I beg your pardon? You have no deficit? Oh but you do, a spiritual deficit of a personal nature, and many types of deficits: in logic, reasoning, compassion, and in the ruination of the future because of your own selfish perspective. Believe me, a budget deficit is NOTHING compared to what you approve of. SHAME ON YOU.

Greendale Citizens - What state are you talking about where there is no longer a deficit? What budget are you talking about? Have you even seen it? I have, all he did was kick the debt down the road so he could look good for all you supporting idiots during the recall.; LOOK AT THE BUDGET!!!!! You are so wrong! You're a slave to the corporate propoganda coming out of your TV.

Wisconsin has a deficit. In fact because of Walkers little tricks, your children will be paying for it. It's amazing how he tells the residents that there is no deficit but tells the Feds that we are half a billion in debt. Shut Faux News off.

Greendale Citizen, This rhetoric is laughable

The deficit was only created when Walker gave tax breaks to the wealthiest in our state. It was a false deficit paid for by the working class in this state. And what thanks do they get? They are insulted for 16 months. Walker is not supported by the Koch brothers because he is a couragous leader...it's because he is a moron who takes orders well.

Bravo Jason Patzfahl! BRAVO!
The truth hurts conservatives! The truth is: this district is not moving forward amd Walker is to blame. God help us all and pray that Walker is indicted!

I just want to say - I've wanted to be a teacher since I was six. Now twelve years later, I'm entering my freshman year at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities (Yay, not affected by Walker's raising of tuition fees! Thanks, MN for saving me money!) I'm planning on double majoring in German and Education, with a minor in linguistics. And yes, I would still like to be a teacher, but like my older sister and my brother-in-law who both teach, and are staying in Nebraska, I most likely will not return to Wisconsin to teach.

If there is no more deficit and we have a surplus, that means that we can put money back into education right?

No matter what your profession is, education is key. I don't know many professions that can support a family that doesn't rely on decent education. But beyond that good schools are vital for business. Walker says Wisconsin is "Open for Business" but seems to forget what exactly draws a business to Wisconsin. The last company I worked for fought tooth and nail to keep their corporate headquarters here in Wisconsin after they were bought out by a company from another state. A few of them relocated to the new corporate headquarters outside of Wisconsin and almost every one returned. From one VP's mouth: "I have a special needs child, the public education in Wisconsin is so much better here. I would have to pay for private schools to have my son get the quality of education he gets here from public schools." From the others that returned it was the same response. Better schools, lower crime rate, better quality of life. Unfortunately, Walker seems to think that businesses only look at one thing when they move to a state. Don't get me wrong, businesses want tax breaks but if you want corporate centers to move to a state you have to offer more than just taxes. The people that make these decisions for a company are the ones that have to live here. Sorry, but most VP's don't want to move to a state with high crime, poor public schools, and higher tuition for college.

We do however still have a 3 billion dollar deficit, using generally accepted accounting principles, which Gov,. Walker, in his first campaign, promised to use, rather than use cash accounting, which was used by both Democrat and Republican administrations in the past. In fact, when Gov. Walker testified before Congress, he admitted as much, since he wanted to dump several thousand people off of Medicaid, and in order to do that, states must prove a deficit. Of course, during the campaign, he went back to using cash accounting, which shows no deficit, since in cash accounting, you do not show debts that you owe, as long as you push these debts into the future. So, while truthful, he still was being misleading; not a shock for a politician of any political stripe!

Every little kid wants to be a police officer or firefighter.
This author is worried about his kids getting less computer time. wth

Dear Greendale Citizen.
I can see by the amount of personal research you have done to support your statements, that you really are just quoting what you have been taught by the your side. First of all, we are no where near a balanced budget. We are closer, but if you do a bit of research you will find that is due to reniged (sp?) principal payments on state loans that Walker chose not to pay. Our kids will be paying for those in 2030. Just one example. Please do a bit of research before spouting off. I think Jason hit the nail on the head...

To Granny Tenderstone: Here's something you seem to be missing. When a normal person like you or me runs out of money, we need to economize and get out of debt. If we don't do it, we get in loads of trouble with creditors, we get kicked out of our houses, we can't buy what we need, etc. The government must run the same way - it can't spend money it doesn't have. Getting out of debt for 99% of the population is a noble deed and something to be celebrated. Correct me if I'm wrong, but your creditors don't care if you have "spiritual values" - they care if you can pay your debts. It's just logic.

Apparently you have been brainwashed by the big money ads and false information.
Touch decisions? What lies.. Don't you realize walker rearranged numbers/ has
not used logic/ probably committed a felony or two? I pity people like you who fall
right into line with the bad leader. Look at the state! About 1/2 the voters dislike walker and the republicans who agree with him. With other govs, no matter which party they were, everyone more or less got behind them and made cooperative
decision. This gov. DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO LEAD. AND he has blamed teachers and other public servants for the budget problems and taken from them.
WAKE UP!

@ Greendale citizen. Have you ever volunteered in a school? They are being devastated by the budget cuts. Our school can not even get enough computers for the elementary students to use and they are necessary for the state mandated tests! What type of people are attracted to a field that does not pay well, and we are entrusting these people with our children? As we demonize and disrespect our teachers less qualified people will go into the field and Wisconsin will no longer be known as a great state for education. Governor Walker has demonized the teachers and public workers and these are the people that keep us safe (policemen) and educate us. Will you be his next victim? This how Hitler came to power, dividing and conquering.

Nasty,Nasty why must we be so nasty? Not much respect for those taxpaying teachers or public workers. But lots of jumping on the campaign rhetoric. That is what I see on these blogs. Too bad people can't sit down and look at both sides without the extreme rhetoric. Too bad the "divide and conquer" plan seems to work.

Sue complains about public employee unions making $60K year and a pension plan, but it's all right for Daddy Fitzgerald to be appointed head of the Wisconsin State Troopers without proper qualifications (unlike the other candidates), and now will enjoy a triple pension dip? He's making substantially more than $60K, by the way, Sue.

Sue knows how to turn on a computer and access the internet. But instead of researching all of the facts and making thoughtful posts, she chooses instead to inflict her jealousy, resentment, ignorance, naivete and gullibility for all to see.

The problem with a statement like yours is generalization. Outside of just being ignorant, it's rediculous. The teachers making large amounts of money are few and far between. The ones who are have earned it through experience and continued education, a requirement to retain their licenses. The last time I checked, experience in the private sector is expected to do the same. As you gain experience and accolades, you are paid more. That's what incentive is.Teachers spend the same amount of money and time on their education as Doctors, Lawyers and Bankers, yet they still make a fraction of what those professions make. Tell me one instance where you have heard someone wanting to be a teacher for the money. I'll bet you can't. It is not teachers who have been duped by unions, it's common folk who haven't paid enough attention to a wide enough variety of sources know what has caused the financial meltdowns. As a reminder, most of it was caused by bad governement economic policy, abuse in the private sectors of banking, the housing and stock markets, corporate and wealthy tax loopholes. How do you explain the fact that public employees have been opporating this way for a very long time and only recently has it been named as the cause of recent troubles...which coincidently happened during an area of economic abuse?

Sue: I realize that in your meanness and envy you want to punish the people who patrol your streets and keep you and your children safe, the people who put out your fires and the people who put in countless hours at the thankless (from you, anyway) task of preparing your children to be contributing members of society. You want to be part of the selfish, self-centered "haves?" Fine. Go retire to your gated community with your private police force, private fire department, and private school. Along with the greatly increased costs of privatization, you can sit fearfully huddled in your reinforced and alarmed luxury house, terrified that someone will take it all away from you somehow. Union bosses? Don't make me laugh. Unions have been declining since Taft-Hartley and now represent less than 12% of all workers. Free pensions? This is deferred compensation to which public workers have every right. I understand that you, in your envy and greed, want to steal it or see it stolen. A "do over?" State law allows for a recall. You don't like democracy much, do you? $60,000 a year? Is that a median wage, or a mean? Not to specific are you? Golden benefits? You mean reasonable health care like every other industrialized country provides? Go stick with Walker then, while he takes the state down the drain.

