Check Out the Scumbag Dem's In WI

[Fast_Eddie]

Originally Posted by Fast_Eddie

Absolutely! And I commend you for staying on point. It would have been very easy to drag a discussion about Unions off topic by pointing out some peripheral action by one person. Very hard to resist that temptation, too, since the Republican position on this issue is particularly indefensible. But you took the high road.

Originally Posted by whell

Uh, right. Kinda like trying to compare Republicans using the Filibuster in Washington to Democrats refusing to show up for work.

Sorry, you'll have to explain that one to me. How is useing existing rules of Congress to prevent passage of legislation by the majority party in any way at all similar to an idividual threatening to kill someone? You really lost me here. Not jabbing at you, just not following.

I intended the Filibuster to be a corrolary to what they Democrats in WI are doing. Using the rules to prevent legislation from being passed. You could possibly argue that the Filibuster is a more express rule and the abuse exercised by Congretional Republicans is more slight in degree. But you can't deny that they are related in some manner and speak to the point.

[whell]

Originally Posted by noonereal

I have not heard of that one

so they get a pension and collect a pay check fort the same job?

The auto companies, and I suspect others, pulled similar crap. They'd let their managers retire, then pay them as consultants to come back and so God knows what.

Total BS.

[Fast_Eddie]

Originally Posted by whell

The auto companies, and I suspect others, pulled similar crap. They'd let their managers retire, then pay them as consultants to come back and so God knows what.

Total BS.

The managers are in the Union?

[noonereal]

Originally Posted by whell

The auto companies, and I suspect others, pulled similar crap. They'd let their managers retire, then pay them as consultants to come back and so God knows what.

Total BS.

auto companies are different, that is the private sector

but on my dime? that's my business

looks like we have finally found common ground whell, of coures we had to travel all the way out to WI to find it

[whell]

Originally Posted by Fast_Eddie

The managers are in the Union?

Originally Posted by noonereal

auto companies are different, that is the private sector

but on my dime? that's my business

looks like we have finally found common ground whell, of coures we had to travel all the way out to WI to find it

Yup it is private business and they can spend money how they choose...and then look what happened to them. This practice was particularly insidious at the "old" GM. The will to spend money that you don't have doesn't limit itself to the halls of gov't is my point. GM went broke doing it. Next up? WI, MI, OH, NY, CA.....

[Stereoholic]

Originally Posted by d-ray657

Good to hear from a solid citizen of the state of Wisconsin. It was difficult for me to believe that this type of union busting was coming out of the state.

Without a doubt, this is union busting. It is not simply a matter of tough bargaining - it is a matter of stripping away collective bargaining rights for citizens of Wisconsin.

Regards,

D-Ray

Yup, plain and simple. I've been reading and hearing that the billionaire Koch bros. of Missouri are behind it. Time to bring back the 91% federal income tax bracket.

[finnbow]

Here's an interesting take on the WI events:

The governor is refusing to accept his own share of responsibility for the state’s projected $137 million shortfall. Just last month, he and the Legislature gave away $117 million in tax breaks, mostly for businesses that expand and for private health savings accounts. That was a choice lawmakers made, and had it not been for those decisions and a few others, according to the state’s Legislative Fiscal Bureau, the state would have had a surplus.*

So, it seems that public sector wages & benefits weren't the problem after all. Hmmm.

* http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/18/op...fri1.html?_r=1

While personally I'm not a fan of public sector unions, Wisconsin has a long history in this area and you don't undo it such a manner. It's not unreasonable to see this as a contrived crisis by the Governor to do something he otherwise could not have done. I'm not sure I would bestow the words "good faith" upon his actions WRT the public employees in his state.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by whell

Unless, of course, you're in Michigan. Michigan, and I strongly suspect other states as well (IL comes to mind), reduction of government has not occurred commensurate with reduction of state population.



Maryland is not unique. They are facing the same budget shortfalls due to unfunded pension liabilities (employment costs) that most other states are. I guess its only "union-busting" when a Republican does it?

http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/2...ces-major-cuts

O'Malley is not trying to withdraw collective bargaining so no, it's not union busting, it's making some tough decisions to balance a budget left in a mess by his predecessor. As to unfunded pension liabilities I guess the states and towns are only following the corporate example. After all if private industry does it it must be good, right?

As far as the hospitals are concerned my arse bleeds for them, such an overcharging bunch of bandits I have never before seen.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by whell

Yup it is private business and they can spend money how they choose...and then look what happened to them. This practice was particularly insidious at the "old" GM. The will to spend money that you don't have doesn't limit itself to the halls of gov't is my point. GM went broke doing it. Next up? WI, MI, OH, NY, CA.....

The bad part about having been management is that I know what the real cost of an employee is. If he is getting say $25 an hour then add in all the extras and the real cost is more like $60. So he takes a pension that is x % of his 10 best years and the % is usually based on service. Comes back in as a consultant for maybe75 - 80% of his former salary and the company is doing all right. Of course as a consultant he has no health insurance unless that goes with the pension.

Sorry guys, it won't wash, good try though.

[Charles]

Wake me up when the shootin' starts...I wouldn't want to miss out on that.

I guess I have time to get a short nap in, do you think???

Chas