Oh great!

Oh great! Now that there is same sex marriage in New York and they are the trendsetters for the country, it will expand everywhere. Who's next, Iowa? What? Oh, they already have it. Well, it is a good thing that 41 other states have banned same sex marriage either by law enactment or constitutional amendment. That will stop those gays right in their tracks.

Except for this little document that says that every state must accept the legal documents from other states. This document was written a long time ago and it isn't like we still follow it or anything. It is the United States Constitution. Now I understand that the U. S. Constitution trumps state constitutions and state laws. In fact, conservative U. S. Supreme Court judges which dominate the U. S. Supreme Court and got their conservative support by saying that they are strict constructionists and don't think that Supreme Court judges should be activists judges making up laws from the bench, should be supporting this section of the U. S. Constitution (Article 4 Section 1) which says that every state must accept legal documents from other states. This is why when you get a driver's license in one state, you can legally drive in another state. This is why a couple that gets married in Illinois (which I did), is still married when they move to another state, like Texas, Georgia, California, and Wisconsin (which I did) is still married in each of those states. Otherwise guys (and some gals) would simply change states and claim they were no longer married.

Sooo.... a couple that gets married in Iowa and moves to one of these aforementioned states would still be married, right? In fact, would they not still be married in each of the 41 other states that passed something legal that denies same sex marriage? Quick, what is your answer?

Stumped? Oh, I forgot to tell you the genders of the couple that got married in Iowa. Does it matter, by law? Does a legal marriage in Dubuque, IA still constitute a legal marriage when the couple moves across the river into Wisconsin? Where would a U. S. Supreme Court justice look for an answer to that issue? The U. S. Constitution? The Wisconsin Constitution? Iowa law? What ruling would a judge come up with if they wanted to interpret the U. S. Constitution strictly? Where would they justify that a man/woman marriage is the only one ever meant by our founding fathers when they wrote the U.S. Constitution. In denying that a marriage is a marriage is a marriage, wouldn't that make a U. S. Supreme Court justice an activist judge, interpreting the U. S. Constitution in a way that changes what the U. S. Constitution literally says?

Should same sex marriage be allowed anywhere and everywhere? Look around. Denying that there really are homosexual couples, leaves you looking much like an ostrich. Some people point to their Bible, church, religious leaders, and anything else to take on a holier than everyone else stance. Some say discrimination is discrimination is discrimination. Let's end discrimination.

This is a generational divide as well as religious and political. Generally speaking younger people are more accepting of differences between people and older folks are less tolerant of differences. In the last 15 years approval for same sex marriage has gone from 27% to 53%. While some object to the comparison, this is much like the civil rights movement. It is coming. Move forward or be left behind.

Finally, let's not get addle brained by the anti-homosexual groups that want to compare same sex marriage with marrying multiple persons, or marrying a goat. I'd laugh at those people, except they are serious and dangerous.

Same sex marriage, legal in 6 states and Washington D. C. and counting. As with the civil rights movement, it is a long time in coming and long overdue.

He came from another state. He volunteered in the recall elections of Republicans, working first in the Hudson, WI area, and then, on a visit to Milwaukee, working on the Sandy Pasch campaign north of Milwaukee in Shorewood. He volunteered to go door to door. He met lots of people. It was the Saturday before Father's Day and many people were home. Some asked him questions about the candidate, but the most interesting were the questions about what he was doing and why. "Are you from around here?" "Are you a teacher?" Sometimes it was just a statement..."I don't like what Clinton did with that gay marriage issue." "I'm not in favor of all these recalls. That's not the way to change politicians. Wait til their election." He is politically savvy and knows how to respond to those comments. "I've lived most of my life in Wisconsin and just took a job in Minnesota." "I am a teacher...on the college level." "Changing politicians now stops a disastrous direction Wisconsin is on now." Most of the people were very supportive. One yelled at him to "Go away!" Of the contacts he was to make, he saw real people in about half. He wanted to make a difference and this was an excellent way to do so. He made his dad proud and didn't even know that this was a great Father's Day present. He had wanted me to go along, but I had other commitments that couldn't be broken at the last minute. I didn't know he was going until he arrived Friday night. He questioned where my involvement was. I had been saying I was going to donate money to the campaigns. I haven't. Tonight, I'm going on line to give some money to the cause. I'll find my way onto the campaign trail. But, tonight, I can do something.

