BunBun: I suspect that if you'd been taught (in school), you'd have learned the correct spelling of monologue. If not, you would have least been taught "spell check."

"I was always taught (outside of school)"
.
so WHAT were YOU TAUGHT about RANDOM caps in a long RAMBLING monolouge? (other than "its time to buy a new keyboard")

Ahhhh, the civility of dialogue. Don't you just love it John? LoL!

thurty30; No, its to draw attention to the issue and apparently it got yours.

Make no mistake;
There is only one reason that the "Clock Tower 14" is missing and unions from around the country are here to protest and it's the thought of losing the automatic funding stream provided by the taxpayers through the automatic payroll withdrawal I mentioned in my post below.

I'm not sure why the conservatives aren't taking out adds to inform others about this egregous money grab (laundering).

I was always taught (outside of school) that if you need to type in all caps, you do not believe in what you say.

John; It's unlikely we will be out of this mess in 2 years although I hope we are, but sunsetting this not the answer. The reason to end collective bargaining (along with others) is:

CURRENTLY I AM (ALONG WITH EVERYONE PAYING TAXES) PAYING THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES SALARY. ABOUT $1000 DOLLARS A YEAR (or use any figure you like) OF THAT SALARY IS BEING AUTOMATICALLY DEDUCTED (using state employees time to do so I might add) AND SENT TO A BLOATED UNION, WITH NO SAY BY ME OR THE EMPLOYEE. THE LAST TIME I CHECKED, MOST OF THAT MONEY GOES TOWARDS DEMOCRATS BEING ELECTED OR PROPING UP THE BLOATED UNION OFFICE STAFF. FDR EVEN THOUGHT THERE WAS NO PLACE FOR A UNION IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR.

THE ONLY REASON YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS WRONG, IS IF YOU ENDORSE IT!!!!!!!! WHY DON'T YOU GET IT??

I guess no one wants to pay "more taxes" Shultzy but get real. Next year, after the Unions are busted, more foreclosures, fewer jobs, less taxes revenues, is it going to get any better? I think Walker is right but he's such a whip...he needs to bust the police UNION the fire fighter UNION, lower the capital gains so we can all day trade if we don't have any jobs and why not have a bounty for every illegal alien we can round up? Like Schultzy says, we taxpayers just have to get those bloodsucking unions off our backs and we'll be back in business. Keep the hope alive, GM is coming back if they don't have to deal with the coachroach unionists!

This should not say neither side is budging as Walker is the one who is not compromising. Unions have already said they will give Walker everything he wants monetarily, just not the union power.

Collective bargaining is not a right. Nowhere in the constitution of the UNITED STATES does it say that public unions are legally bound to be able to negotiate with their bosses over policy. Collective bargaining is not a basic right, and I find it insulting to be put on the same level as freedom of speech or right to bear arms.

Here is the thing, private sector unions negotiate with their bosses, the rich bossman sitting behind his giant desk, smoking his cigar, and only showing up to work a few days a week making ten times the amount his labor workers do. PUBLIC sector unions want to negotiate with their bosses: the taxpayers. As a taxpayer, I don't want to negotiate anymore. There is no money to negotiate with, and the teachers have proven that they are not financial experts capable of spending the school districts money in a responsible way.

As one girl in our class brought up tonight, Wisconsin can raise taxes $32 for every resident. While I do not support the validity of this claim, the main reason that I voted and elected SCOTT WALKER was to not raise taxes and to balance the budget. PERIOD. I don't want to pay anymore taxes, and I fully expect teachers to start paying for their fair share. They said they will do that. Great.

As Barak Obama said many, many, many times: Electoins have consequences, deal with it.

Good talks in class tonight, Eyster. See you Wednesday.

HL_Mencken: The Republicans must not compromise and end the stranglehold public employee unions have over the people. WE THE PEOPLE need to be freed from the chains of union thugs and bullies. The union proxy civil war taking place in Madison is a disgrace and a threat to our democracy.

That's exactly what your mentors Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh have been saying. Great sources of intellectualism HL.

Here's the best portrayal that I've seen of the RINO Dale Schultz yet- http://bit.ly/dVMrYC

I'm just continually amazed that Democrats & their sympathizers, who delight in regaling the masses with their greater light, can so soon hope that we forgot the ton of crap shoved down the throats of conservatives without discussion or compromise--then, when the tables are turned, pleading, "Hey, why can't we compromise?"