Where did you get your information that teachers get free pensions for life. The Wisconsin Retirement System is self funded. It's paid for by what is called deferred wages. Instead of taking a pay raise, teachers chose to put their raises into retirements. The money comes from teachers paychecks as well as the district (about 10% of a teacher's salary every year) The reason the governor and his wealthy friends want to take it is because it is self sustaining. No additional money is put in from tax payers.

ummm Sue, first of all you aren't paying for their benefits, you're screwing yourself out of benefits and much more because you're too cowardly to stand up for yourself and for what is correct. Without unions, you'd be working 7 days a week, 14 hours a day, and you are so horridly ungrateful. How dare you. BLAME YOURSELF if you don't like your situation, if you keep voting against unions, expect it to grow MUCH, MUCH worse. How easily some people are sucked in, so gullible, so lacking in any degree of logic or human decency, so begrudging of what others DESERVE TO HAVE. You need to wake up and see EXACTLY WHOM is stealing from you, it's not union workers, it's YOURSELF, because you support liars and thieves.

Sue, I feel bad for you. You have it bad and I see no hope for you.

They agreed to what Governor Walker wanted them to pay extra into their retirement and insurance. Even though some teachers had a wage freeze in lue of their benefits for six years. Get your facts straight before you shoot your mouth off. If we don't have money for teachers, prison wardons, and the DNR the we shouldn't be handing out tax breaks for "job creators." No jobs are created from tax credits. Employers only hire when they need people to work. Or no taxes at all like his friend from ABC Lumber - absolutely not taxes for her or her company in 2011. No one likes to tighten their belt - but sometimes it is necessary but you don't tighten your belt and then cut your income in one fell swoop. The job creators could not ever creat enough good paying jobs to make up the difference for their huge tax breaks! I hope they find out the truth and he is indited.

Sorry, but you are an idiot. My father taught in the state for 40 years, and he never approached $60,000 in yearly salary. Didn't you hear that your candidate raised 7 times more money than Barrett? Could he donate 1% to the schools for the kids? I doubt it. You republicans are simply not that bright, and love to look at the shiny objects that Fox News flashes in your face. Try to read once. I believe a teacher taught you how.

Sue, you are probably one very smart woman and really can think for yourself but this scenario is how your words sound. Pretend I am screaming bad things about you like your husband does or your significant other, telling you how stupid you are and asking where you get your dumb ideas. Ok, we are now on the same playing field. (Yelling) Teachers and state employees have a self paid pension system, (loouder) self paying pension fund. The only time you ( one of your husbands words for you)as a taxpaying family would have to pay for their retirement is if your crooked governor spends the money and ooopppss some one is retiring and the money is gone....then the taxpayers have to replace the money the Gov stole. Yes, it is that simple just read some of the new news aabout John Doe and Scooter Robber.

Bravo Jason Patzfahl! BRAVO!
The truth hurts conservatives! The truth is: this district is not moving forward amd Walker is to blame. God help us all and pray that Walker is indicted!

"your free pensions for the rest of your life" - those pensions aren't
"free". They are deferred comp in lieu of the same kind of raise you got in the privvate sector.
"double dip" - there is no such thing as double dipping. A pension is paid as deferred comp. Earnied now and paid later from the self-funded and fiscally sound WRS.
"Get off your "blame Walker" train to nowhere." Lets rephase that for you - try this on for size. "Get off your "blame the unions" train to nowhere."
"We the taxpayers of Wisconsin like being debt free and not having our taxes raised" I would also like for the state to be debt free and not having my taxes raised but here is a newsflash for you suzyQ. The budget is not balanced, there is more debt now than we've ever had and while your taxes may not go up, FEES will and you won't be able to deduct those "FEES" on your schedule A. Aren't we all lucky we have a con artist to tell you exactly what you need to hear?
"people who were doing what they promised" Yep booting people out of the middle class and giving it to the pols handler - now that's about the most admirable thing that I can think of. Can't even imagine why I would have voted for Barrett, Shoulda talked ot you first.
"Your repubpols have brainwashed you into thinking that you matter to them. You don't." Yep that's a double edged sword for you SuziQ.

more responses to SuziQ

" had nothing to do with our children and everything to do with control and power and greed of the right-wing party" How do you like it when I turn this back at you SuziQ?

"Next fall, I'll send you a box of tissues to use for yourself." This fall I'll send you an orange jumpsuit and a pair of flip-flops so you can show your support for the next gov to go to the pokey.

"


Did you ever stop to think that because of the unions that we in the private sector have better paying jobs. We got those because employers had to offer more and better benefits and better salaries to attract workers to away from the unions. Or are you naive enough to think that employers do that out of the goodness of their heart?.

Teachers are all taxpayers, too. "We the taxpayers..." makes it sound like they aren't.

Yep. Those state workers are double dipping. After all of the cuts in take-home salaries, the years of no raises despite rising cost of living, and some positions being seriously underpaid for years when compared to the same private sector position, some of those state workers are double dipping. How? Well, now they make so little that not only do they receive a paycheck from the state, they also qualify for food stamps!

Sue- you are so innappropriate and disrespectful. What do you mean non-union members can no longer afford your golden benefits? Do you think that public workers do not pay taxes? Free pensions? LOL. You have no clue. You are ignorant. My dad was a teacher for 33 years with a Master's Degree and never made $60,000 a year ever...where are you getting your numbers? Are you including benefits in that amount? My Brother-in-law has only been out of college for 7 years, has a Master's degree and makes $85,000 a year in the private sector. The disresepct of quality members of our society is disgusting. I have been a teacher of Kindergarten students going on my 6th year now. I make $30,000 a year. I could apply for food stamps and state aid if I wasn't married because I have children. You think that is tons of money? You have no idea what I do in the kindergarten classroom...it is a very demanding job. If you stepped into my classroom for 1 hour, you would understand that teachers are worth more than what everyone claims- Take a walk in a teacher's shoes before you start rattling your tongue with things you know NOTHING about. A teacher doesn't just sit behind her desk correcting papers- get a clue!

Katie: I understand that you think you're underpaid as a teacher, but please don't even joke about needing food stamps or state aid with your salary. I'm saying this as a child of a single mother who has been raising my two siblings and I for ten years by herself, and is now making the most she has ever made at around $25,000. Also, she has raised us without needing food stamps, so I assure you, you do not need them.
And don't get me wrong, I dislike Walker and what he has done, but I feel that people who complain about their "poverty" like you did give hateful people reason to ridicule teachers as a whole.

Sue, please educate yourself. Don't just copy and paste figures that conservative news media put out there. Not too many educators bring home $60,000 per year, and those that do have worked for decades and have a Master's degree plus credits. You are most likely rolling the cost of benefits into that figure, which is an unfair characterization of take home pay. Also, employee pensions aren't "free". They are funded BY THE EMPLOYEES. They consist of money that EMPLOYEES put in to the WRS for investment. There is no "double dipping". As far as your "union bosses" comment, do you even know what you are saying?? You people who love to shout that phrase from the rooftops have no clue that we public employees don't have a mobster holding a gun to our heads forcing us to comply and support a "boss". My "union boss" is a woman with a bad hip named Suzie who has 3 teenagers and a golden retriever! But Walker has repeated the "union bosses" lie over and over and over so often that it is now believed by some of you who have no idea why you even believe it. And bongo drum? Really? Ever been to Madison during the protests? Did you see any of it for yourself, with your own eyes? I did. I'm a 49 year old woman with MS. Hardly what I'd call a thug, slug or whatever other name Glenn Grothman wants to label me with. I am not greedy. I bring home $687 every 2 weeks. And you think I'm leeching off the public? No. I love those kids, though. But I wouldn't expect you to understand.

Well seeing as all senators get lifetime benefits for free no matter if they serve multiple terms or half a term, and get paid much more than 60K a year, I think that there is plenty of room to make budget cuts for people who work even less office hours than teachers.

Also the GOP outspend the dems 8 to 1 on the recall elections, also the GOP ran "dummy" candidates to force expensive recall primaries.