No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. Get involved in whatever way you can. Change happens when individuals act. Individual action causes change.

Thanks to my son for re-inspiring me.

If you haven't already this weekend, thank a dad. In sadness, in anger, in joy, in trials, in desperation, they've done the best they could for you.

Then, take action. Wishing, hoping, wanting change won't happen without your help. Do something.

"In a Democracy, people get.........

"In a Democracy, people get the government they deserve." Alexis de Tocqueville

But wait, those of us that live in Wisconsin, surely don't deserve what has befallen us. Do we? The answer to that, is .....yes. Joanne Kloppenberg was about to lose to David Prosser in the State Supreme Court race by a gigantic margin--probably 2-1. Then the budget protests started and people who knew nothing about that election got involved and almost, almost, just nearly barely, pulled out a win for Kloppenberg. Oh, so close that 7000+ votes hidden from view on election night turned the tide and a win for Prosser. Oh well, maybe we'll try again next time.

The next time is near, very near. What is at stake? The entire future direction of Wisconsin is at stake. Gov. Scott Walker and his majority of Republicans in both houses of the state Congress just passed a budget bill that, and this is from Republican leaning new outlets, cuts aid to public schools, promotes money for private schools, cuts aid to the poorest in Wisconsin, forces public employees to hand back some of their pay, attacks unions (both public and private) and gives tax breaks (read lots of money) to businesses and the richest in Wisconsin. What paved the way for this? The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that, essentially,the bill passed by Republicans was legal and that the lower court that ruled that the Republicans had violated Wisconsin's open meeting law and invalidated the law was wrong and overturned that decision. Do you have to even ask which side of the 4-3 decision David Prosser was on? (By the way, Prosser wrote a separate majority opinion that basically says that regarding legislative rules, if the legislature violates one of its rules, that in effect, changes the rule. True. Read it.)

So what is the next opportunity for changing things? Oh, that is very near. Oops, maybe not as close as you might like. There were going to be recall elections July 12th. Six Republicans and three Democrats were to face a mid-term re-election challenge. But the Republicans decided that they could delay these elections if there were too many candidates in the election and that election was changed into a primary election instead of a final election. So, they got Republicans to gather enough signatures to run as a Democrat, forcing a Democratic primary on July 12th and pushing the main election back to August. This would give Republicans more time to mount a defense (read money) of their seats and more time for time passage, in that as time passes, voters will lose steam and fervor over what brought about the recall elections in the first place.

If you are now thinking "Oh, good I can sit back and wait to vote until August.", you need to change your thinking. Recalling six Republicans takes money and volunteers. Those are needed now. Money is needed to combat big Republican money which is coming in large amounts. Volunteers are needed for canvassing and phone calls. There are also three Democrats that are defending themselves against a recall election. They need the same things, money and volunteers. What is at stake? Walker's agenda is not done. Changing Wisconsin to a "Right to work state" which threatens all unions and threatens all workers' salaries will be coming soon. Tapping into the Wisconsin Retirement System pension fund that is doing quite well is on the agenda. Giving corporations and businesses even more incentives (read money back to them) for running a business in Wisconsin is definitely going to be emphasized. Redrawing congressional districts to favor Republicans is coming up soon too. Challenge anything Walker does and the State Supreme Court will back Walker up. What is at stake? Check out the importance of the Prosser election and the 4-3 conservative majority on the state Supreme Court. What else could be done? Look for social changes that would douse same sex unions, restrictions on abortions, including health care for the poor, support for religions that may not be yours (besides support for religious, private schools via vouchers), restrictions on voting (already here), further cutbacks to education, increases to college tuition, and, and, and.....

The recall elections need a Democratic sweep to change Madison, to stop the radical agenda that has already been passed and will be pushed for in the future. Some are waiting for a recall effort on Scott Walker, which cannot occur until he has been in office for at least one year, or next January. Waiting until then will allow an unfettered reign by Walker and the Republicans to push through anything....anything....anything for the next eight months.

ABSOLUTE POWER

Many people believe that if the executive branch is controlled by one party, the legislature should be, at least, partly controlled by the other party. That is not the case for the next two years if nothing changes. The Republicans have absolute power and a Supreme Court to back them up. "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely..."--Lord Acton

In a Democracy, people get the government they deserve. What do you deserve? If you deserve better, act! If you haven't liked the past six months, you will hate the next 18 months.

