The only change this recall will bring is more division of the people. Dems can't stand Reps and the other way around. Way to go unions, and the brainwashed babies of Wisconsin. Makes me sick to even live in this state with people who can't wait til the next election like normal people should. Wait lets start a new fad, every time we have an election, lets do a recall.

Positive political change will only happen when we overcome the two-party system's chokehold.

I don't understand why the public don't want to pay the health care costs, retirement funds and annual raises for Union workers? Union employees are very hard workers and should not be expected to have to pay these expenses out of our own pockets. This is as it has always been, and there is nothing wrong with it. The public need to understand that the economy would not be able to function without the Union, and we therefore are entitled to our standard of living. Each of the public only needs to pay slightly more so the Union can continue to improve the standards of life. This is the American way.

Go ahead and waste the taxpayers money. A recall will net the same results.
Times are changing....get used to it.
The majority still rules.....whether it be 1% or more....

Beware of Tim Cullen. he has a record of saying one thing ("I am the voice of reason")and then doing just the opposite, (marching and Protesting with the disgusting hypocrite Jesse Jackson). People can never and should never trust a liberal !

Ellipsis - Power was just given to the taxpayer. You seem confused.

Glad you never lost any money during Doyle's reign. That's right . . . . nobody did. Silly of me.

Pulled my account from M&I bank yesterday and rolled my WRS account over to an IRA. I'm not letting another republican governor lose any more of my money. I lost at least ten thousand thanks to uncle tommy's governship. The way Walker is going, I'd probably lose the rest.

jerrysc, I agree with your Mar 10, 2011 at 12:21 p.m. comment. Our government needs complete revamping. Just as in the private sector, sometimes you just have to "clean house".

Just Googled the issue and learned it is possible. In WI one may be able to get a portion of the dues back but not all. I wonder how far back they would allow ? Talking a lot of $$. Thanks for the info.

You can request it every year - I think there is a deadline to request it by (for teachers, it's Oct.1) so I don't think you can get it retroactively. Mine was about $20 per year.

The TEA PARTY is a sad group.
They have stole what they have and can's share.

The problem is that the funding for the recall efforts are coming from the same sources as the last election. Why should those in other states be able to fund or support our races?

gray - he'll be gone soon anyway. I THINK they even got enough signatures for him already... with over a month to spare.

why hasnt the gazette reported on senator randy hopper republican fond du lac? he is not living in his district, but in madison with his mistress. now who is paying for that?

Not only are recall efforts not going to happen or be successful, but this bill will show it's fruitfulness before the left can gain any recoarse. Good bye unions. You have failed the country as of late.

Last Semester in a class my instructor was talking about a guy who did what Cass is talking about ( not paying his share for social items) which include police and fire . Well guess what that guy had a fire and they refused to put the fire out. he didn't pay his share why should he get the privildge of using the social service items. You should not be able to drive on the public streets or anything else that you dont want your money to go towards.

The Republicans did not yell SHAME SHAME SHAME when Doyle imposed a huge tax on private businesses two years ago.

I am tired of all the emotional dribble instead of people just stating the facts.

You're too funny Cass...

I see your' alter ego Joel bit the dust.

It's only a matter of time before you succumb to the same inevitable fate.

So, your alternative is?

Quite frankly... I love it when the American people take advantage of every opportunity the Constitution presents to express the true spirit of democracy.

I can see the day when after every election the people on the losing side immediately file for recall. By golly we'll all get our way and society be damned.

Maybe, but Diamond Jim has had the biggest percentages of increases of anyone.

Cass - you will be in jail soon.They only let it go so far and then they come for you..LOL good luck with that...LOL Then we wonder why we are where we are with people like CASS wondering around in Wisconsin...

Hey Cass,
Wow. Reality called, they are missing you, wondering if/when you'll come home.
.
Hey SwissChick,
You can find those types of taxes you cited in every Gov's budget the past 24 years, whether Walker, Doyle, McCallum, etc. You can do better than those examples if you see past your one-party blinders. Common sense, people!

In that case, Cass, you'll really be supported by taxpayers -- sitting in jail.

People keep talking about recalling Walker, but he is untouchable for a year. The Senators will be up for recall if it goes through, only time will tell, but after it is all said and done it looks pretty even. But, in my honest opinion maybe a revote is in order. Then maybe more voters will come out and voice their opinions, so we then will actually know the true opinions of the state. Walker is heading in the right direction, and I hope this is all over soon and the new normal can begin.

