Trina, do you really want to return to the failed policies of the Jim Doyle administration and Democrat legislature? The can had been kicked as far down the road as it could go. Governor Walker came along and not only eliminated the 3.1 BILLION dollar deficit, he repaid the hundreds of millions that had been raided in segregated funds and returned much of the decision making to local governments.

All without raising taxes.

About that supposed $3.1 billion deficit. Not so much... His pants burst into flames on that one (http://bit.ly/oYt8BU)

"In a fund-raising letter full of urgency, Walker criticizes unions and Democrats in the Legislature while proclaiming the state is broke and $3 billion in debt. But the statement flies in the face of a balanced budget with a structural surplus and the upbeat rhetoric coming out of the governor’s office."

So who is your candidate and what is your plan???????

I agree! Give me a break? who did he have to pay to get that title? raise taxes by a billion dollars, take away rights of everyone, force a bunch of new laws which will take years to get ride of AFTER he's gone. I can't wait until this guy is picking up garbage on the side of the road because that all hes good at....

@Phil Scarr,
Actually it was 3.6 billion dollar deficit according to the link you provided. The reason That was given as pants on fire rating is because Governor Walker referred to it as a debt rather than a shortfall, and he and the Legislature had fixed that in the current budget.

Seems to me if the recal fails, all the Wisconsin Unions are toast, but we will then have a balanced budget. So.... are you union or a Wisconsin tax payer? We will soon find out.

And why would anyone want to get rid of a governor who can budget? My property taxes went down $400....thank you Gov. Walker.

Pete: You beat me to it! :-)

Yes, like others of its ilk, it is just one year old, and enjoys a private donor list. I suppose this infestation of phony "news" websites will continue as long as enough low information voters fall for them.

Yeah, I realize this isn't a traditional media source, but considering he named a Democratic governor as runner-up, I thought he had some credibility and was giving fair and balanced a decent try: http://governorsjournal.com/2011/12/andrew-cuomo-first-runner-up/

Well Heather, the article has spurred a discussion and that's always a good thing!

Hey Pete, even TIME magazine started small.

Wow... That's a gigantic straw man you've got there... We're referring to a very specific problem with a very specific source. You're casting a pointless generalization about an entire political philosophy to deflect from the fact that this "endorsement" isn't worth the electrons used to transmit it via the Internet. If you read who this guy is and what he does, you might realize what little credibility he (or his endorsement) has.

"It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt." Abraham Lincoln

Words you should learn to live by.

Wow made it 4 post before the Kock brothers were brought up not bad, next time lets try to get in the number one spot!!! the only reason there is polarization is because you leftys can handle a loss.

Greg, the Koch brothers keep being mentioned because they are central to the issue, it's not a contest or game. And one more correction: I'm an independent. I agree that "leftys" can handle a loss, but the Koch brothers' governor Scott Walker is galvanizing Democrats, independents and currently 24% of Republicans into recall action and/or support. This is a fight between democracy and plutocracy. Which do you support?

Bren:

I can't help but notice that your consistently bring up the Koch brothers influence on Walker.

Please read the below article:

http://caledonia.patch.com/articles/union-officials-advise-against-a-barrett-run

Here, we have union officials deciding who should run for governor (assuming the recall is successful) and telling a sitting mayor of a major metropolitan city what to do regarding the Mayor's possible gubernatorial candidacy? TELLING THE MAYOR OF MILWAUKEE WHAT TO DO??!!

Are we to assume, based upon the foregoing actions of the union officials, that they will not attempt to influence the decisions of any governor elected on their behalf?

If not, then how is this any different than the accusations of the Koch brothers' influence on Walker?

patchreader123- Try as you may, Bren suddenly goes silent every time that is mentioned. You've asked several times and I have as well on other related topics, and nothing but crickets... The Koch Bros. have no where near the influence on Walker as the unions had on Doyle. As a matter of fact, the Koch Bros. spent $44k on Walker, while the unions spent over $1.2 million on Barrett last year. Take it one step further, and the Koch Bros. spent a grand total of $160,000 on all Republican candidates going back to 2003, total. But with Bren, and a few others on these posts, facts just gets in the way of rhetoric.

Patch, union leaders have the same rights in America as anyone else. Remember the IA GOPrs who flew to NJ to convince Gov. Christie to run for POTUS. The difference between union contributions and the Koch brothers is one group is pro-worker (union) and the other is profit at any cost (Koch brothers). I support unions because the private sector traditionally mirrored union benefits.

Brian, I think the crickets show up when stubborn posters don't read and ingest the information about the Koch brothers that has already been posted on this site many, many times. You are only looking at direct political contributions. You must also factor in contributions to the Republican Governors Association ($50,000+), the bankrolling of Americans for Prosperity and other Super PACS, the funding of the astroturf Tea Party, etc., etc., etc. Check some of the pro-Walker ads infesting our TV sets lately. See which ones are sponsored by AFP. Look up some Tea Party rallies and see the names on their pre-printed signage-AFP. Because these radical organizations/sites don't post their donor lists, it is challenging to pinpoint how many millions the Koch brothers have spent on their national campaign. They have already spent millions in Wisconsin trying to save their governor here.