Get the real government you deserve.

THE STAKES COULD NOT BE BIGGER

Any action by a politician can usually be measured by how that action is received by the voters in the form of an election.

Now the voters of Wisconsin will state with their ballot if the anti-union laws were a good or bad idea. That action gets the ultimate test April 5th.

In Wisconsin, the national news battle between newly elected Governor Scott Walker and worker unions will get a good test of what Wisconsinites think about the actions Walker and his Republican legislature have taken. April 5th is Spring election time in Wisconsin and foremost on the ballot is the race for Wisconsin State Supreme Court Justice who earns a ten year term upon winning this election. This pits incumbent David Prosser against challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg. Republicans are backing Prosser, while Democrats and those anti-union busting protesters in Madison, WI are supporting Kloppenburg.

What is at stake?

Prosser will rule on the state Supreme Court for the new laws that Walker has pushed through. It is presumed that Kloppenburg will rule more favorably for challenges to the new laws.

If Prosser wins, Walker and state Republicans will claim that the voting public obviously supports the new anti-union laws. Should Kloppenburg win, the anti-Walker group will claim that their side was right and the public vote supports that claim. It would also give a big push to the recall efforts that are going on around the state against the eight Republican state senators that are eligible for recall while possibly dousing the same efforts against eight Democratic state senators. At the same time, some anti-Walkerites have set a countdown clock for recalling Walker. By state law, no elected official can be recalled in their first year in office, so Walker could not be recalled until January, 2012.

Are the battle lines really that clearly drawn between Prosser and Kloppenburg?

Money has already poured into Wisconsin from outside the state for both candidates. Republicans see this as a definitive test for their attempt to reduce the power of unions--permanently. Unions and Democrats see this as a battle for survival. The new laws, I've labeled as anti-union, could not be called anything else. State workers would lose collective bargaining rights, rights to grievance, the right to have dues collection by employers, and a state requirement that unions hold an election every year to recertify their union. This all the while the state dictates to workers what can and cannot be bargained. State employees could no longer bargain over health benefits, sick time, personal leave, grievances, discipline, working conditions, and a host of other items that most people take for granted. They could only bargain over wages, but limited to the inflation rate. So, if inflation increased by 1.5%, state unions could bargain to get that amount (not guaranteed) or less. AND, they would be barred by state law from striking or taking any job action that could be considered work stoppage. In other words, the end of unions.

The power of five.

State officials predict the this will be a typical election turnout where only 20% of the eligible voters with actually go out and vote. That means that each voter has the power of five. Each vote is more powerful because of all the non-voters. Usually incumbents hope for a low voter turnout, believing that name recognition alone will put them through with so few votes being cast. Will that happen this time? Will the outrage from Madison's throngs continue and manifest itself into active voters? Was Walker right or wrong? Defeating a supportive incumbent could sent a strong message that the wrong way was chosen. Re-electing a supportive incumbent could embolden the majority to complete their permanent takeover.

Side note, not noted too much.

As reported in the Milwaukee Journal this past week, David Prosser has not gotten along with other Supreme Court Justices in a very loud and vocal way. It was reported that Prosser in a heated discussion with another Justice called her a "bitch". Prosser admitted doing this, so that part of the story is not in dispute. He went on to claim that the other justice provoked him and blamed her for his outburst.

That sounds familiar.

Where have I heard that line of reasoning before?

Oh yes. That is the line that spouse abusers use to explain why they had to batter their spouse. She/he provoked me. She/he did not do________________ which I wanted done or they ___________ which they know sets me off.

That is the line that rapists use to explain how the woman deserved what she got because she provoked/teased/dressed in such a way that she wanted it.

Yes. A Supreme Court justice whom we hope judges things/events fairly, impartially, passively, unemotionally screaming at another Supreme Court justice that she was a "bitch" AND she deserved it because she provoked him. Let's all teach our children and other adults that this is acceptable behavior. This is the way society should treat each other. Look at who is setting the example--openly, defiantly, with bravado, without apology, without regret, defending this act of civility. How do you want your Supreme Court justice to act both in society, in public and on the bench?