60k is not the vast riches you seem to think it is, especially when teachers can spend up to 15% of their take home income on getting re-certified and on classroom supplies such as laptops and crayons that the schools can not afford to supply.

Sue, I WILL blame walker, because 5 years down the road, those students who lost good teachers so you could pay $30 less in property taxes instead of giving away hundreds of thousands to big business that isn't bringing any money into the state at all, will now be the ones robbing your home because they cant get into or even afford a state college and cant get any job that pays more than minimum wage ($16,120 a year before taxes).

Good luck with that.

Sue Sue Sue....everyone who has posted to this point was well researched and intelligent except perhaps for the one named Greendale Citizen. This article was very well done and on the money. There are certainly no teachers in the area of the state where I live that make the kind of money you are talking about, but even if they did the solution is not for YOU to also have a great job that you love with benefits that are legally negotiated, oh no!!! Let's take away the well deserved pay and negotiated benefits of someone else. Ok so now everyone is miserable....happy now??? Divide and Conquer sure seems to work when you feed the public lies and distortions in terms of this faux "balanced budget" and getting rid of the "deficit" neither of which WALKER did. Do your homework next time Sue, and have a cup of coffee instead of poison tea.

First of all for a teacher of 15 years with a business degree, a teaching certification and a masters degree in education I don't think $60,000/year is outrageous. Second Our pension was not free. Every teacher in the state of Wisconsin paid in half of their pension value each year. Now we pay it all. Thirdly teachers went to Madison and told Walker that we would accept all of the financial parts of act 10 if that is what the state needed to sovle the "crisis." All we asked for in return was that we be aloud to keep our collective bargaining rights. You see what the outcome was. Lastly,qualified, experienced teachers is what you are spending you money on. With out them there would not be a school district. Take a look at what is happening in Greefield and New Berlin. Oh and by the way Walker said we had a $3.6 billion deficit. He created $2.3 billion in tax credits to the rich and funded it with $1.6 billion cut from the education budget and the rest from a number of other agencies. According to my math there is nothing left to put toward the deficit. Just sayin.

Sue,
I've taught 17 years and I've never had a $60,000 salary, I've paid into my pension and healthcare, with yearly increases I might add and now that I've been laid off and will be replaced with a teacher with zero experience, I saw the posting, I've decided to retire and stop being called names by my fellow Taxpayers. That's right I actually pay a portion of my salary, do you? As to double dipping (there are several definitions of this term so I'm not quite sure of what you mean), but, if I do it it will be to survive, There is no silver lining at the end of a teacher's retirement. I would love to Sub, but I'm not sure I could watch what is going to happen to education in this state, so I've been practicing "Welcome to Walmart".. The Recall was not a "Do Over", it is called democracy. I just deleted the ending of the prior sentence as it looked too negative to me. I'm sorry you feel the way you do, but it seems that there are 15 to 20% on both sides who will not listen to any statement that doesn't fit their set of facts. I guess it will be up to the remaining 60% to do the job of making life better for ALL.

Just a little advise that I gave my students in my U.S. Government classes, take the time to look at both sides, the positives and negatives, use your critical thinking skills, then, and only then, make your mind up about the situation. Nothing in life is black or white, we as a society live in the gray, you just have to open your eyes.

@Sara Y

I am not joking about the state aid. I have 3 children and another on the way. If I was not married to my husband, I could apply for food stamps and state aid. I would not be able to afford childcare if I did not. However, I am married to a man working in a private sector without a college degree and he makes almost 2x what I make. I was NEVER complaining about my poverty because I am not low income- just proving to SUE that I don't make near what she claims I make. I am not a teacher for the money. Obviously you did not get my point. I am a teacher because I love kids, but I don't like when people assume I make something I am not.

did u also enjoy the fact that walker took ur mortgage refund to pay off some of his debts? man must feel good to u to be screwed by ur savior, walker is a thief and a liar, pity when u finally find that out, cause it will be to late

@Sara, that is commendable what your mom has managed to do. I myself put myself through college working the maximum 20 hours allowed on campus while working 24-30 hours per week at a hospital to maintain benefits. I also received 2100 dollars annually through PELL. Meanwhile I carried between 12-15 hours each semester, and still managed to have some social life. However, once I graduated I expected to make much more than the 10-12,000 per year I made without a degree. I imagine that amount in the late 80's/early 90's would be comparable to 25-30,000 today. I'd be insulted to make that much, or else why bother to go to college in the first place? If a teacher is making 30,000 and qualifying for food stamps, there is something wrong with that picture. Beginning teachers in my district start at 40,000 and barely get by. My beginning salary in 1996, was 29,700 or so, and back in the days of year round calendars, I grabbed every sub job I could get my hands on to get by...and I'm single! Anyway, my point is to get to the top, you have to put in the grunt work. And the people making that 60-80K per year did just that. As for Sue, I have a recommendation for her as reading material. Please call the SSA and request a copy of the pamphlet called The Social Security Windfall Provision Act. People in states that opt out of SSI for a STRS or PERS program can't "double dip". Uncle Sam has that one covered.

I'd truly like to see Scott Walker come to my classroom, for ONE day, and do what I do. I have a college degree, a master's degree, plus many additional credits beyond that. I have won awards at both the state and national level, and I devote many more than the hours I get paid each day to my job. Quite honestly, I have no problem contributing to my pension, nor do I have a problem with an increase in my deductibles, etc. The agonizing part of this whole entire thing is the DRASTIC negative effects it has on our children's futures. People who have never worked in a school have absolutely NO idea how much Walker's grandiose plan is impacting our future...our children. If only the "rich" would do their part as well, I think there could easily be a happy medium. I also find it very disturbing and quite upsetting that the police (who support Walker) haven't been touched and haven't had to give up anything. I wonder why??? My hope is that the truth will be revealed sooner rather than later and our state can return to what it used to be...a democracy...power to ALL people, not just those who have money or support Walker.

@Sam Jones
It is irrelevant if Walker could do your job. My guess you could not be a politician.

Please provide proof for your following statement, "The agonizing part of this whole entire thing is the DRASTIC negative effects it has on our children's futures". No propaganda or assumptions, actual proof that this is occurring.

@ jason, i feel so sad for you. but, instead of telling us what you had to pay, why don't you tell us what you had left over? i bet you won't, because it will blow the lid off of the little secret behind the cost of health care. people like you use the words "rape" and "steal" when you talk about the pay that public employees receive. however, it is YOU sir who rapes and pillages the people of this country.

Jason-You get to pass your expenses on to your patients. When I spend money on my students, I don't have anyone to pass that cost on to. I get to deduct $250 from my taxes. Unfortunatly, I spend over $1000. There is no law saying I have to do that, but what do I say to a child who doesn't have paper or pencils.

@Peter...Why does it matter how much Jason has left? I am so tired of people thinking they are ENTITLED to take from those who have more than they do. Those same people cannot figure out why businesses have left this state and this country. Why would someone choose to just keep giving more and more. Amazing that the public unions squeal when they were asked to contribute to their own benefits. BTW...I was a public school teacher last year when Act 10 was being passed. I got fed up with my "professional" peers who began to act like spoiled children and have taken a lower paying job in a parochial school because I really do teach because I put children ahead of personal financial gain. (And, yes, I do wish that I could be paid more.)

@Jason-"I paid 49% of my taxable income last year to the state and federal govt (before FICA and medicare)." and "Total gross receipts for the year were about 150,000...and I had a tax bill of about 40,000" does not add up.
Also, as a physician myself I can say that a general surgeon with gross receipts of $150,000 is either not working full time or a really bad businessman.