Don't fall for their lies.

Bren:

Not sure what you mean by "profit at any cost." Profit drives most of private industry.

FYI, Georgia Pacific (owned by Koch) employs about 2300 in Green Bay. Of the 2300, about 400 hrly manufacturing GP employees are members of the USW union local 213 and 327.

Patch, "profit at any cost" refers to profit-seeking policies that are detrimental to America and its citizens.

And FYI, here's something interesting about GP: "A recent report by The Institute for Wisconsin’s Future, reported by the Wisconsin’s 5th Congressional District Democrats states that GP funneled $11b in profits out of the state, to avoid paying taxes; and Koch Industries avoids paying $6b in Wisconsin taxes annually." (Taken from a partisan source, http://bdgrdemocracy.wordpress.com/2011/12/03/georgia-pacific-a-subsidiary-of-koch-industries-an-early-gift-from-wisconsin-department-of-revenue/ but still thought-provoking) Based on what I already knew and this information, I wouldn't consider GP as an exemplar Wisconsin business.

Bren- Companies exist for one reason only; to produce products, goods or service for profit. Your unions have been creating outrage for years, eating up 80 - 85% of our educational dollars on salaries and over-bloated pensions and healthcare packages. We may not go to Madison and act like idiots, or take over bridges, but we are mad as hell. We've had nationwide rallies also, in a respectful way, but your classless disrespect ONLY because you have to face reality like the rest of us. Not jealousy, just plain fact. We are not a bottomless pit. Your side would rather raise property taxes that many going through foreclosure can't afford and risk them losing their homes, so you can have them fund something they will never see.

Further, your side has had unions funding pac's for longer than any corporation, as corporations couldn't make any political donations until 2008. Your side cries foul everytime the playing field is leveled. Such hypocrisy.

Yes, watch the ads and see how many are funded by AFSCME, AFL-CIo and yes pac's like moveon.org. We are talking millions versus thousands, Bren. And that's okay because it is for your cause so that makes it right. And these same unions, making no secret of their influence with the political process in Wisconsin, tell the mayor of Milw that he shouldn't (or will break your legs ) run for Gov. Sounds like way more influence than the Koch Bros.

Brian, of course companies exist to create profit.

"Your unions have been creating outrage for years, eating up 80 - 85% of our educational dollars on salaries and over-bloated pensions and healthcare packages." I don't have any unions, but do know that health insurance costs in this country are out of hand, for the private and public sectors. I believe it does contribute to job loss in the U.S.

"We may not go to Madison and act like idiots, or take over bridges, but we are mad as hell. We've had nationwide rallies also, in a respectful way, but your classless disrespect ONLY because you have to face reality like the rest of us."
Not sure what you're referencing here-the Capitol police thanked protesters for their civility this spring. Are the "nationwide rallies" you are referring to the three dozen or so Tea/GOPrs that were driven around in buses, funded by the Koch brothers and the not-so-altruistic Tea Party Express? Hm.

"Your side would rather raise property taxes..." I'm an independent so this comment doesn't really apply to me, but I would gladly pay a few dollars more to fund education. Hope that helps.

"tell the mayor of Milw that he shouldn't (or will break your legs ) run for Gov. Sounds like way more influence than the Koch Bros." The unions can't match the Koch brothers for cash and I haven't seen a pro-recall ad in weeks. And I've been watching for them.

Here's some inconveniet data for you. Compare unemploymnet rates in Wisconsin with rates in Vermont, a state where public unions are honored and respected and they are working to provide high-quality single-payer healthcare for all their citizens.

http://bit.ly/tT5FHC

Notice how Vermont's unemployment rate is lower and has remained lower since the crisis? Imagine that... Treat workers (public and private) fairly, create a climate where businesses can thrive, and voila! Prosperity!

The index of leading economic indicators would seem to show that Vermont is headed in the right direction while Wisconsin, under Governor Walker and the GOP is headed down the wrong path.

http://bit.ly/uoODNW

All states are sending jobs over seas and gobbling up all the multi million dollar profits from sweat shops and slave labor. Corporations don't want to share there profits with their employees. This is the plan here in WI under the current administration.

Phil Scarr- The best you can come up is with is Vermont? Really? Vermont??? C'mon man! 7.3% is still one of the lowest in the nation. Our budget is balanced. The sky didn't fall. And we have the Governor of the Year!!! Times are great!!!! Really? Vermont????

Brian: Faux outrage at Vermont will not change the data. Lower unemployment, higher economic indicators. Walker's a failure, plain and simple.

phil Scarr- Indiana, 9.0; Ohio, 8.5; Michigan, 9.8; Illinois, 10.0; Minnesota, 5.9. Wisconsin 7.3, and when Walker took over it was 7.9. Not to mention, Illinois was 9.6 before they raised the taxes this year. We are the second lowest unemployment in the region and trending down.

Only 19 out of 50 have lower unemployment.