Get Out The Vote on April 5th for your next Supreme Court justice.

Where have I been? Terribly depressed.

Sorry for the long absence. Whenever I'd sit down to write again, events raced past my "latest". How to write when events were changing so quickly. The long absence has led to a long blog. As I've been telling people lately, "Hang in there."

Regarding the events in Madison, WI, and now to other states as well, my feelings were that the Republicans' push to cripple unionism would not be stopped. While it was encouraging to visit the protests in Madison, (and nearly every crowd report seemed on the light side) and it was encouraging and uplifting to see "the people" wanting to take back their government, it seemed so inevitable that the union busting bill would become law. The Republicans tried to take cover by tying union busting with balancing the state's budget. But, when the unions agreed to the monetary needs of the governor, and the Republicans stripped the bill of all economic concerns so the Republicans could pass the anti-union bill without any financial concerns where the budget was concerned, the cover was blown away. Most people, including union members, agreed that the state employees would pay more for insurance and pensions. Once that was secured, the move to strip state unions of all organization rights made less and less sense. Now, Governor Walker said this stripping unions of all rights was needed to allow local governments to balance their budgets. This, of course, would be necessary since Walker's budget included slashing state funding for cities, counties, and school districts and the state's reduced funding for those governmental bodies would cause them a deficit and cuts would be needed. Those governmental units would need to bust their union contracts just like Walker was doing with the state employees unions.

Was this really going to solve the financial problem?

This is the key question. Does Walker's plan work? And, at whose expense does he balance the state budget? Well, middle class Americans get hit the hardest. Many thousands of public employee workers will lose income by paying more of their pension and health care and in some cases reduced salary. Many will face layoffs(read no job) resulting in increased unemployment.

Maybe, if all cuts in funding to local governments by the state could be balanced off equally with the proposed reduction in local costs, this has a chance of working. However, Milwaukee's mayor indicated that this can't be done since such a large percentage of the city's budget is for police and fire protection, both of which are not affected by the new law. With those protected, Milwaukee and other cities with the same problem (lots) will have to make deeper cuts to government provided services such as transportation, public libraries, public museums, street repair, garbage pick-up, snow plowing, health care, and anything that requires someone in government doing anything for a citizen. Some school district are suggesting that even with new union bargaining rules in effect, they will have to lay off (read no job) 10%-15% or more of their work force, including teachers, teacher aides, security aides, secretaries, maintenance workers, and delay implementing repair projects, new teaching tools like computers and books, and increase class sizes. Some may have to eliminate extra curricula programs like the arts, sports, and cut back on educationally sound items like field trips, training, and other programs.

Isn't this what the people of Wisconsin wanted?

Didn't the people of Wisconsin elect Walker? Isn't this what they wanted?

Some are probably thrilled with Walker's actions. At the start of his proposals, people who were anti-union, non-union, or not clear on the topic thought that his proposal to get union members to pay more for their pensions and health care were sound and fair. However, once he got that economic concession from unions, it became that Walker was after much more. Politics rose up, big time. Crushing the unions and their continued support for Democrats became more important than fixing the budget. If Walker to do great damage to unions where they were forced to hold an election every year to see if their members wanted to stay in a union, if he could stop the automatic deduction from their paychecks for union dues (make unions go and get their union dues directly), if he could stop unions from collective bargaining, reducing the need for a union, and if he could limit what could be bargained over (wages only, held to the inflation rate), then he could cut off the funding of Democrats by union political action committees and stop the communicating to members to get out and vote by union leaders. IF Walker could accomplish all of that quickly once in office, he could create a weakened opponent and turn Wisconsin permanently into a "red" state. Republicans would have a tremendous advantage and could continue to get elected indefinitely. This was worth the turmoil. The Republicans finally decided to split the financial from the union busting and passed the anti-union bill without any Democrat around. The politics of situation overrode the cover they sought in putting the anti-union legislation in the budget bill. They decided if they could get the bill through, they could withstand the political heat such a law would create. They would have crushed the unions and the Democrats. They win. They always knew they would. So did I.

I have been terribly depressed.

