Protests against Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's new budget bill

[Ed Link]

Since it is a new topic, I'll give it a real into thread...

As of Feb. 15, 2011, there has been peaceful protests in Madison, WI against a budget bill proposed by Gov. Scott Walker. The bill, if passed, will cut funding to all state workers and strip their collective bargaining rights (except for a few exceptions of people, which will be mentioned later).

The protests have been large; in fact, they are the largest Madison has seen in over a decade. Teachers and students have been calling in sick to go to the protests. Madison schools have been cancelled for two days in a row as of now. People have brought sleeping bags and pillows to spend the night near the Capitol’s rotunda with a refusal to return home.

Police officers, firefighters and state troopers would be exempted from those provisions. This is notable for the fact that these people tend to support the Republicans over Democrats, and increases criticism that this is just an attack on the left leaning people in the government.

[hisak]

At the risk of starting political debate in not LOT territory... *would like to punch Scott Walker in the face*

I know someone who's been protesting for the last two days. I wish I could be there.

[Ed Link]

I wish I could be as well.. And I was really hoping it would be covered on the Daily Show, but alas...

[hisak]

Apparently a lot of professors are canceling class tomorrow to protest. Hopefully it'll get a higher profile soon.

[Ed Link]

Yeah, the complete lack of coverage is kind of scary. msnbc is covering it, and that's only because they are a major left leaning news station... But being as the numbers are equivalent to some overseas riots...

[hisak]

It's made the front page of today's New York Times.

[Ed Link]

Who reads the Times?

At least it is kind of shown... But still, this should be everywhere seeing as the numbers are equal to what other riots are which we say are going to overthrow the government...

[hisak]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/18/us/18wisconsin.html?_r=1&hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1297972916-q6iG3bDBXDcAZyd86w+YmA

These Democrats need to share their balls with the rest of the party.

[Ed Link]

You'd think that because people are refusing to vote as well as constant protesting, you might as well shut down the bill... Or Wisconsin may become its own country.

EDIT: And finishing reading it, does this comment make any sense?

“Obviously there is a lot of protest out there, but in the end, it’s the right thing to do,” Mr. Walker said, adding, “We didn’t get elected to worry about the politics.”

And not to mention this is just a bull crap way for him to try to gain approval:

For his part, Mr. Walker said he did not believe that most Wisconsin residents had a problem with his proposals. In a tour on Tuesday around the state — to private companies — Mr. Walker said he spoke with plenty of private employees who told of paying far more for their retirement plans and health care than state workers.

[hisak]

I've decided to split this off into the LoT. You can probably come up with a better title for it than me, so if you want to rename it go ahead.

There's speculation that the Democratic senators have left the state. I don't know what the laws are regarding this, but apparently there's nothing that can be done if they're not within the state borders.

[Ed Link]

When I first read your comment I thought you said senate instead of state... That would be a completely different discussion...

As of leaving the state, I applaud them. Well thought out and done... Unless the Republicans come up with some crap way to instate new people. But other than the delay to the vote so the protesting can have an even larger impact on the remaining senators, what other reasoning do you think the Democrats have for leaving state.. If they did actually leave.


Also, this comment makes me chuckle a little bit:

By noon, Ted Blazel, the sergeant-at-arms, began making his way through the Capitol building, packed with chanting protesters (elated at the development), in search of a Democrat — in offices, under desks, in corridors. “Nothing yet,” he said, his forehead drenched in sweat.

[Bidet to you sir]

Can I just say lol, please?

This is so dumb.

First Idaho is trying to bring back nullification and now wisconsin is trying to put workers rights back 100 years?

My god your country is dumb.

[hisak]

Unless the Republicans come up with some crap way to instate new people.

I don't think they can. From what I understand, they have to find the senators and have the police bring them back to the Capitol. But if they're not in Wisconsin, they can't do anything to bring them back.

My god your college dropouts are dumb.

Fixed.

It's really encouraging to see the outcry over this bill. Has there ever been a protest this big in Madison?


EDIT: The senators leaving the state has propelled the story to the main page of nearly every major US news website.

[Ed Link]

My god your college dropouts are dumb.

Fixed.

If this was facebook, I would like that.

It's really encouraging to see the outcry over this bill. Has there ever been a protest this big in Madison?

Well I've seen "in decades" quoted a few times, so my guess is largest recorded numerically. I just hope that they can get their heads out of their anus and listen to the fact many many people hate this idea.

[hisak]

Oh lord. The Tea Party is showing up tomorrow.

This will end well.

[Bidet to you sir]

America has failed.

[Ed Link]

America has failed.

Why do you say that? Certain people have opinions I highly disagree with, but what about the thousands of Americans protesting? What about the senators who refuse to vote on this until the others are willing to compromise? How are they failing?

[hisak]

I'm hearing reports that the Tea Party crowd is tiny compared to the pro-union protests (on Facebook I saw someone who's in Madison say 3000 and 15,000 respectively, but I don't have any reports to back that up). Not really surprising, considering that the Tea Party didn't exactly gain popularity by providing positive support.

Poll results say that 65% oppose the removal of collective bargaining. I'd like for that number to be a bit higher, but it's nice to see that the majority don't support the bill, contrary to what Walker has claimed.

[Ed Link]

From hisak's poll:

Nearly 75% of those surveyed had no public employees in their
household.

Nice to see some blatant ideas that it is not just the public employees and students against it, as many claim. And yeah, the numbers would be nice higher but still pretty impressive I guess.

One odd thing for me is that I'm from the extremely Republican part of Wisconsin, so it is nice to see all this protest against this bill. Even some people from my hometown besides the teachers are upset, and that is extremely satisfying.

[Ed Link]

Not really much news-wise, but here is some information I just found that shows this will hurt education. Only 5 states do not have collective bargaining for educators and have deemed it illegal. Those states and their ranking on ACT/SAT scores are as follows:

South Carolina -50th
North Carolina -49th
Georgia -48th
Texas -47th
Virginia -44th

WI ranked 2nd in 2010 in combined ACT/SAT

Source for scores: http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/states/USCHARTsat.html