Sam is such a hero, nobody can do her job! you seem to forget many many people work many more hours at home or stay late at the office YEAR ROUND! No vacations for major holidays and limited sick days and/or vacation days. If only the rich would do their part.... that's laughable, they pay more taxes than anyone. What is "rich" anyways? "the rich", just a term used by the left to try to divide and conquer! (ahhh, the unions have money by the way, they chipped in over $30 million to this recall, just wait until that gets reported, so much for being out spent by 7 times! If if was in a union, i'd want to know how they amassed that much extra cash when i could have used it to buy classroom supplies, go on vacation or saved it for a rainy day)

Kudos to all you Leftwing born again corruption hawks! Where was this fervor during the corrupt Doyle years? Lets set the record straight on who is a scapegoat. Prior to Act 10 and years before, no one really begrudged teachers their awfully good benefits or the fact they work 9 months out of 12 with christmas and easter breaks, or the fact that the average teacher could retire as early as 55 if they wanted. (Some genius tried to cite this voluntary choice as a job loss statistic!) No one begrudged automatic raises for showing up or for taking advanced degrees (this is NOT automatic in the private sector) No one begrudged the cozy deals you had with legislators. No, people in WI generally respected and appreciated teachers even though achievement scores trend down and secondary education begins to resemble indoctrination camps all the while the per student cost of educating our students continues to climb. Its really a pretty good gig. Being average guarantees a teacher things that much of the private sector can only hope for.

You want to talk about scapegoating? Death threats, destruction of public property, boycotts, political cowardice, Hilter, protesting on school time, THESE are the things that got Wisconsin taxpayers annoyed with teachers, not this idiotic fantasy that teachers were scapegoated.

And please stop acting like teachers are the most deserving, selfless and underpaid people on the planet. We ALL have a needed function in society.

@SamJones I learned that you really love yourself after reading your post. Regarding Governor Walker doing your job for one day, maybe he couldn't. But do you think you could perform open heart surgery for one day? do you think you be a farmer for a day? my point is that you deciding that Governor Walker couldn't do your job for one day is just a very stupid comment. who cares if he could or couldn't. he's a governor not a teacher. moving on from that, when making a statement such as; "the agonizing parts of this whole entire thing is the DRASTIC negative effects it has on our children". why don't you explain what these negative effects will be? you're argument might be somewhat respectable if you didnt throw out empty opinions but follow them up w/ some facts. you go on by saying the "rich" should do their part. not sure why you put that in quotes. are you saying that ppl who aren't rich should do their part? very confusing. what should the rich do? my father and sister would qualify as rich and they pay a lot in taxes. should the donate their whole salary? those rich a-holes, they don't deserve what they earned! just kidding Sam. they actually do deserve it because they went to school for 10+ years and paid a butt load of money to get where they are. i totally digressed right there. my final note that i took; "my hope is that the truth will be revealed sooner rather than later..." this isn't the matrix sam. well I hope you enjoyed my post as much as I enjoyed yours.

@jason. here's how you do it. 1. you take "customers (you call them patients, but customers is what they really are)" who you know can't pay. 2. you bake the cost of serving those customers in to the "cost" of providing your service to paying customers. 3. you write off the loss from customer #1. Additionally, the medical profession has artificially inflated the amount they are able to charge for their services. they have so limited the supply of doctors that those who actually make it are able to charge far too much for their service. when it comes right down to it, most intelligent, thinking people could do what you do. in the end, is the human body any more complicated than a car? not really. doctors are over paid punks with inflated egos that i am surprised don't actually send them airborne. your entire profession is acting in tandem with the insurance industry to suck us all dry. it borders on organized crime, really.

Scott Walker is not qualified to even be a substitute in one of the classrooms of one of the teachers whos pay he cut, or whos benefits he cut. These were legally negotiated benefits that were granted in lieu of pay raises etc. How dare he demonize our educators. Politicians of any make shape or description are so much more worthy of their pay, benefits, and lifelong security and retirement pay........NOT!

you ask why? because it is ALL they have. the only thing they can feel is hate and anger.

Teacher's can still have a voice. they can form a professional association much like other professions. I'm still not sold on the fact that teachers paying more towards their retirement and health care will hurt education. Students will choose a caree in education because they want to help kids. the best teachers aren't in this for the money. How is it fair to a community that they pay a good teacher for many years then they retire in the fifties deprieving their community of a good educator for up to 15 years. makes no sense, especially since less effective teachers are very difficult to get rid of, get paid on the same scale as the good teachers. I'd rather have the good effective teachers get paid more than the less effective ones unlike the union model where poor teachers are protected by tenure and are paid the same as the good ones. WEA trust? don't even go there, that was a huge scam. Oh, that was part of collective bargaining... shame shame shame.

J H RDH, you tell 'em!! I can't believe how selfish and uninformed some people are. Even the bus drivers are desperate in my area for a raise, they are all on public assistance because KONservatives like it that way. They wouldn't HAVE to apply for benefits with a living wage. But if the Kons can keep everybody on food stamps etc., they have their self-created excuse to talk their nonsense and fool most of the people much of the time. THEY DON'T FOOL THIS GRANNY!! My grandkids have WONDERFUL teachers here in rural GA and they deserve more than ANY CEO is paid. They are more valuable to society than wall street gamblers and corporate poverty creators.

1. What false information are you referring to? From what I can tell, Jason's facts are right on. You just disagree with his values and opinions.

2. Teachers ARE their union. They democratically run a union that reflects their values and interests, which are different than yours.

3. Teachers are sophisticated professionals, most with a Masters degree. (That is what comes after the B.A. that the Gov chose to never complete). They set their union's priorities, and tel the 'union bosses' what to do, not the other way around.

4. Public employees have different values and priorities than you. That doesn't make them puppets, fools, greedy or evil.

Looking forward to your reply with info on false information.

Exactly! The layoffs are in the districts where the unions would not negotiate or open up their contracts to allow the teachers to make the concessions. Scott Walker isn't picking on the teachers, he's doing the right thing and letting the taxpayers have control of what they have been paying for all along. The unions have no business in the public sector. Plain and simple. I love my teachers, but not the ones who complain that they will need to get a second job because $70,000 per year and having to kick in toward their own benefits will be tough. Cry me a river. You don't seem to have a problem forking over your hard earned dollars to a union boss.

He quoted the Milwaukee Journal Sentenal. I read that article, it is true. Governor walker is under investigation. Six have been indited and one has been charged. These are the facts. They have been charged with embezzlement of moneys collected for Veteran's families allegedly used for Governor Walkers campaign among other embezzlement charges. Cynthia you may like to think it is false, it is not. Time to wake up. Stop flagging every comment you don't agree with.

I do have negative feeling towards Gov. Walker and ALEC. That won't change because I do know what they have done to destroy what was good in WI - public education. Now, when education goes down the tubes in a few years, who will receive the blame? Yup, the teachers again. When in fact, the current government in WI has caused the deterioration. Cut 1.6 billion out of the health budget or any budget for that matter and watch the show. It is disgusting that the kids of this state will be the ones to suffer the most. Shame on Gov. Walker and shame on those who do not want to learn the truth.

it's funny "one of 14" knows about Scott Walker being under investigation when it's a "secret" john doe investigation. maybe THEY should be investigated! Walker actually called for the investigation that started this whole thing, probably should have read the whole article. So much for "innocent until proven guilty" right 14? Lefties, lose the hate you are making fools of yourselves. On second thought, keep up the good work!

All these "facts" about a secret John Doe investigation! The embezzlement 1 of 14 cites had nothing to do with the Walker Campaign. I read that Walker actually requested the John Doe when the corruption was discovered. I suppose that fact is about as plausible as the other guys. But lets not for a moment pretend this recall was about anything but the fact state workers finally had to share some of the pain the people who pay them have had to for the last 5 years. As for the mention Walker dropped out from MU, if anything it is testament to his ability to succeed without the degree, not that that's necessarily atypical. There are many accomplished Americans who never finished school such as Bill Gates. Nor did Paul Allen his partner at MS. Richard Branson left school at 16, Michael Dell, David Geffen, Steve Jobs (one semester of college) Billionaire Kirk Kekorian, Mark Zuckerberg. I dont necessarily see Walker in this group, but highlighting his lack of a BA means nothing. There are many more failures who have degrees. Tom Barrett is one I can think of.