However, this ain't over. Recall elections for 16 state senators are underway. Eight Democratic and eight Republican state senators are facing recall. Will any of these succeed and change the make-up of the state senate? That depends. I can stay depressed or I can get involved. Read that last sentence and apply it to yourself. Individual action causes change. What can I do to change things that thousands of protesters couldn't do? The thousands of protesters did accomplish something. They made this issue a big deal. There was no quick passage of Walker's original proposal. They activated thousands of people to get involved and in some cases bring recall to the perpetrators.

What can I do? (Again, apply to yourself)

If I am not in a recall district, I can volunteer time and/or money. I can write letters to the editor. I can go to protest meetings, attend forums, ask questions. I can work for candidates by volunteering time to pass out flyers, put up signs, work phones, get others involved. I may not be able to do all of these things, but I can do something. Or, I can remain depressed and wonder how this all happened and why didn't someone do something to change it.

I refuse to remain depressed. Individual action does cause change. It is the only thing that does.

The Unions are killing us!!! Run for your lives!!!

What everyone already knows.

Everyone knows that the all the problems in Wisconsin, and probably everywhere else too, have been caused by unions. New Governor Scott Walker (R-Wis) has decided that the state's budget deficit of (supposedly) $3 billion was caused by unions. He must believe this since he has decided that the way to eliminate the state's deficit is by eliminating collective bargaining, forcing unions to collect their own dues, and forcing unions to have their own membership vote every year on whether they want to continue as a union. Now this only applies to public employee unions, which have obviously destroyed Wisconsin's budget, except for police unions, fire department unions, and the state police union, all of which did support Walker during his election bid. But, surely that is not the reason they got exempted where all other state employee unions are included. Governor Walker has said that this legislation is needed to fix the budget deficit and has convinced a large portion of the public to agree.

However....

However, did the unions really cause the estimated $3,000,000,000 budget shortfall? Really? Public employee unions have bargained for the salary and benefits they receive. In some cases they have given up salary increases for benefit gains. Untaxed benefits were worth more to employees than taxable salary. This give back helped the employer as well as they spent less on benefits than they would have on salary. This type of bargaining was beneficial to both sides. Now, years later, employers want workers to pay for those benefits that include health care and pension with no concern for what happened previously. And, with no compensation for what is being asked to give up.

Is it possible that some other force has caused the budget deficit? What increases have taken place in the seat of government, Madison. What is the budget increase for the legislative branch, the judicial branch, the governor's office? What programs have been approved? What highway projects have been approved? What (fill in the blank here) has been approved? Is it possible that there are many sources of increases that have all contributed to the budget deficit?

Oops, I've only been talking about one side of the problem, cuts. As with any budget, there are at least two ways to balance a budget. This is done just as any home does it. You can cut expenses and/or increase revenue. What??!!! Are you suggesting raising taxes? That is absolutely taboo! Who can afford paying more in taxes? I'm guessing those that make the most money. As on the national stage, could taxes be raised on those making more that $250,000 a year without cramping their life style too much? Probably. Would this really bring in enough money to make a difference? That is an easy math problem. Whatever that amount might be, it would be less money that has to be cut. The only way someone would not consider that option would be if they were beholding to those being taxed. Surely Governor Walker isn't afraid of the richest in Wisconsin. After all, he took on the state employee unions. Cuts and tax increases help get to the balanced budget everyone seeks.

The alternative is to have massive cuts throughout the state. Walker has already indicated that reducing aid to the UW system, reducing aid to all public school districts, forcing state employees to take days off without pay, firing employees, reducing health care to the poorest in Wisconsin, and other devastating cuts are all being considered. Looking just at school districts, school boards have little wiggle room due to 16 years of revenue caps and other laws that have squeezed them financially. One obvious reality is for school districts to increase class size so they will need fewer teachers. Who can argue with new class sizes of 40-45? Suck it up teachers. Suck it up parents. Suck it up students.

Right now

But, right now, the governor wants to end collective bargaining rights and other anti-union measures. Isn't that the best thing to do now? Well, let's look at what Republicans have been saying, certainly ever since President Obama was elected, but prior to that as well--let's have smaller government. Get government out of controlling people's lives. Stop the nanny state where government thinks they know better than the people. Doesn't dictating to people what rights they can have or not have regarding unions is putting government in the position of making people's choices for them. Definitely involvement in your life, regardless of what you want. Smaller government that takes sides in labor issues? That sounds like controlling government that wants to involve itself in areas that should be left to the people. Does Walker know better than the people what the people want? Well, he might turn out to be a benevolent dictator who does what is best for his subjects, er, people. Walker knows what is best for you and collective bargaining and protection by the union is not what is best for you.