Phil:

Vermont, like WI, consistently ranks in one of the top 10 states within the U.S. in terms of having most expensive state income tax rates.

http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/topic/62.html

Furthermore, Vermont, like Illinois, is suffering a public employee pension crisis - underfunded public employee pensions creating a financial burden on the state - thus the high state income tax rates.

http://www.vermontbiz.com/article/october/business-view-vermont%E2%80%99s-expanding-pension-crisis

Brian Dey: Wisconsin lags behind all other states in the region on the Leading Economic Indicators http://bit.ly/tsqRnw

And if you look at the changes to unemployment, most of those states have done better than Wisconsin. http://bit.ly/s5hJZa

@Phil... how can you compare VT with WI? VT has very little manufacturing... and few people. Their largest employers appear to be IBM, UVT, and HealthCare. Their largest export appears to be in trees..... and as a tree hugger I know YOU cant be advocating expanding the rape of more of WI's natural resources. There is a mine that needs to be built here in WI that would do wonders for our ecomony.

Mike in the OC: "and as a tree hugger I know YOU cant be advocating expanding the rape of more of WI's natural resources."

As a Nazi, I'm sure you like shiny boots and black uniforms.

Don't presume for me and I won't presume for you. Deal?

@phil .... sry no deal.... I dont make deals with the devil. Nice job not even addressing the points in my comment.... but i will just PRESUME you didnt comprehend it.

Phil Scarr - what a fool you are to compare apples to oranges. You honestly believe that raising taxes will encourage companies to come to wisconsin? And that by lowering taxes, companies are leaving? Just how irrational are you?

"It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt." Abraham Lincoln

Words you should learn to live by.

and soon to moving up the ladder I bet and for you doyle liberals who made the mess we were in Who is your guy and what is your plan?????? hear the crickets

Mark take your meds ... it will be ok ! Walker will make sure that you have a job in his slave camp.

Bucky- Only you can equate $60,000 per year jobs as slave labor. Move to China and find out just how really hard people have it. C'mon man! You liberals kill me.

Brian ... where are the $60,000 jobs in Wisconsin ? Thats exactly what IM saying man. Maybe you should go to China ask the people what their wages are then call Nike and see what the CEO took home last year. $185 for a pair of Air Jordans in the states and what ching of that is labor costs ? Get real dude.

Brian ... Harley Davidson is looking at eliminating another 250 of their employees.

Bucky- Just talking about public workers, and on the low end I might add ($38K salary and $25K benefits). Yes, Harley is losing 250 jobs. Ruud lighting is adding 400, what's your point?

Reader's Digest also cut about 30 full-time jobs here in Greendale.

Bren- Do you even realize how many jobs would have been lost without Act 10? You would rather have had the lay-offs (see Ohio) than the jobs saved. That philosophy shut a lot of plants down. And yes incentives to keep jobs here. Your own Barrett gave millions to keep Harley here, Miller here, but some how, it's evil to try to keep Geogia Pacific here, again hypocrisy.

Mark, As of now, we are running John Doe against Walker.

Mark, name-calling usually indicates a nerve has been struck.

Mark ... who is you guy ? Trying speaking english.

Bucky, you've never made a typo?

Walkers a fool , your a fool and your followers are fools. You are not included in Walkers long term plan. Get in the bread line or wake up. Walker is a political assassin.

Thanks for again proving my point Bucky.

Keep up your good work...

Bucky- Good retort. Why don't you change your handle because you are giving the badger state a bad name!

The only rhetoric and psycho babble on here is from you Sha Guy. Get the facts then speak. You people all sound like a bunch of Snake Oil Salesman on here.

Brian the only one that gave this state a bad name is Walker and I was here long before he was. Born and rasied Badger. So take you chit down the road.

Bucky- Governor of the Year! Has a nice ring to it. Born and raised here also. Not going anywhere.

Um, The rag is a one man made up web site. the one man worked for a corrupt Republican governor, so maybe he feels a kinship with Scottie. Do Republicans read, or just glean their truth from loud mouth radio hypocrites who laugh all the way to bank. "Charlie, I agree with you 100%"

Gearhead ... If your going to stand with Walker then get off your knees.

Gearhead, what bold initiatives? Walker is following the Koch brothers' multi-state agenda verbatim. He doesn't solve problems, he creates them. Standing with Walker is a vote for plutocracy, not American democracy.

Pardon Bren, she must want a secret love affair with the Koch Bros. That's all she talks about. Sounds like some kind of fetish to me.

Bucky- Not the most proficient typist, but I have taken on the unions, will continue to do so, and have been very public and out front about my views as a former elected official. And the threats don't bother me, Bucky. At least I have balls enough to put my real name out there. Where's your's? Thought so...yawn

Brian, thanks for playing but wrong. So you "think" I have a fetish about the Koch brothers? Perhaps you have a low IQ/EQ which is why you are unable to ingest information that isn't spoon-fed to you in one-syllable slogans.

Sorry and no offense, but I have to question your intellectual heft when I read some of your baseless surmises and vapid commentary.

Bren- Your hypocrisy tells me everything I need to know about and yout ilk is destroying America. Your selfishness exceeds any lack of compassion. It's all I, I, I or me, me, me. Sacrifice is not in your vocabulary. This mindset, permeated by the unions and universities is what is leading to huge debt that will have to be paid someday, and those in that time will make much more deeper sacrifices than the mere pitance you have to make. Sorry game over, Bren. You've been exposed as liars, cheaters and selfish people that will do anything and say anything to get your way, whether it is morally right or wrong.

