to suffer under such terrible conditions: guaranteed job, good salaries, don’t have to pay for their health benefits or pensions and get several vacations a year including summers. Poor babies. Meanwhile, they gladly spend, through their union, millions every election cycle to re-elect the blood sucking Democrats who will make sure they keep getting their sweetheart deal even if it bankrupts the state.
It is because of the corporation and private small business that the wealth to pay for all of this excess is even available.
Quentin you just don’t know what you’re talking about. (Illogical hatred seems to drive your thinking so I’m not at all surprised)
If any of these teachers keep their jobs after this it would be a disgrace.
If the State Dem Sen. keep their place WI deserves them.
They have shown all of WI, when the going gets tough, put your tail between your legs and run. HIDE.
They are cowards and they are showing our children the worst part of the Gov’t. Don’t sit down and work things out, call in the Union thugs.
It is one thing to lie/deceive your employee, its quite another to encourage children to not only call the school and lie but to blindly get on a bus and not know WHY.
Go to utube, many, MANY kids say they are there because they were told to go there.
When asked why? They were not for sure, some knew but laughed as if it a big joke to them.
Unions had 23 personal/private visits with Obama long BEFORE our own General was ALLOWED to have a few minutes of his time. If Unions didn’t line the pockets of corrupt Dems/Obama…. my, my think of how much $ retired teachers would have. Millions AND millions!!!
Unions are nothing more than thugs and their proud of it.
Pres. of the U.S. praises them as he praises our enemies.
Did you see some of the WI teacher signs?
Look closely.
Remember how the left broiled Palin for her map targeting Dem States in 2008(ALSO NOTE DEMS HAD EXACT KIND WITH BULLSEYE ON REPUB. STATES BUT ….THAT WAS ACCEPTABLE).
Look closely at the WI teacher signs…a good lesson for ALL parents what KIND of people are teaching your children.
Read the signs carefully.
The signs have the students Gov of their State with a scoped target aimed directly at the his forehead. They call for him to be hanged, to be killed.
Anything else you want to teach our babies?
If you keep your jobs and Unions active, WI gets everything they deserve, a destroyed State.
But hey luckey YOU, Obama said the Unions are your friends…..ah maybe in HELL.
Somehow, elected officials seem to think that they are the ruling class. If these elected officials don’t want to do the job that the voters elected them to do, let them resign.
If the teachers aren’t back to work on Monday, they should be fired. If the cowards who fled the state don’t return by Monday there may be a run on recall petition requests.
Unfortunately, CA may have the same problem down the road.
“One good example is the high cost of medial insurance and services. since the sixties Medicare has pushed prices through the roof.”
You give as your example government meddling in the free market?
Try again.
“Several things cause house prices to go up but compensation to corporate CEOs isnt one of them.”
Oh? The cost of doing business does not include one of the costs of doing business?
Do tell.
“Once again, not because of corporate profits or high CEO pay! All that means is government gets more!”
wow! I was unaware the government collected over $200,000 in taxes on the sale of every home!
Can you prove that?
Never mind.
“Oh yea, POOR TEACHERS! They have to suffer under such terrible conditions: guaranteed job, good salaries, don’t have to pay for their health benefits or pensions and get several vacations a year including summers. Poor babies.”
We pay babysitters $5 per hour per child.
30 kids times 900 hours per year times $5 equals $135,000 a year.
Wisconsin teachers get half that.
Oh!
You want them to TEACH too?
“Meanwhile, they gladly spend, through their union, millions every election cycle ”
Millions of teachers giving millions of dollars–thats about a dollar per teacher.
Intelligent people are more afraid of a handful of people giving millions of dollars–far more dangerous to libery!
“keep getting their sweetheart deal even if it bankrupts the state. ”
Wisconsin did NOT HAVE A PROBLEM until the governor paid back his Republican corporate donors with a $162 million tax cut.
It is the same old song and dance. The rich get their rewards while the rest of us get screwed. Been goin’ on for centuries!
I’m glad you’re rich, Tina.
I’m happy you make more than $250,000 per year.
Most of us don’t.
What’s that?
You say you DON’T make more than a quarter million a year?