Marien- What about Uncle Tommy Thompson? Shouldn't he play some blame in this game too?

The new slogan for Wisconsin should read: ESCAPE FROM WISCONSIN!

Johnny--where was your song of a "thoughtful approach" two years ago when the state Democrats and Diamond Jim Doyle rammed through a budget repair bill hiking taxes by $2 billion without a public hearing in less than 24 hours? Since you love "Politifact," which rates the statement as true, you can verify it here http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/stat...

READ THE WHOLE BILL, PLEASE! I support the protesters but encourage all to READ THE WHOLE BILL! There are very serious implications to ALL Wiconsin tax payers if this bill passes whether you are a Democrat, Republican, Independent, or other. In a Democracy one person should never have the only voice!

Couldn't the Dem's come back to Madison and just not go into the chamber for the vote? Sure, they could be arrested, but they'd still be out and there would still not be a quorum for the vote.

There are important, complicated issues to resolve. Any change will be painful to someone, but that just makes it even more important for everyone to make themselves available to fashion the best agreement they can.

By the way, I'm somewhat surprised that Mr Walker and the state congressmen have not talked about the pay and benefit cuts that they too will be taking to help the budget deficit, at least symbolically.
Could it be that the are not contributing to the "repair" bill along with the unionized state employee's?

I did vote for Walker, I'm sorry, it won't happen again.

At the end of the day, we need a governor, not a dictator, and certainly not a "Koch" whore to lead the state.

brwe - No, I haven't. It goes both ways. Conservatives are now trying to undo much of Obama has accomplished in the last two years, and much of what liberals in general accomplished in the years before that. More power to them, that's democracy at work. All I'm saying is the people attempting to change Walker's budget repair bill have every right to do so as they see fit. Just because they're in the political minority now doesn't mean they should have any less right to open discourse than conservatives did between the 2008 elections and now. Obama was wrong to say what he did; Walker is wrong to not even listen to compromise proposals, which - heavens! - could potentially be even better for the state than his plan, if only he'd give them a fair shake.

JCB--Apparently, you've already forgotten that the quote, "elections have consequences" came ORIGINALLY from our current Commander-in-Chief!

RichE95 - Lincoln actually did try to run away from a vote, going so far as to jump out of a window with other members of his party: http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_col....
And for everyone who says "elections have consequences," I was unaware that democracy ended when the polls closed. Senate Democrats, protestors, public employees all have a right - obligation, even - to combat a law they believe to be unjust however they see fit. Our founding fathers laid that principle out in the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

I find nothing unreasonable about Govenor Walker's proposal. All I see is a bunch of greedy unions leeching off the taxpayers back.
I am appalled at the vile venom spewed from these righteous people. They have called for his death, have doctors lying for them, busing out of state union people in. Democrats fleeing the state at the taxpayers expense. NEVER would I compromise with such vicious, strong arm and pathetic thugs that these people are! Yes ladies and gentlemen, this is what the teachers and leaders of the state are teaching our children: How to have an entitlement attitude reguardless of the cost or lack of money! Everyone else is putting in more and so should these parasites. We sent Scott to do a job and he is doing it.

I have a suspicion that Gov. Walker wants to wait to present his budget bill until after he takes down the unions because he's coming for the rest of you next. You who rejoice in the pain of others - useful idiots to support the further take down of decent, working class citizens. God said thou shalt not covet. Did you forget that commandment?

John. You used to give a heart rendering reading of the Gettysburg address during Washington Seminar. There was something that Lincoln and those who gave their lives didn't do. They did not run away over a state line and talk about compromise. When Tim Cullen, a supreme disappointment, and the others come back and do their job, talks are possible. You can not imply there has been a lack of discussion. The debate has been longer and more thorough than Jim Doyle's last budget deal.

Forgive me as I cannot give you the source, but when this all started, I read that there were several Republicans that were quoted in the papers that they did not like some of the aspects of this bill. One in particular was Luther Olsen from the Ripon area. He also said that they were disciplined. If they don’t like parts of the bill, why are they still not willing to waver?

AreJ continues to throw out the canard that somehow the people who DID NOT VOTE should be counted and implies that the NON VOTERS are on the side of the democrats.
Just maybe you are on the wrong side of the issue if you have to reach this far.

HL- You're correct on the reason for the creation of the Republican party. They broke away from the Whig party over the slavery issue. At that time, all other principals stood the same as the Whigs. The birthplace of this movement (Republican Party) is right here in WI. Ripon to be exact. The white school house where the meetings were held is still there and on the historical register. The Republican party of today is not the party of then.