@Sue Could you be the most hateful and resentful person in Wisconsin? Here is a tip Sue, for your own health, turn off Fox News, tell Charlie & Mark to take the next few months off by turning off your radio and come back to reality. It is simply amazing to me to read your comments where all you do is blame your neighbors for your life being so worthless. Here is a tip, realize that the reason you're in the situation you're in has nothing to do with how much money a teacher or a "union boss" makes. It has more to do with the fact that you're getting screwed by CEOs who make more money than you can ever imagine. Which is exactly why you hate your neighbor. Since you see that neighbor they're not suffering like you, so I'll hate them. So sad, so sad. Then again, that is exactly what your boy Walker and his ilk want, you to fight other middle class families and friends while the rich take off with everything else.

Wake up.

@Sue- $70,000!!!! WOW $70,000!!! I want to know the teacher that makes that much because I am a teacher working towards my Master's and I make $30,000. We should make that much and more, but no sorry, even people teaching 30 years do not make that kind of money- You need to step into a classroom and spend a full day there...elementary age K4 or K5 preferably, and then come back and judge how much a teacher is worth. You are ridiculous

@ Cynthia. Once again you make it look like the Union leaders control their members as if it were a Socialist Organization. Union Leaders or voted on in a Democratic Enviroment. As far as your "P.S." I'd like to know what your source is for that remark. Perhaps Fox News

Cynthia you are the one with the false information. But beyond that, you have no sense of decency labeling all teachers "extreme liberal" and you owe them YOUR GRATITUDE for YOUR education and that of your children if you have any. Gov. Walker is a criminal, and his lack of any human decency or morality, plus being a political prostitute, suggests to me he should be the one taking a pay cut until such time as he's indicted, tried and convicted, imprisoned and forgotten for good.

Change Happens (They Keep Moving The Cheese)

Adam, I'm guessing your comment makes more sense in your head than it does in written form! ; )

Bren:

I'm guessing you haven't read (or even seen) the best selling book?

http://www.whomovedmycheese.com/

When you wake up from your kool-aid induce dream, you'll see the Conservatives just put the cheese in the hole to stop the leak created by "progressives". FDR was against a unionized public sector. "Do not give union dogs what is sacred (collective bargaining "rights")... yeah, i like your quote from the correct perspective.

Bravo Jason Patzfahl! BRAVO!
The truth hurts conservatives! The truth is: this district is not moving forward amd Walker is to blame. God help us all and pray that Walker is indicted!

Cow, no I haven't. Sorry, Adam! ; )

O.K. jebediah.

Jason swallowed the ALEC line hook and sinker.

Will folks like Jason take responsibility when they realize they've been had? More likely will try to blame the very people who tried to warn them, many times.

Private schools are doing much better??? Yet, studies comparing choice and public schools show the opposite! And we will never know for sure, because the 'party of accountability for public dollars' exempted choice schools from testing requirements...

Teachers who retired early were protecting the benefit that they earned. Same reasoning that I hear about Beloit millionaires paying $0 in taxes to protect what they earned. Not very noble of her, huh?

If the public employees should make sacrifices, then shouldn't ALL of them make the sacrifices? Why exempt public employees who tend to vote republican?

When I have mounting debt, I cut spending AND work odd jobs to raise revenue. Why doesn't the state do both as well?

Private schools are run like businesses, they can deny students who misbehave the right to be there. Public schools teach every child who walks in the door, even those returning from jail. Teachers have to be parents & counselors to their students. We are expected to give each student an individualized education, despite the fact that class sizes are getting larger. You want me to be noble...but when I go home and pay bills, I have nothing left by the end of the month. Yet I generally get home at 6-7 pm because students need tutoring, parents can't meet during the day, and I have paperwork out the wazoo. My pay, by the way, is no where near the 60-70 thousand that Sue keeps quoting, it is 40. School loans take up 400/month of that. School loans that I took on so I could better serve my students. You want better schools? Increase discipline Yes, hold teachers accountable, but also hold parents and students accountable. Make education a privelage again, not for the rich but for those willing to work for it. I teach in a high school and I can't tell you how many times I hear students say they will start working in college because that is when it really counts, high school is free so it means nothing. Students who refuse to work, don't turn in hw, don't even take notes should have to pay to retake a class. Parents, if I call to tell you your child's phone was taken away for texting in class, don't tell me it is the only time daddy can communicate with his child!

Jason, how many of the private schools you seem to think so highly of have children in their classrooms with disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy, cognitive disabilities, spina bifida? What is their percentage of students with emotional disabilities such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder? What about kids who have ADD or ADHD? How many of their kids come to school tired from not having a bed to sleep in, or having to deal with mentally ill, substance abusing or abusive parents? How many of these teachers dig into their own pockets on a regular basis to feed and clothe their students? How many of their students get their only hugs or any kind of comfort from their teachers? Are these teachers required to continually update their skills by taking more credits at their own expense?What happens to the student who punches or kicks his/her teacher in a fit of anger? Do they get suspended or kicked out? When you can pick those students who will make your school look good, it is easy to brag about how much "better" private schools are, isn't it? Public schools not only educate the bright students who come from stable homes, we educate the unloved, the abused, the dirty, the angry, the ones who feel hopeless, and ones who are not so bright, but nonetheless, have the right to reach their goals. My own daughter was one of those not so bright students, having been born with Down Syndrome. Thank you, PUBLIC SCHOOLS!

Private schools do better because they get to pick and choose who they educate and they are not held to the same stadards that public schools are. You are absolutely right that they are run like a business. I can't imagine a private school keeping a child who needs a one on one aid. I don't imagine they would keep a student who is autistic and screams out constantly. These are not special ed classes I'm talking about. This is a regular class room. I also don't imagine they would keep a child who comes to school late every day. These are the children we educate.

"Extravagant salaries?" Surely you jest. A new teacher with 2 BAs, the father of two children qualified for food stamps when he started the year! At least he had health care for his family. That wouldn't be true now.

I guess you think that the tax rate for the Mittens of the world should be half of what is is for teachers. Is that your definition of paying your fair share?

And tell us, Jason, what noble things have you done for our state and country? But you expect a teacher to give up their security to be noble?

My union did NOT put me in the front line. I WENT to the front line because I knew what my students would lose because of the largest ever cut in Wisconsin public schools. I happen to be retired after 45 years in the classroom, but I went because I had already seen my school lose 2 foreign languages, advanced placement classes, tech classes, and orchestra hours. I went because I know that when a teacher's environment suffers the student environment also suffers. I have 2 friends, a middle aged couple; their family lost close to $20,000 through the cuts. He has taken another job at night. Do you honestly believe that this will not adversely affect what he can provide in the classroom? But they have young children who plan to go to college and know they will need help. They have already dipped into their savings.

I believe EVERYONE should have good health insurance; why not fight for that instead of taking it away from those who gave up salary to get it?

Lia, you'd probably get paid more if you knew how to spell. I am with you on the increased discipline and parental accountability though.

Untrue. They don't have to follow DPIs ever changing rules. They are not nearly as accountable and they don't have to teach all children. They often don't teach children with severe behavior problems, students who can be violent, students with significant disabilities etc. These students go back to public schools. In a lot of cases their jobs are easier. Nevertheless, the $25,000- 30,000 they make after years working at their schools is not enough compensation for what they do.

Many private schools pay for health insurance. So sad that the catholic schools don't abide by their own beliefs.

Unions are never the only ones pulling the strings. Unions allow for negotiation and compromise, like adults. You prefer adults to be treated like little children: this is MY house and you'll do what I say.

The unions pulling the strings? I think it was the $$$ that won this recent election. Unions work for us all. They try to make working conditions appropriate for everybody.