Brian, your post makes no sense. Again you attempt to compartmentalize me and my "ilk" and again you are wrong. You know nothing about me, and you do not seem to grasp why the recall effort is taking place.

This is why I recommend research and from a variety of sources. It is how we learn to separate fact from hyperbole. A college education isn't necessary, just solid reading skills and an enquiring mind.

Did they announce a new number Kim? I must have missed the 700k announcement.

However, you are right in that you need a candidate to defeat him. The problem for you is you do not have one.

Stay classy Bucky.

You over-privliged pompous, arrocant and well over compensated and over-ego-inflated public workers. Yes I said it and it ain't name calling. That's all I read from you Ed Show want-to-bes. Get over it. Nothing changes even if you should win, but boy when you lose, and you will lose, we are going to have the biggest, loudest laugh of all! ;)

Brian why don't you yake your mouth out on the street and approach those public workers and tell them how you really feel ? Easy to hide behind your puter and trash talk. Be a man get out on the streets ... no balls ? Thought so.

And here's Brian Dey again, trying to compartmentalize people. And what is an Ed Show want-to-be, anyway? Or over-ego-inflation?

Instead of name-calling, why don't you focus on responding to the posts with the voice of reason and intellect?

Bren- Everything you say comes directly from the Ed Show one-liners that he never backs up in fact. But it's entirely okay for you to compartmentalize our side with your Faux News analogies. Again, hypocrisy. I stand by my statement as those are exactly the types of behavior exhibited by your ilk.

Brian, I have observed that economic Republicans quote talking points verbatim from Glenn Beck, Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, et al. I've watched Hannity and other Fox shows and the main difference between those infotainment shows and other news commentary programs is the lack of sourcing. People spout, but there's almost never any data to back up their claims. Once in awhile you'll see some numbers from the Heritage Foundation, but that's not a reliable source. This upsets me because I usually watch political shows with my laptop on hand so I can read the entire source (fact cherry picking annoys me!)

I urge you to watch some of these programs on Fox and look for sourcing. You mention the Ed Show, so I recommend watching that programme as well for comparison. Please let me know what you find.

When Walker wins again (and he will) will you guys please shut up.

no problem with free speech, have at it, but you lost get over it move on to fight the next time,

Most job losses in the country and some want him to win in our recall fight. I guess it doesn't matter that our neighbors are not working because of his failed policies. It was amazing last week, I heard Mr. Walker talk on Thursday that businesses around the state had told him that they can not find enough qualified candidates to fill jobs, then on Friday he announced another 46.1 million dollar cut to the UW system. But that's ok, Sykes still likes him.

Hey Greg ... Bite me !

Bucky- Your lack of intelligence amazes me!

You can bite me to Brian.
Proper English.
All words spelled correctly.
Damm IM I smart.
... and I can read at the fourth grade level where Walker can't get past the 3rd grade level.

Bucky- Very proud to hear that you can read at the 4th grade level. And to think you graduated? Product of public education?

How is it a fail to report on this issue? First, I'm biased because I report on the recall and now I'm biased because I report on Governor Walker being named Governor of the Year (despite the legitimacy of the source, in some readers' minds)?

So how, exactly is this a fail? Is anything inaccurate in the story?

Heather, Is it good journalistic ethics and practices to print anything that anybody says without checking sources? Now you get defensive about the "legitimacy" of the source, after your readers do more research than you did. Given the proliferation of blogs and web sources, I would think the least you could of done was to note the source was ONE guy. You could of further stated that the ONE guy was the former communications director for a Republican Governor that spent time in Federal prison, which might of enlightened the reader as to the legitimacy of the source. That would be adhering to the principles of GOOD journalism. Or you could be lazy and just look to fill space.

You know Stormy that is the same tactic I hear on talk radio and fox news, referring to President Obama as Mr. Obama. Respect has gone out the window on both sides. If anyone ever wonders why some kid will act out against their teacher(s) or other authority figure, we have only ourselves to blame. When Joe Wilson shouted out "you lie" during the address given by President Obama he became a hero and money poured into his coffers. It is a sad situation when if we don't respect the person some have chosen to not respect the position.

She could have called him the Weasel ...

Walkers a little man, with little time, why not a little story for the bum ?

There is no disrespect by following AP style rules for second reference of an individual's name, no matter the office or position of the person.

Governor Walker did this or that ... is then followed by ... Walker then did this or that

Heather, your formatting is correct and appropriate

I agree. I'm guessing that is because it's a 4 letter word and that seems to be all their little brains can comprehend and their mouths can spit out.

Kevin, I'm so sorry you are tired of hearing about the Koch brothers. I subscribe to the Open Society Foundations news feeds and I have yet to read anything about George Soros trying to influence Wisconsin politics in any way. Please provide any sources you have on this and I will read them with great attention and interest.

Good friend mau, I and others on this site have had to correct a number of your erroneous statements. As a good friend, I urge you to employ tact before making insulting remarks as someone might riposte.