Everyone knows that the unions are killing us. Walker knows best. Run for your lives.

Let everyone fend for themselves!

Let everyone fend for themselves.

The biggest issue in Wisconsin and some other states is how to fix the state's budgetary crisis. The new governor in Wisconsin has decided that the state employees' unions are to blame. Many state employees don't contribute to their own pensions or to their health insurance premiums. So to balance the budget, he has proposed and has the backing of his party's (Republican) assembly and senate majorities to pass a bill to eliminate collective bargaining and turn the Wisconsin into a right to work state, which for unions is much more ominous than the title suggests.

Are unions obsolete? Are they not just money grubbers, who in the public sector, only feed on the taxpaying public? Who needs them? Some workers in the public arena, teachers, police, fire fighters, nurses, emergency medical technicians, social workers, clerks, secretaries, and a whole host of positions agree with this. Some are forced to pay a certain amount in dues to a union they don't want. When asked about this a couple of years ago by a new teacher, who did not like paying for union dues, I reminded him that the job he walked into with a pension, health insurance, optional life insurance, dental insurance, optional savings plans, sick days, relatively controlled working conditions, and protection from overbearing administrators was the result of years of sacrifice and hard work by the union and its members. We paid little of our health insurance because, in negotiations, we took less in salary (for many years, in fact). The benefit and salary package that he walked into was not the result of the school district being nice. They would love to pay less, not provide insurance or sick days or pension benefits, but by collective bargaining, this is there for all teachers, new or old.

Today

Most workers have benefited from unions whether they ever belonged to one or not. While I'm not going into the history of unions, take a look at one issue and debate that. We currently have a minimum wage law. This came about by the work of unions along with legislators. Should we keep that law? Why not let the market decide wages? If someone will only work for at least $10 an hour, they will have to compete with someone willing to work for $5 an hour. Let employers/companies put out a wage and see if anyone wants to work for that amount. If companies advertised that without that law (it could easily be repealed in today's climate), they are paying $5/hour would anyone come in and apply? If not, and they offered $6/hour, would anyone apply? At some point, the job market would define what salaries should be and it may be less than today's minimum wage. If a hired worker wanted more, they could be replaced with a lower salaried person, firings could be at the company's whim. Actually this could lead us back to the good old days--the late 1800's and early 1900's when companies had all the power, union organizers could be fired and violently removed from the company's gates. Seeking even cheaper workers, we could lower the working age. We have too many slackers wasting taxpayers' dollars in schools now. Let's put those little buggers to work!

No one is really suggesting that we go back to the days of child labor, crushing poverty, and lax labor laws. But, the elimination of collective bargaining is a start.

Do we really want everyone to fend for themselves? Ask someone who wants a union and is stopped at every turn by their company. Check out what Wal-mart has done where employees have attempted to start a union. They aren't the only ones.

Finally

Today in Madison, WI thousands of people are marching to stop the bill that would eliminate collective bargaining for public employees. Sadly, they are probably not going to succeed. This is the second day of marches to the capitol. Following yesterday's march and protest, Republican leaders announced that they had enough votes (from Republicans only) to pass this new legislation. This bill has caused enough concern, that enough teachers in Madison, did not go to work so they could join with thousands of others in protest, that the Madison school district closed for the day!

How to succeed:

The action by Madison teachers needs to be followed by ALL public employees. As has happened in other countries, the system needs to be shut down. The system is everything. ALL public employees need to demonstrate how needed they really are. What happens if many school districts close, if the employees that take care of government business stop doing that business. In France, buses, trains, airports, government offices and lots more got shut down. That made a difference.

Repercussions

Yes, there could be repercussions. Some will be docked pay for missing work. Some will call in sick (and be challenged). Some may lose their jobs or a promotion. But, look at what power the people have. In Egypt, the people showed power, in the early union movements in this country, the people showed power, in today's society, we are not powerless. We just need to act.

INDIVIDUAL ACTION CAUSES CHANGE

It is the only thing that does cause change.

Let's not all fend for ourselves.