Scuze me, but Scotty traveled all over the USA and collected 30,000,000 to wage this war against the recall. But the state has no money to pay teachers and other public servants their legally negotiated salaries? No money for badger care for those least likely to be able to afford health care? No money for the recycling program? No money nor inclination to make polluters pay fines for instance for spreading 300% of the allowable amount of human excrement on a farm field? Oh but we I guess have the $125,000 salary to pay Doctor Deer to come to WI and privatize our public lands, and set up deer ranches so that he can charge $2,000 per deer that previously was free to residents to help them fill their freezers for the winter. This election was bought by outside of WI money for favors like Dr. Deer, and Gogebic Taconite who were allowed to write their own laws governing the KNOWN POLLUTION that would occur after their strip mining of the head waters of our state. How about those Jobs??? We are dead last in the Nation for jobs, but by all means refuse federal funds for a light rail (that would have brought in jobs). This Governor dispite the recall failure should be drawn and quartered. He is not doing things the Wisconsin way, and is taking his orders from the Koch brothers and others who wish to RAPE AND PILLAGE our natural resources and the distraction unfortunately happens to be the teachers and the unions. Wake up and smell the COFFEE people. It will only get worse.

@EDWARD: Democracy Edward? The ignorant masses were swayed by lies spewed on the TV, radio, in the press and in the mail by the corporations, right wing Koch groups and billionaires from out of state. Walker outspent Barrett 8-1. MONEY NOW RULES IN OUR STATE. Citizen's United has destroyed our state. Hope you enjoy it.

you have to wonder about some people here who seem to have no appreciation for what teachers do. and you have to wonder if they were the brats in class, or if they learned anything. it seems all they can do is repeat false figures and are too lazy to do their own homework. IF A TEACHER DID MAKE \$60K or $100K, SO WHAT? They deserve more than any politician in my opinion, and more than and CEO. If you have no gratitude for your teachers people, shame on you, and if you have children, shame on you even more.

Act 10 allows for cost of living raises. I couldn't find info on Port Washington settling a contract for raises, but Whitefish Bay popped up. They approved a 1.25% raise on base wages. When I asked a teacher friend about this, they said that the raise couldn't be based on their current wage, instead it is calculated as if they never advanced their salary based on education. So, instead of a teacher at the top of the pay scale receiving 1.25% of $70K, it will pretend they made less than $50K (No masters top pay). This will result in about a $500/year raise.

This is counteracted by insurance changes that will increase out of pocket costs and higher deductibles. These changes will eat up that money. In effect, they are paying for their raise through reduced benefits, and ending up with less money in their pocket next year.

Some people think this is a good thing, because teachers are greedy thugs, or zombies controlled by their union bosses. Yet the teachers I know don't fit this description. The teacher Jason describes also doesn't fit this description.

BTW: Read Jason's article again. It points out that cuts in gov't support mean more money out of our pockets for schools, universities, road repair, parks, etc. It will also lead to deferred maintenance costs as less money will be available for roads, infrastructure, etc. which will eat up the hundreds of dollars you refer to.

I live in Greendale and our taxes went up. Maybe they went down for people who live in the really big houses.

Port/Saukville haven't finalized anything yet but announced they have extra money in the budget and can give raises up to 3.13%. A majority of the raises will go to teachers at the bottom of the payscale. Everybody's costs for insurance has risen and most employees in the public sector contribute over 25%.

sue, are you really that simple?

I am SO tired of reading "accept the defeat" or "move on." One question - had Barrett won, would you change your world view? Would you suddenly, magically support those who run your communities?

Sue, see if you can leave even one comment without using the phrase "union bosses". I'll wait...

Oh looks like I confused JH RDH with the author of this. It's JH who doesnt like people being insulting while insulting them.

Reducing unions may be the result but the intention is to give people back their right to work with out being forced into a union. Each public worker now can choose to be in the union or not to. They can choose to write a dues check or not to. The same needs to happen for private workers. If workers drop out or do not join it is the free market in play. The unions will need to recreate themselves and their product so to speak. Public employees can still impact their working conditions and compensation through the many levels at which these are decided. Jason you should consider a run for school board. Your passion needs focus. I also agree with the person who suggested that we all put our $30 savings toward replacing or establishing the very good list you put forth. Open an account at a Greendale bank and let us know where to contribute. Identify people who will monitor it's use and report on Patch what we accomplish. We residents of Greendale can work toward the future together. We need not be caught in the maze.

So Why didn't Warren Buffet or Bill Gates contribute? There are plenty of Liberal millionares and billionares. Why didn't they donate?? -- They're probably tired of being demonized by the likes of J H RDH

J H once again you have it nailed. It's the big lie that has people sucked in and falling for the propaganda. There was a white supremacist just elected to office in PA and they are everywhere, and they are the darlings of the Kochs, who have a long history of ties to the Third Reich. They have made every possible move toward full fascism in our nation are too cowardly to appear in public and be confronted with the facts. Welcome to AmeriKKKa, owned by the Kochs, the Bradleys, and the rest of the fascists regime that now has a strong foothold. This election will determine whether or not our nation tips over, because this is the tipping point, with the most extreme right wing agenda coming to fruition, and it's destroying every aspect of our nation. Wisconsin's recent election was merely the test run.

Hahahahaha

Seriously? Wealthy? I work in Greendale and make just over $40k a year. At the end of the month, my husband and I barely have enough money to pay our mortgage. We are careful with our money, live in a small home in Milwaukee, and do not drive nice cars. It's possible that this teacher is wealthy, but have you thought about how long she has been teaching (probably has a Master's degree) or the possibility that her significant other makes a decent salary? Also, teachers are taxpayers too.

I am a teacher and my husband is a Greendale teacher. I can assure you that we do not have designer clothes, fancy cars, or live in a mansion. That you think we do makes me sad. We have been entirely vilified and it is not right. I feel bad for children, especially those whose socioeconomic status does not allow for any sort of enriched experience that is being lost with these horrible cuts to public education. It makes me sick that ANYONE would support such practices, especially because in the U.S., education has been known as the Great Equalizer. The opportunity to succeed regardless of what one is born into is being taken away while people gloat over winning against the rival political party. What a travesty!

You cannot judge what her salary is without knowing the facts. For all you know, she makes $30K, but her husband works at a bank making $200K a year. There are plenty of stay at home Moms who dress well and drive nice cars, it sure doesn't mean someone is paying them well. The key to working together is to stop judging without knowing the facts. I am striving to do this. It's easy for a poor person to think of a rich person as selfish and greedy, but truly that's not always the case. Be the best that you can be, but try not to judge. We all could work on this.

Is this a joke? If it isn't, Sara, you are delusional!

Are you serious? Is this serious? I make 36K a year, pay $500/month in student loans, and live in a one bedroom apartment. This summer I am moving into a two bedroom apartment and taking on a roommate to save money.

If you would like some of this "wealth," by all means...

Have you ever stepped into a classroom and spent one day there volunteering? I would ask you to go try an EC classroom or a Kindergarten and then come back and tell me it is not one of the hardest jobs...The biggest reward teachers could get is respect and you for one do not understand what that word means.

"JB" ~ The reason you can't afford these things is because only your wife brings home a paycheck and it is okay with you that she likely earns less for her work than a man doing the same job. . .
The MACs at our school used to be all in one room where the entire class could be brought there once a week (or more) to work at the same time. Now they have been dispersed into the classrooms at three or four per class, giving each child less time on the computers. And if your child is in kid care at the school (after or before) they used to have access to the MAC lab - no longer.

@Jason P.
If you knew my wife, you would understand how completely stupid your first sentence was. However, it exposes you as a sexist assuming that because she is female, she can't compete.

Even when we both were working and I was working 2 jobs, I could not afford a MAC.

I had kids in school before and after the removal of the computer lab and nothing has changed. They still receive the same amount of time on a computer as they did before and they aren't wasting school time moving between rooms and trying to get organized. Please tell me specifically how your child will suffer. What in their schools curriculum must change or has been removed now that the lab is gone?

BTW, the John Doe "leaks" have been given by one of Walker's best friends, the one who stole thousands from dead veterans' families. Guess you can't trust someone you've done illegal things with. The DA's office is NOT leaking. You're listening to Charlie Sykes again, aren't you?

Depends on the thought, doesn't it J.B.

I think everyone should have a private jet. Doesn't make it happen.

BTW - Who's going to foot the bill for whatever you decide is a "decent retirement" and "good health care" - the top 10% that already pay 70% of federal income taxes?