What planet are you on ... Earth to T R ... Earth to T R ...

Bucky- What planet are you on?

I think we all know where Bucky's head is....

T.R. ... Next time you go to work have a HAPPY MEAL you deserve it !

yeah right! millions in tax breaks to create 497 ruud lighting jobs that will pay $11 an hour! who's going to pay fpr that einstein?

Actually, he's right, Bucky. I live in Illinois and I know four people who've already moved up north of the border.

T.R., Gov. Kasich didn't bring his Koch brothers-agenda union busting bill to a referendum in Ohio. The law in Ohio differs from Wisconsin in that citizens can petition to recall a piece of legislation. Ohioans are suffering from a serious case of voters' remorse.

And I will disagree with you about government jobs. Do you seriously want entry-level workers in charge of infrastructure or protecting your home and property? I don't.

Remorse about voting for the referendum to overturn their version of Act 10. Have you seen the proposed budgets? Ohio is facing mass lay-offs, fire stations closing, etc... Is that what you people are fighting for? To get rid of your co-workers so you can save a few bucks? Nice... Solidarity, as long as it's for me!

Brian, please provide some official sources for your claims that mass layoffs are occurring in Ohio. I have found none, just some hysterical speculation on a few personal right-wing blogs. I did see several articles stating that mass layoffs were slowing to 2008 levels.

Hey Irish, I think you meant to write "recall." And the source site isn't actually a magazine. It's a PR consultant's blog dressed up to look bona fide.

Linda Motley- It will be sooo sweet when you guys lose again. This isn't about Walker gaining power, it's about the Democratic machine called unions losing power. The majority of this state elected a majority of conservative Supreme Court justices, a conservative Governor, and a conservative legislature. When you tried the first set of recalls, you lost. When Prosser beat Kloppenberg, you lost. We, the people that voted them in, the large majority of us, will continue to vote them in, and whining temper tantrums are only giving us more strength. Have you seen the polls? We're winning again. The gravy train is over. You are making this to easy for long term conservative dominance. You have been lied to by your own. Your own wants to lay off thousands so they can keep there's, to hell with you. That's solidarity for you. You had your chance to play nice and you continued to fight it tooth and nail. Well, we the people spoke, and you lost, period. You will continue to lose because just because we don't go to Madistan and throw a hissy fit, does mean that we are not motivated. And all you can do Linda is sit at a computer and launch personal attacks at man you don't even know. Shame, shame, shame... Thank you Governor of the Year Scott Walker!

Excuse me Brian Dey, but the republicans lost the last set of recalls. The democrats did not lose a single seat, but the republicans lost 2. And yes, Prosser did beat Kloppenberg, but he has also stepped aside from his seat temporarily to take care of "health" matters. And please tell me how the unions stripped billions from the public schools and deprived seniors and children of health care. The fact that you have jumped on the band wagon of "Governor of the Year" from a news source consisting of one person says all that needs to be said about you and gullibility. Keep cheering and shouting - I'm sure that will solve all the world's problems. But the conservatives and tea baggers have over-played their hand and they have lost. Sanity is once again taking over, beginning in Wisconsin and now spreading across the country. We have seen what your people have planned for the nation and we are saying a loud and resounding NO. You may have won the battle on election day 2010, but you are losing the war. Surrender is scheduled for January 1, 2012.

Linda, you stated that the Republicans lost the last set of recalls. No, they didn't. They lost two elections but retained the other seats. They're still the majority. Deal with it.

JohnS, so the republicans lost 2 seats in the recalls, the democrats lost none, but the republicans did not lose? Really? A majority of 1 is not something to brag about. And since republicans are beginning to jump ship and vote against your favorite son, that 1 seat majority is meaningless. Geez, your ability to distort facts to suit your own agenda is amazing. It is fruitless to argue with people who openly deny what is documented fact. And for the record, I am not in a union, and I have never been in a union. Again, this is not about unions and all you right-wing extremists can keep trying to make this all about unions, but it isn't working. Intelligent people know your argument is nothing more than a bunch of hogwash. Unless you are a million $ a year corporate executive, Walker has sold you down the river along with all the other people he hates with such a vengeance. Don't you people get it? Your politicians don't care about you unless your are donating lots and lots of money to them. But you keep on believing all the lies they're selling you. I guess ignorance truly is bliss. As for me, I'm not feeling very blissful since Walker and all the other tea baggers sold our Constitution to the highest bidders.

Linda, whether it's one seat or a dozen, they still have the majority and the Dems/Unions failed to steal back their power. Which is all this really boils down to. The Republicans broke no laws or committed any ethics violations. The bottom line is the Dems/Unions had their butts handed to them last November and they're still throwing a collective tantrum as a result.

Linda- According to the latest polls released today, your side is losing ground and fast. When te petition drive started, your side was winning 53 - 48%. Todays polls show Walker up 49 - 47%. The words getting out that you guys will lie, steal, and cheat to get your way. That's not how we do things in Wisconsin,and it's showing. The more people find out about Act 10, the more they agree. Bye-bye dems. The party is over, and just beginningfor the taxpayers of Wisconsin!