If you don't vote you are not counted. Those folks had the opportunity to vote but didn't. Too bad so sad. The people who went to the polls elected Walker. So the majority did speak.

GrandpaB-- the will of the majority was not expressed in the 2010 election. Scott Walker received only 26% of the eligible vote.

As opposed to, say, cut-and-paste Republican talking points?

Can't we talk about something else ?

READ the bill. Anyone with comprehensive reading skills can read the same things in this bill. It's in black and white. Just FYI- not republican, not a democrat. Do wish there was a 3rd party to make both sides act right.

tamrlu's point(s) are cut and paste democrat propaganda talking points.

You all still do not understand the implications of this bill. You are all so blinded by your anger, hate, partisanship, and righteousness that you have missed the real issues. Union, not union- at this point, who cares?! If this bill passes, the union issue is the last of your problems. The powers that will be given to the governor with no legislative oversight- one man completely running important departments and programs at his whim with no recourse from any citizen of the state. The sale of the power plants. How much do you think that is going to help your personal bottom-line? What about the gutting of the medicare system and the programs it provides. Will we end up having unwitting genocide because people can eat or live, many will not be able to do both. The Koch brothers have moved into Madison folks, just off the square. http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/go...
The brothers are so certain that they will be purchasing the power plants that they have started running help wanted ads. http://www.thinkenergygroup.com/think.ns...
These are the facts of this bill folks. Everyone should be thankful that this has been slowed down. Doesn't matter if you agree with how it was slowed down, just that it was. If you do not get upset by the actual guts of this bill, God help us all.

"The Democrats are doing whatever it takes to stop this unnecessary power play."

Exactly, the Democrats are doing whatever they can to foil the will of the majority for their personal gain.

Why? Because Scott Walker is power hungry. He did the same thing as Milwaukee County Executive and he has a record to show for it. The Democrats are doing whatever it takes to stop this unnecessary power play. Walker should have talked with the people before making such a rash proposal and then trying to force it through. What he is doing is a blatant abuse of power and not politics whatsoever.

It seems that it is only in defeat that the democrats call for compromise.
When the dems were in charge they rammed a 2 billion dollar tax and fee increase through within 48 hours of then Governor Doyle mentioning it.
There was no public hearing.
There was no compromise.

As for the present budget repair bill, the majority seems to favor the no compromise approach as articulated nicely by grandpaB (2/23, 6:45 am)

3rd party - 2012
Making such huge changes so quickly sets a bad precedent in my opinion. I know to the victor goes the spoils. I just worry politics is going to devolve further where everyone gets greedy to the extreme when they get power. The other side will react as the democrats are now and basically nothing ever gets done.

Would you stop with the compromise articles already? The state is broke. Open your ears.

John......As an educator, you really should proof your writing--especially the words you bold. You're missing an "i" in "SIGNIFICANT". I completely agree with grandpaB. Obviously Walker believes that this is the path to making this state sustainable. He has the support and the votes to see it though. Compromise, from his perspective, would mean a greater possibility of his plan failing. It's refreshing to see a politician lay it on the line and fight for something they believe in--despite the fact the media is portraying him with such negativity.......

Most of the problems of this country are the result of people compromising their principles in an attempt to appear politically correct. Compromise is NOT a virtue, it is a cop out! It is refreshing to see that the Governor and most voters have finally figured this out.

No, the senate and collective bargaining are not capable of thoughtful approach timely enough. I do NOT believe the power the governor is asking for is desirable. However, I also believe talking will NOT get "it" done now. By definition and experience bargaining requires as much time as each side can hold out. We can not afford to wait years to fix this economy. I do not know the answers, but I deserve to have municiple budget shortfalls resolved now. I want to see AND feel a plan in place. This IS why we elect representatives.

JE,

You should be promoting democracy by suggesting that the missing dems return and do their job. Elections have consequences. The time to protest is at the ballot box.
I am all for making your voice heard, but when I see the young people screaming, ringing cow bells, and pounding drums in the Capitol, it makes me sick. To have our teachers standing there and doing the same is even worse. John, doesn't that bother you?

I HOPE the senators who ran away from their job return home so we can move on. This is ridiculous! Where was talk of "compromise" when Doyle pushed all his legislation? It's a new day. Grow up and realize the unions aren't going to have their way. That's the way democracy works when citizens vote and an election results in a change in the way things are done.