To answer your questions - it's because they are crabs...
(Crab mentality, sometimes referred to as crabs in the bucket, describes a way of thinking best described by the phrase "if I can't have it, neither can you." The metaphor refers to a pot of crabs. Individually, the crabs could easily escape from the pot, but instead, they grab at each other in a useless "king of the hill" competition (or sabotage) which prevents any from escaping and ensures their collective demise.[1][2] The analogy in human behavior is that of a group that will attempt to "pull down" (negate or diminish the importance of) any member who achieves success beyond the others, out of envy,conspiracy or competitive feelings.
This term is broadly associated with short-sighted, non-constructive thinking rather than a unified, long-term, constructive mentality. It is also often used colloquially in reference to individuals or communities attempting to "escape" a so-called "underprivileged life," but kept from doing so by others attempting to ride upon their coat-tails or those who simply resent their success.)

You're a brave man, sir. I applaud your excellent letter and spirit. You said it all. I work at a school, am not in a union, and I see how hard the teachers work and what conditions under which they work. Kids come in with filthy clothing, no breakfast except what the school offers, they may have seen abuse as they left the house..many of them are very far from being in a learning mode..but the teachers never give up on them. They have to know how to reach the brilliant, the ones with caring parents, and the ones with parents who live mostly in a drug-induced stupor, or those who are homeless with a single parent. (The kids are so ashamed of being homeless, they don't tell many about it.) Teachers I know spend thousands on supplies and do not get reimbursed. They do it because they care. The right-wingers who are so gullible and think Walker is for them are so wrong, but they refuse to open their eyes. It's a good thing Walker was re-elected..now they will see the results of his policies and he will have to take responsibility...(he'll think of some excuse to blame somebody else, tho.)

This is a common affliction of liberals. After they finish reading HuffPo and MMfA, watching MSNBC and the Daily Show, they turn around and accuse conservatives of being indoctrinated by talk radio. There is no debate of ideas that exists in the average progressives mind. Either one agrees or they are Evil, Stupid, or Crazy. You can break down all criticism of Conservative thought into one of those three categories.

The election was a demonstration of democracy in action and you still cannot accept it. If you consider the fact that there were conservatives who were turned off by Walker's curtailing of collective bargaining, that can only mean that even more on the Left were turned off by the unions thuggery and self righteousness. (depending on what day you were watching them) I read your utopian wish list and all I see is the magical thinking of the Left who apparently don't understand where money comes from nor how their ideas have already been tried and failed. WI residents are now starting to poll higher for Romney, which considering his shortcomings as a candidate speaks volumes about the distaste for the cradle to grave aspirations of the recycled Marxism you spout.

Jason P., thank you for pointing out the obvious. Unfortunately, those using terms like "union bosses" and "greedy public employees" would not last a day in a classroom. I collected signatures on the southwest side of the state and heard some of the same comments, although most were very supportive of public servants. Food for thought: did it ever occur to some that union workers aren't overpaid - maybe others are just underpaid?

As unions decline--and bringing along with the declining membership--so do wages across all sectors. It has been been studied for years now.

We should be working together to raise all wages --not dividing as Walker did.

A good leader does not divide as Walker did.

Good graph also in this article.

http://cops4labor.blogspot.com/2012/06/while-rome-burns.html

"When you superimpose the graphs of the decline of union membership in this country over the past 30 years and the decline in middle class wages, it is clear that the those lines are nearly identical in their free fall downward. Don't take my word for it, the graph is shown below. It is important to note that the decline in wages reflect ALL middle class wage earners, not just union members. This was no accident, it was by design. If the corporate right can destroy unions, it can lower the pay scale for all workers. It is a tragedy that this message was not delivered effectively to the majority of the people of Wisconsin last Tuesday. "

Brilliant strategy -- Call the prospective voters that you're trying to convince to see it your way, stupid dupes. Yeah, all 1.3 million voters are all just living an ignorant lie. I wonder why Barrett lost?!?

Jason - all of the people that drank the koolaid from Jim Jones were smart people. Smart people do dumb things every day. Voting for future inmate Scott Walker was one of those dumb things.

Jenn -

Again, calling a segment of the electorate that disagrees with you "misinformed" or "stupid" is not likely to win them over.

Smart people do dumb things --- Yep plenty of people with phd's voted for Barrett.

See, it's no less insulting if its turned around.

Thank you, Kenneth.

People WHO*, Jason. People are PEOPLE, not OBJECTS, therefore the pronoun we use in English is "who" or "whom". They must not have taught you that during your exhaustive attempts at education.

I'm a doctor not a grammarian - Thanks for the tip.

"I do not respect people that break into the captol buildings through windows."
The capital building is a public building that illegally closed to the taxpaying citizens of this state. I imagine you sitll believe that there was $7.5MM "damage" to this building too don't you. hahahahahahahahaha

"I do not respect people that pour beer on legislators."
Was that the same legislator that showed no respect to his constituents? Oh yeh, I think it was. Karma sweet karma.

"I do not respect people that run and hide in Illinois"
They didn't flee. They tried to prevent the thugs inside the capital from pulling a "pelosi" on the taxpaying public in this state. You know - "lets pass this bill so we can see what's in it"?

"I do not respect doctors that write bogus sick notes. I do not respect people that "sick out" from work to protest."
A mental health crisis is no less legitimate than the flu.

Jenn marks -

The capitol buliding has busness hours, just like the DMV. They're not open 24/7. If you beleive otherwise then I'll drop the kids off at school and expect them to spend the night.

Karma sweet Karma - Barett Lost, in embarrasing fashion, with the whole country watching.

By thugs you mean - duly elected representatives? Or do you mean the protesters that were aligned with Eddie York's killer - Richard Trumpka

If your having a mental health crisis - go to a psychiatrist not a 2 second interview on a street corner.

Jason, I understand those windows were open. And the Capitol was open because a furtive, late night Open Meetings law violating session had just passed legislation that made Scott Walker's justification for ALEC union stripping a lie.

Instead of swallowing the ALEC rhetoric hook, line, and sinker, Jason, why don't you conduct some of your own research and draw an independent conclusion for yourself? Take some pride in your own intellect, be a patriotic American, and don't just believe what you're told.

Kyle baby get a job, married and buy a house, PAY A TAX BILL OR TWO.
Send your kids to Greendale schools and then come back and tell me.
In the mean time watch what happens in Illinois young man.
Cuz right now your brain is mush!

Democratic Party Chairman Mike Tate
“Scott Walker will see the inside of a jail cell before he sees the inside of another term.”

“We think these republicans are running wild and drunk with power, and it’s why we’re going to win these recall elections in just a few weeks.” –Mike Tate

Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison,
“I’m passing on ‘Brat Summit’ photo op. We need cooperation & compromise from Gov., not brats & beer,”

Graeme Zielinski
UW-Madison professor Charles Franklin, who conducts the Marquette University Law School poll is a Republican "hack" whose polls showing Gov. Scott Walker winning the recall election by five to seven points are "as reliable as a three-dollar bill." Franklin's poll results matched Walker's 7 percent win.

-----
Lots of aisle reaching going on there. Are you gonna have the enitre gallary chant "Shame" at us again? Break into the Capitol through windows and occupy it again?

The "Hyper Partisan" nature of this state is as much the Democrats fault as the Govenors. If you can't admit that then there will be no reconcilitaion.

I have a job, file my own taxes, and pay all of my own bills, including my tuition. And when my fundamental right to marry is finally allowed to me by the state of Wisconsin, I will. When I've settled down with my partner and we choose to have children, we will. And maybe I'll even re-locate to Greendale. Unfortunately, people like you choose to immediately assume that all youth are naive, so maybe I won't.

While I do consider myself a Liberal, I have never blamed the Hyper Partisan nature of our country solely on conservatives. Do you think people like Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, or networks like MSNBC do anything to help? No, it's simply the flip-side to the coin.

It's a shame that we live in a country that finds "Working Together" a crazy, outlandish, ideological claim.

Thank you, Kyle. Don't listen to the nasty comments you get. You will become a good citizen when you graduate.