Wow, Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. Lay off the Kool-Aid and comprehend the issues. You sound like a union TV commercial; all emotional slogans and no facts. And what's wrong with Napoleon?

Well, William, if you'd had the intestinal fortitude to identify yourself maybe your post would have some meaning. As it is, it means nothing.

Robert W., while I respect your view, I must disagree with your stance on self-identification on the internets. The idea of a neutral gathering place for for intellectual discourse is very appealing to me.

William whoever, you identified as or referred to "neighbor". I doubt you are my neighbor. If you where you would not have made such vague meaningless comment. I may not agree with my neighbors political beliefs all the time but I do them no harm, rather much the opposite. Maybe, "Comrade" would be a better choice form your ilk.
Bren and William, I am not some cowardly stone thrower who rushes to the front of the crowd while concealing their identify, throws stones at the person speaking then ducks back into the crowd to hide. I clearly identify myself.
I find those unwilling to identify themselves, regardless of position, cowardly. If you feel your comment is worth sharing and has value, Identify yourself or you are just another stone thrower.
William, typical of a someone with nothing worth saying, spin my words, I never asked anything about your background. Just step up and ID yourself or shut your trap.

Dear mau, we're all familiar with the sad state of print publications with the advent of the www. Concerning Reader's Digest, I mentioned the holiday layoffs to illustrate the continuing hemorrhage of jobs in our state. Scott Walker self-created the metric of creating 250,000 new jobs in 4 years, and admitted on Fox this a.m. that the goal may have been over-ambitious. He brought the "where are the jobs" enquiries onto himself.

I believe that holding onto the jobs we have is of at least equal importance to creating new jobs. If Scott can give tax breaks to GP/Koch Industries, couldn't he find some way to help H-D and RD?

Have you ever noticed there are people who do not work a day shift job, Monday-Friday. There are those of us who work 2nd shift, 3rd shift, and even swing shifts. Or have their days off during the week rather than the weekend.

John - I'm a stay at home mom who works part-time with very flexible hours and my husband and I are middle class! I also spent many years working for Racine County so I'm well aware of the abuse that goes on within the public unions.

Down time at work, John. But nice try and thanks for playing.

Patch, Milwaukee and Wisconsin's history has been plagued by profiteering and opportunism. The Koch brothers' multi-state political agenda is deeply disturbing and if left unchecked, will have a serious negative impact on our country. The brothers also fund the arts and some Democratic candidates. Their interest is in money and power. I agree with you that our country deserves better than to be caught in the middle of battling special interests. But there are times when people are called upon to stand up for their way of life and their beliefs, and I do believe this is a particularly important time.

lyle ruble for governor!

Lyle- He is representing the best interests of not just his supporters, but everyone in this state. I opened our local paper today to find that there were 5 pages of foreclosures in our area. It has been like that for quite some time. Keeping property taxes in line or as close to constant as possible, helps every homeowner. When the average homeowner in Wisconsin is paying $300 - $500 every month towards taxes, and was trending higher every single year for the past 20 years at a rate of 2% - 5% each year, you can't say that it wasn't a contributing factor. Top that with ever increasing fees, over 5% sales tax, one of the highest fuel tax, and license increases, it's eating away at the average person's personal budget.

It is not a bottomless pit, and when salaries and benefits for public workers account for 80 - 85% of the budgets, someting had to give. Wisconsin has been teetering on the brink of your socialism, and that is what has failed. One only has to look at socialist countries around the world to see why your ideas won't work. One by one, the socialist nations are going broke and are having mass revolts looming if people don't get what their goverments promised them.

Not only would your idea send businesses fying out of here, but jobs as well. You don't get it. We can no longer sustain a socialistic economy. Debt now exceeds GDP. Thankfully, Walker has awoken a sleeping giant on the right as well.

@Brian Dey...In the first place it has not been socialism that has brought Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Ireland to the brink. It was the speculative investment in their economies and when the bubble burst creating a recession that brought them crashing.

In Wisconsin we have reordered our priorities to a supply side economy and trickle down theories. I will admit that the fat needed to be cut our of government budgets, but you Republicans have gone too far. The idea that we can stimulate business and investment by giving away the farm is just plain faulty. Tax restructuring is required taking the burden off of income tax and property tax and increase consumption taxes. We also need to increase the marginal tax rates on the wealthy including increases in capital gains and inheritance taxes. This would shift the majority of the tax burden off the working and middle class and place it squarely on the upper middle and upper class SES.

As far as public unions I would restore collective bargaining except for healthcare and retirement. The new union collective bargaining would allow for negotiation except those exempted. This would provide a win/win for all concerned. Unions could once again represent and the government could assure that benefits would not be a bargaining chip.

We also need to return political appointees to the civil service and reduce the power of the executive branch reestablishing the separation of powers.

Apparently Lyle, you haven't been paying attention. Any one of these employee groups can get any amount raise they want as long as they can make a case directly with the people. They still have the abiity to go to referendum. The cap only applies to the dollars they receive from the state, and in the school districts, they can still raise the levy beyond the 1% caps the municipalities. And Greece, Italy and Spain all have lower retirement ages and socialized pensions. How's that working out for them?