Well, that’s very nice of you to help the people who are screwing you!
I know they appreciate it.
Q: You give as your example government meddling in the free market?
I said: So far people have shown they are willing to pay quite a bit!
See Q, the example I gave was a response about what people will toleratethe rising cost of medical is something people have tolerated since 1965 when prices for medical services began to rise. They were also willing to pay over $100.00 for tennis shoes in the 1980sastounding! Given that, I imagine they will tolerate rising prices due to taxation as wellthat doesnt mean they should have to. This is why making corporations pay taxes is uselessits really just a hidden tax passed on to consumers. (They are in a free country and can refuse to buy many products, I don’t dispute that)
“Oh? The cost of doing business does not include one of the costs of doing business? Do tell.”
I didnt.
wow! I was unaware the government collected over $200,000 in taxes on the sale of every home! Can you prove that?
I didnt say it.
“We pay babysitters $5 per hour per child. 30 kids times 900 hours per year times $5 equals $135,000 a year. Wisconsin teachers get half that. Oh! You want them to TEACH too?
We now know the mind of the educator according to Q. He says they are nothing more than a glorified babysitter. But once again you are pushing your own stinkin attitude into my thoughts. Put this all in context. Salary plus benefits and vacation time gets them mighty close to $135K a year. These educators have a very good deal and you know it. What is troubling is they refuse to see that the deal they cut is unreasonable and unworkable for the taxpayers and citizens of the state. They chose this profession, presumably, because they love teaching, not because they hope or expect to make salaries equivalent to CEO pay. They also have the benefit of a guaranteed job as long as they dont diddle the students. What they are being asked to do is realize that expecting taxpayers to fund 100% of their pensions and their healthcare breaks the bank. It breaks the budget. Like small children they would rather scream in the streets than be reasonable about ita typical liberal progressive response. (Similar to might makes right)
Millions of teachers giving millions of dollars–thats about a dollar per teacher.
Very funny! Try this:
That would have gone a long way toward meeting their pension fund obligation. If they can afford to give money to elect democrats they can afford to fund a portion of their pensions and healthcare.
In fact, if they were truly honorable (and dedicated to teaching instead of politics and indoctrination) they would pay for all of both like many of the rest of us must do.
“Intelligent people are more afraid of a handful of people giving millions of dollars–far more dangerous to libery!
Is it really any different when those millions of people are of a single mind?
Wisconsin did NOT HAVE A PROBLEM until the governor paid back his Republican corporate donors with a $162 million tax cut.
Oh please. The people of Wisconsin need jobs. The governor did not PAY anything to any donor. What he did was pass a bill that gives some SMALL businesses a tax credit. Wisconsin has a $3.3 billion deficit projected for the 2011-’13 budget. What they need is more jobs and a bigger tax base to help close the gap. Having teachers contribute to their own healthcare and pensions would go a long way toward closing that gap as well. The percentage they are being asked to pay is not that big. (less than 15%)
“It is the same old song and dance. The rich get their rewards while the rest of us get screwed. Been goin’ on for centuries!”
Like they haven’t done a thing to earn it.
You live in the United States of America. You can make as much money as you want. How hard have you worked toward that goal? What have you done to create wealth (or jobs!) Correct me if Im wrong but from to what you have said I would guess you have stayed in your comfortable little slot for the past 30-40 years and collected a paycheck and benniescompliments of the taxpayer. You decided long ago that security was more important to you than taking risks and thats fine. Badmouthing the risk takers, just for the sake of dividing by class is not healthy, smart, otr sensible.
I’m glad you’re rich, Tinablah blah blah
You dont know a thing about me. (Boy would you be surprised.)
Class envy is ugly Quentin and a totally useless emotion. What a CEO makes has absolutely zero effect on your ability to make, earn or save moneyyou are not diminished in any way because corporate executives make a lot of money. It is not a zero sum game. In fact you are more likely to do better when others do well.
When unions make deals with government that blows the budget the result is that everyone is harmed and our lives are diminished. (The poor will be hit the hardest) When unions use coersive or intimidating methods to get their members benefits without giving any thought to the effect it will have on the budget it borders on the criminal…and it should end.