I'm just wondering where all the fists-slamming-down, have-had-it-up-to-here, calling-Republicans-Hitler, were for the last 8 years when Diamond Jim taxed the living daylights out of us by nearly doubling vehicle registrations fees, gas taxes, etc., etc., and stole money from the DOT road budget and put it in his "special project" piles. Just wondering . . .

Walker has notified public employee unions that he’s rescinding notices he sent last week that could have resulted in 1,500 layoffs. Walker said the layoffs would not be necessary since the bill, which includes $30 million in concessions from state employees, had passed.

Liberals don't get your hopes up either on Walker recall. This protest from out of state hired goons showed nothing of the 1,123,591 of us who voted for Walker and more support now that unemployment in this state is already gone down. And the union workers who are so happy to have a real right to say no to giving away there money.
2010 was only the beginning of getting rid of the overspending, overreaching, Obamacare budget busting left. Indiana, Michigan, Maine, Ohio - only the beginning of the road to prosperity.

Futurerichguy- why are you not listing the left side too. Color of change, Organizing for America etc. Do you want to go tit-for-tat all day. Unions don't care about the middle class. They care about there bottom line. They don't produce jobs - They would rather (this is on tape) lay off thousands of teachers then lose there power. Everyone gives a little under this plan and those first 1500 layoff notices have already been saved.

Folks the issue is that our political system is based on negotiation between two parties. The gerrymandering of political systems compiled with "buying" the electorate through political donations has allow stupid people on both sides to be elected. These people feel "finding common ground" - which there is huge area to look in- is "immoral" just listen to Fox News and you will here the rhetoric that if you are against me... you are evil.
For those who think this is going to solve our budget issues in Wisconsin..... this is not a budget issue in the sense of its effect on Wisconsin's economy- it is a budget issue for the effect on the Democratic party. See Fitzgerald's interview on Fox which he admits that the real reason is to de-fund the Democratic Party.
This whole episode is just another nail in the coffin of American democracy- unless different people are elected who are willing to listen, negotiate, and find new and innovative ways of moving forward. I will be watching closing to see how this plays out.... because if the attacks on the middle class continue (by both sides with tax reductions which cause us to continue to pay more than our fair share while losing access to education at all levels), leaving the state will become the only option.

If the Unions weren't so greedy, making unreasonable demands, it wouldn't have been necessary to remove them. They have made it extremely difficult for local and state governments to balance their budgets.

posterguy -- Just Googled the issue and learned it is possible. In WI one may be able to get a portion of the dues back but not all. I wonder how far back they would allow ? Talking a lot of $$. Thanks for the info.

History101...if you or your wife would read that mail, you'd know she can request a refund of any dues given to a political party or candidate she doesn't agree with.

It's about the union dues. Multiple $500 by the total number of public union members. Now lose that money. My wife's in Afscme and doesn't get anything but mail twice a week for all she has to pay. Now she can keep that money and not have it go to a political ad for someone she doesn't agree with.

The only good thing that will come about from RECALL is that there will be a few less Democrats running down to IL. and ignoring there constituents!POWER TO THE TAX PAYERS!!!

Recall threats are on Facebook. They are on Twitter. They are on MySpace. They are in the news... but recall threats are meaningless and the threats are being thrown around mostly by people who, not only don't live in the same district as their targets, but who obviously have no idea how recalls work in the State of Wisconsin.

First things first: Your target must be recallable. In the state of Wisconsin, this means they must have been in office at least one year.

Wisconsin's Government Accountabiity Board (GAB), which has authority over recalls, has published their recall guidelines and timelines. You can view those here: http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/recal...

What many people do not seem to remember is that the targets were elected by a majority vote. These same targets WILL be on the recall ballot and will likely win again by majority vote. A recall campaign does NOT remove someone from office, it simply allows for another election. The target can win that election.

The only people who can vote in the recall election are those who are eligible to vote, have registered to vote and live in the same voting district as the target.

Let's say that a recall campaign was successful in getting enough signatures to get on the ballot, then what? Then an election is held. Let's say the target loses that election. The target has the right to petition. But let's say the target ultimately loses the recall election, then what? Someone has to replace them. Who will that be? It might be someone of the same party. It may be someone from the opposing party. It may be someone better or it could be someone worse. You just don't know.

So, not only would you need to be successful in the campaign, but you must be successful in the election and then you have to be successful with the new candidate. Not an easy thing to accomplish. This is why, historically speaking, recall elections are rarely successful.

Several recall campaigns have already been filed. It will be interesting to see the outcome.

Careful what you wish for.

Continue reading on Examiner.com:

What happens to the two-party system when the union, I mean Dem's are in control.

Recall is a vote

Scared, Joel?