@Brian Dey...The change to Greece and others will result in later retirements and at lower benefits. Also, you know bargaining is not just about wages and benefits but work place rules, etc. In many ways that was the biggest loss. Your approach to labor is to devalue it, therefore you maintain that public employees don't deserve what they get, especially teachers. If you would have completed your formal education and decided to go into teaching you would probably feel much different about the situation. No one likes to have their profession devalued. Why don't we devalue physicians; the argument can be made that they too are overvalued. the problem you have is that you over value capital and under value labor. You claim that to add one employee is a $200K investment, I would like you to explain that to me. I can see that you would have to increase revenues by that amount to afford an additional employee, but an investment of that size is a bit suspect. Maybe I'm just a dumb socialist and unable to understand such complex finances.

Lyle, You are aware Brian is a school board member, aren't you?

@William...I am aware that Brian spent one term on the board for RUSD. I am also aware of the hatred he has for the public employee unions.

Lyle- My statement of adding employees costing $200,000 is the equipment purchases it takes to outfit a crew. If I wasn't more specific, sorry. Your problem is that you over-value professions based on nothing more than sentiment. And of te 6 unions I negotiated with, salary and benefits absorbed 90% of the negotiation discussions.

And in Greece, we all saw the rioting that took place there, the same as it is here, when you give something to someone that you can't sustain, and they want to keep it. The benefits given to the people of Greece, much like Wisconsin, may have been sustainable back in the day, but not anymore. Like it or not, it is a main part of the discussions in stiking a deal in the EU to prop Greece's economy back up.

Lyle, I know because you have a degree or two, that makes you magically more intellectual than those that don't. I sat on the board with three people with doctorates, 3 with masters, and one with a bachelor's. To me it it seemed that the degree's didn't make them any smarter. The one's that performed well or made good decisions were the one's that had common sense. I'm not devaluing higher education, but practical solutions do not require a degree. One of those with a degree is a highly gifted scientist, but didn't even know basic finance.

Lyle- No, I don't hate public workers. You have no basis for a claim like that. I don't even hate unions. I have a isdain for union leaders that have, in the case of teachers, lowered the professionalism that should come with the position. I have a problem with organized labor for professionals. Not sure if you are familiar with the history of RUSD, but we have had some pretty poor leaders; union, administration and yes, school board members. Labor relations have always been bad between the public and the teachers union. We've had a long teacher strike in our past and the recent sickout showed that not much has changed.

The leadership doesn't mean teachers, so let's be clear. Like most unions, most teachers have no idea what their leaders are doing. The go to work, do their jobs, and pay their dues. Like most unions, they are real good at protecting bad teachers, but in reality, it assumes that all teachers are the same and puts in place pay structures based on time of employment, not the value the teacher adds to the district.

With a labor union for professionals, in the minds of some, they are treated like a factory worker. I also know that there are leaders that could care less about the lower rung of teachers, and throw them under the bus to protect what they want. They, union leaders, would rather have free insurance and pensions at the expense of laying off younger teachers. That is not solidarity Lyle.

---you republicans?---
Lyle says "I will admit that the fat needed to be cut our of government budgets, but you Republicans have gone too far."
The problem is, the fat doesn't get cut, does it?
Lyle, please update your profile from:
"I consider myself slightly left of center and a strong advocate of social representative democracies."
To: "I am clearly left of center and a strong advocate of socialism".

@Mustang Sally...What's wrong with being a democratic solcialist? Do I think that government should own the means of production, absolutely not! Do I think the government needs to protect society from unregulated capitalism, absolutely yes! do I see the government as the arbitor between business and society, yes. Do I think that government should be the service provider for all services rendered, no. The only role that government should have is to provide a safety net insuring everyone has access to a healthy diet, adequate healthcare, adequate shelter, reasonable transportation, clothing and a meaningful education. The health and stability of society is in our best self interest. I am interested in what you see as the problems with this.

btw stormy, what was your position with the county?

john- If you have it soooooooo bad being a public worker, then quit. Nobody's holding a gun to your head to stay there, and a lot of people would be happy to replace you.

@ John... Not sour grapes - Just a good understanding of the behind the scenes workings of many public union members. Matter of fact, I was a Union rep for a few years, but at that time I was naive as to how powerful unions are. Here's some examples of employees knowingly abusing the system..

#1: A public employee calling in sick 18 times in one year and it wasn't because of a major illness - Just supposedly sick!

#2: Employees working overtime and then calling in sick the next day. This was done on a regular basis.

#3: Employees calling in sick on their respective Friday or Monday on a regular basis. Funny how they always got sick so they could extend a long weekend!

#4: Teachers calling in sick and then going to Madison to protest is another.

#5: A RUSD teacher posting vial bloody images of a butcher knife stuck in Wisconsin along with images of decapitated people on a blog that his choir students had access to. This teacher only received a slap on the hand and RUSD moved him to a different school.

#6 A teacher asking if they could have their recall petitions sitting out at a school function.

#7: A Dr. Jones teacher bringing her boyfriend on a RUSD school field trip to Madison so that he could join the protesters. btw. This boyfriend didn't have a mandatory (WINGS) form on file and he was allowed to ride the school bus to Madison...

well mr brian dey, at what point did i complain about my job? i didn't! and yes i am still union! i was just asking stormy to name just one abuse that public unions propetuated on the county. but as you can see, she doesn;t have an answer! so her statement is shallow and empty! she also stated that she used to work for racine county. that would tell me that her position probably got eliminated ! probably because she was not union in her position. which is why she then holds unions responsible for her own misfortune! but the truth is, the county trimmed the fat in management that wasn't needed! and btw, brian, there has been mass retirements in the public sector because of walker's budget bill.. i am fortunate that my employer has treated us pretty fairly. but, a lot of other communities have chosen to totally change the rule book and screw their workers royally! that is why they needed unions in the first place!

hey brian, the first question the mortgage companies want to know when you aply for a mortgage is, "how much money do you take home? so you fill in your answer and everythings ok until the governator steps in and creates a law that makes it ok for your employer to cut your wages! now what? get a second job? sorry, but the municipality also states in their work rules that you have to be available whenever called on, so that don't work! so your sayingthat it's ok for public employees to be forced out of their homes?

john- No the first question they ask is do you have a job? You act like your the only ones in the world this is happening to and your not by a long shot. MAny companies don't offer health plans or pensions. Those that do do not fund them at 100, 90, 80 or even 70%. And I doubt that this is enough to force you out of your home, and like I said, you can go elsewhere if you don't like because there are plenty of people who would live to have your job.

hey brian, when you assume, you make an ass out of u and me! for one, i'm not a school teacher! second, i haven't had a wage increase in 4 years, and only a 1.5 percent in 3 years before that! the numbers you have rattled off do not jive with the contract that i have! and besides that, our union found health coverage for all our municipalities employees, even the non reps, that costed $500 less per month per employee! their own insurance agent couldn't match that and it's better coverage!
you tend to assume that all public employees have the same deal as the teachers unions, but your wrong! every small town, village or city has completely different numbers on these issues, and for you to assume what compensation all public employees get is the same is just another show of your arrogant attitude! you make about as much sense as a flea on a hairless cat fool!

john- You must be assuming that I assumed you were a teacher. I beleieve you are a heavy equipment operator if my memory serves me. Yes, I mostly talk about teacher contracts, SEIU contracts and the trades I dealt with, but the numbers I rattled off regarding precentages is accurate.

@ John - Please let me use some of your words... "When you assume, you make an ass out of you"... My position in the county wasn't eliminated - My husband and I made the decision that it was more important for me to stay home with our kids. btw... I had a great work record when I left and I was well respected. I gave you some examples of employee abuse in a previous post. And please don't come back with, "This happens in the private sector all the time"... I've heard that before and my response will be, "At least in the private sector, bad employees can be fired!

You also are very naive if you think Brian Dey had anything to do with RUSD's bloated budget. fyi... he is probably the only person on the school board in the last 10 years who has fought against all the idiot decisions our school board has made. Our present school board has been completely bought and sold by the teacher's union and if they continue down the same path, pretty soon they will implode!

@John: Brian can certainly speak for himself, but teacher contract negotiation was pretty much limited to having your hands tied behind your back. Look forward to him negotiating the next one where he can utilize the tools of Act 10 for us taxpayers benefit.

Talking Points!

In three seconds, use the word "Reagan" and you'll be totally "right"!

@MustangSally...Please don't refer to me as a Democrat. I'm neither a Democrat or Republican. I claim an allegiance to the principles and philosophy of democratic socialism. It is the form of government and economics that most of Northern Europe and Canada have adopted. I have come to understand and believe that this is the system that best promotes the sovereignty of the individual and the sovereignty of the community and best reflects the social contract as outlined within the US Constitution.

I refuse to practice, what I deem as "pocket book morality" in fulfilling the needs of society. Services must be paid for, either through taxes or through out of pocket purchases. When I did a comparative analysis of tax expenditure verse private purchase, purchase of service through tax is cheaper since profit plays no part of the equation. It's complex and one has to look at it beyond the usual terms of the argument.

@Lyle Ruble-- "democratic socialism", sounds just like what Greece and the other failing European countries are dealing with. What happens when you run out of other people's money?

@Keith Best....We are not Greece! I don't know why you and other right wingers are so obsessed with casting us under the same umbrella. This is just scare tactics purported by the radical right. As far as paying for the Hierarcy of Needs, money is available by shifting what is being paid into private sector services, such as healthcare, over to public provided services and pay for them with taxes. We have to realize that so many of the services we are paying for is overvalued and by taking the profit out of it there will be an immediate saving to everyone. All of this is doable without major disruptions.

@Lyle Ruble--I'll ask again; What happens when you run out of other people's money?? We are headed down the same path as Greece since we are spending more then we are taking in. The percentage of GDP is outrageous. The future existence of this country depends on drastically cutting spending and that won't happen unless we dump Obama.

@MustangSally...I didn't go metaphysical on you and I don't know what is really meant by the term "compassionate fiscal conservative". Let me first address your term concerning the "bottom dwelling users". I don't know who you are including in this group and what your reason for labeling a segment of our society as "bottom dwellers". Pleasee clarify.