Some of commenter's here appear to not even have enough education to flip burgers,let alone get a "public job". Sour grapes.

kaysbrew, I didn't even mention "Americans for Prosperity" or the Cato Institute. I agree that unions hold sway in the system, but at least they represent middle class workers. With the way the rules are currently written, unions are the only voice many of these people have.

Amazing that you can't see the forest through the trees with Unions and Democrats. Have you looked up George Soros yet? How about GE? How about how all the stim.dollars going to "save" public union workers jobs who pay union dues who pay billions to fund democrats. Isn't that called money laundering?

kaysbrew, it's not quite that simple:

According to Wisconsin campaign finance filings, Walker's gubernatorial campaign received $43,000 from the Koch Industries PAC during the 2010 election. That donation was his campaign's second-highest, behind $43,125 in contributions from housing and realtor groups in Wisconsin. The Koch's PAC also helped Walker via a familiar and much-used politicial maneuver designed to allow donors to skirt campaign finance limits. The PAC gave $1 million to the Republican Governors Association, which in turn spent $65,000 on independent expenditures to support Walker. The RGA also spent a whopping $3.4 million on TV ads and mailers attacking Walker's opponent, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. The Koch money, no doubt, helped greatly.

I hope I'm able to educate some of you off on Koch. $43,000.00 was all he gave out of his billions to Walker. The union power hogs gave just the 14 democrats $1,944.030.00 from 2007-2010. Nearly 2mil !!! No wonder they were able to tell the 14 to stay put, and pay for the expenses.

The Democrats will win & then the people will win
walker & his yes boys will be out

Well said, Ellipsis.

Watch out Dems. You are living in your liberal bubble and the silent majority is still looking for balancing budgets. You may lose the quorum as well in recalls. Just saying, especially after watching the mobs overrun the capitol and death threats. It's all against you.

So the dems "took the ball and went home" The republicans didn't like how the democrats played the game so they changed the rules. Took away their parking. Did not let them use the copier. I would have hoped we elected people who could work well with others. Is there anyone who wants to be a legislator that can think for themselves? Act with dignity? Right now, no one could represent the majority of their constituents because the state seems to be split down the middle. No matter what they do, they will have 50% of the people who disagree with them.

Could you image politics if you were elected because you stood for what the “people” really wanted, and not “big money”… To be represented and have a voice, instead of the Koch Brothers getting special deals. Government might actually work.

One you are correct calling one act illegal is wrong, truth be told neither act was against the law. You are right recalls are coming and maybe it should be a recall of everyone of our elected officials both state and federal with a directive from the people to put term limits in place and remove all soft money from campaigns. That way maybe our representitives would be our representitives, instead of whoever puts the most money in their coffers and that means both union and corporations.Kick the lobbyists out and make them come and ask what you want and them send then back to do it. Make it a part time job like it used to be and make them come back and live and work with their constitients so they really will know what the people want. I think it would be very different if they had to be here most of the time instead of just at election time. Anyone else agree?

“There is a serious problem when one party thinks it can do whatever it pleases, regardless the law. “

Isn’t that what the "missing" 14 Senators who fled to Illinois have been doing for almost a month now? Or is that different because what there doing was benefiting you personally?

What statement are we making in this State? What... if you don’t get your way, we can just take are ball and go home. Maybe your right, maybe recalls are on the horizon, for both sides of the isle. But what makes this the best country in the world is the fact that we have free elections, the right to assemble, and the ability to make changes when people or groups of people make decisions we don’t like.

The right thing to do is to have the 14 Senators come back to Wisconsin, do their jobs, and let the recall efforts, and subsequent 2012 elections determine the future of the politicians of this state.

The Dems and union backers will try to recall the Repubs. The repubs will try to recall the Dems. It will all even itself out!

Reply to posterguy; Just change Walkers name to Obama, and your comments mirror exactly whats going on in DC!

here here I totaly agree. And how much money will be wasted investigating and everything else that has been tied to this already.

The system is clearly not working the way it was intended. There is a serious problem when one party thinks it can do whatever it pleases, regardless the law. The reason this happened last night is because Walker and the Fitzpuppets knew recalls were all but certain for at least 3 GOP Senators, and this never would pass with a real checks-and-balance government in WI. They panicked and jumped the gun, hopefully illegally. Now we have to waste taxpayer money on lawsuits to verify the legality of what happened last night. Instead of trying to come to an agreement, these GOP lapdogs dug through everything they could and tried to use every loophole they could find to avoid negotiating. This will blow up in their faces, if not now, soon.

Real political change will only result when we overcome the two-party system. That's the real enabler of all the corruption.