Kyle, I will be gentle with you since within 5 years after you graduate there is a 50% chance you will hold the exact opposite political views. Having attended the Peoples Republic of Madison in the 70's I can attest to that.

Walker created no divide. He was simply the first Governor in recent memory, who didnt give the public employees unions exactly what they wanted. The amusing thing about this false victim mentality which is being characterized on these pages is that it is the state employees unions who were the aggressors, and somehow the response to all the wailing and gnashing of teeth and vilifying and union thuggery, is being characterized as though the state workers were minding their own business when all the evil FOX News consuming ignoramuses of the Right perpetrated an unprovoked attack on them.

Don't expect to hear much in the way of a counter opinion while you wend your way through the Leftist echo chambers which are Wisconsin's public universities. If you are like most, you will emerge a fire breathing liberal. That is until you exit the utopian enclave of fantasy and begin to reside in the real world.

Kyle, M Colins, I'm an individual who started out Libertarian-leaning and am now a moderate independent. My viewpoints were tempered by real life. As a reasonably intelligent person, I discovered in my life journey a significant disconnect between certain of my ideas and reality. While core, traditional conservative values (true fiscal conservatism, land/resource conservation, empowerment of people) will always be important to me, I have grown to appreciate that the more radical, one-size-fits-all and hidden-tax and spend approach of modern "conservatism" is not where I care to "live."

Someone will always make more money than I do, receive more respect from my companion animal than I do, and/or receive something that I haven't--that's a given. But that's life. Jealously is unproductive--trying in my own small way to make things better if I can is. I also try not to be duped by people who want to take advantage of me and/or others. Scott Walker's budget hijinks as County Executive were known to me (budget hearings). That's why I didn't vote for him and supported the recall. (I also understand that Scott Walker is costing Milwaukee County an additional $4.1 million because his imposed furloughs on county workers in 2010 were found to be illegal. That's in addition to his other expensive hijinks.

Life is a path with many choices. We control who we want to be.

M Colins, that is precisely what I'm talking about. What makes the left completely incompatible to the right and vice-versa? People immediately assuming that because someone leans to one side of the political spectrum, they are a complete dolt. I do not argue for that position. I argue against that position.

Stop assuming that because I am a young person, I am filled to the brim with idealistic thoughts and naivety. I am not.

Stop assuming that because I am a liberal, my opinions are automatically unrealistic. They are not.

I do not assume that someone three times my age is out of touch.

I do not assume that a conservative person's ideas are incompatible with my own.

What I said, was that now is the time for us to work together to get out of this predicament. Walker did not do that. Other conservatives AND liberals did not do that either. That is my concern. It is not a liberal issue. It is not a conservative issue. It is an issue shared by both parties, that needs to be figured out. I do not find communicating with other human beings an idealistic thought. If you do, that is a problem. I do not consider the idea of the men and women in our government, putting aside their differences to do their goddamn jobs an idealistic thought. If you do, that is a problem.

When these simple things are becoming idealistic, that is a problem. Walker will not help solve that problem. I did not vote for him for that reason.

Wow.

I hope that you are saying you home-schooled your children, because surely you can't be taking all of the credit for how your children turned out, especially with regards to their character and work ethic. I'm certain some of these traits are learned at school and modeled by a student's teacher.

You mean how teachers PAID towards their own education first as undergraduates and then again as working professionals (because in order to keep their license current they have to continually earn college credits - usually without reimbursement).
Again, we are laying the entire burden of the economic downturn at the doorsteps of the teachers. Seems hardly fair to me...Why not include cops, firemen and the wealthy when it comes to "shared sacrifice?"

Wow! Your anger toward teachers can only mean you had a bad experience with every teacher you or your children had. I find that hard to believe. Remember, this; there is no career out there that anyone can do without some sort of education. They get that education from teachers. I am not a liberal, I am not a conservative, I am very middle of the road, BUT I will never blame one group of people for the ills of today. Shared sacrifice should be just that...shared. Why are firefighters and police officers exempt from this? If you had any idea how much overtime they get, you might change your tune. They require little education and they make MUCH more than teachers do; I know, my brother is a firefighter. There is no overtime in education...they are always on the clock; even in the summer. Believe me, it is true. Even the most conservative person, should at least support their teachers. Yes, there are changes that had to be made, but being so blatantly disgusting in the comments on this forum is sickening. It makes me sad for teachers and sad for those that considered teaching, but don't want to be considered the pariahs of Wisconsin. At the very least, have some respect for educators and yourself. Teachers will respect you and your children and they will pay their own bills, including taxes. They aren't asking you to do it. I really feel that those that have posted such awful comments should be ashamed of themselves.

There is SO MUCH wrong with your statement. Wow.

This is disgusting.

Good for you, Kyle. I hope you will get to marry your partner and I know you will be able to have children. I hope, however, that you don't choose to relocate to Greendale. Find somewhere where less than the majority of the population will choose to hate and marginalize you, taking away your rights and your sense of self-worth. Fight the good fight, kid, and know there are many of us standing with you.

Teachers are wonderful people. AMAZING people, and for your children, sorry they missed out on a very rewarding career. I am not a teacher for the money. I am a teacher because I love and value children. I am a second mother, a nurse, a coach, a mentor, a friend. What do you do to benefit society? How much money do you take out of your own pocket for your career. I buy back packs and food for my students who are all low income. I have to call CPS once a month because a child was abused. I am their own source of positive support and comfort sometimes. Who are you to say this crap? Who are you to judge? You don't pay me. We all pay our taxes because that is our civic duty. QUIT complaining about it and appreciate the people who help you, your family, and the people around you- people who benefit society. You make me sick. Let me tell you something Miss Love USA- I earn every CENT I get at my job. I pay towards my pension. I pay to further my education from my own pocket. I pay to help my students with supplies and clothing. I pay without complaint. Again, what do you do? Sit on your bottom and complain about a profession you know NOTHING about? Come to my K4 Kindergarten classroom anyday...I am sure you couldn't last 1 hour with what I do. I EARN all my own money and you do not pay my bills...I DO

Really?? Teachers and other school employees only work 8 months per year now? Great! I guess I get a month off! I am under a 191 day contract, but apparently Love USA says that I only work 8 months, so I will work, let's see, September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April. That's leaves the end of August (when school starts), all of May, and through June 10 next year as days when kids will be in the classroom but I won't be there! Yippee! Thanks, Love USA!

191 days/ 22= 8.6 months

You teach our children?

3 months off in the summer. Week off for thanksgiving, Christmas (I mean winter break) Spring break, government holiday than and conference that = 8 months of actual work. Not including sick time.

@Steve...Teachers do not work only 8 months of the year. Please add up all the overtime we spend at home grading papers, preparing lessons, prepping, completing report cards, etc. I also spend a lot of the summer planning what I need to do for the next year. Every year I go into the classroom a week early to set it up because the 1 day we get paid to do it would never be enough time. Christmas, spring, and summer break are very needed because a teacher's job is very stressful. You spend 1 day in a classroom, and you would understand this...

►Christmas, spring, and summer break are very needed because a teacher's job is very stressful.◄

hahahahahahahah i'll give that a try next time my job gets stressful, which is every day. I'll see if I can fit in weeks off with no consequence of catching up when I get back. WOW, you guys really bought into all of this.

Don't get me wrong I loved most of my teachers but out of your element some of you are just funny and the distance from the real world really hurts the cause of you having to chip in a few percent for benefits.

You can't count overtime as extra days, just can't happen physically in any real world. So most days I work 12-15 hours, does that mean I work more than 365 days per year?

What did collective bargaining get the HS teachers, 5-6 periods max per day. So instead of spending 8-10 hours per day at the workplace like the providers, you bring work home and call that overtime.

Love it, like no one in the private sector brings their work home.

Glad to hear you are prepping during your summer break and that one week before school. I know that at least for one I am not paying for labor that is not provided.

Just fathom this, the private sector works about 265 days before vacation. You start out and maybe get 1-2 weeks. 265-10=255

Teacher's contract is 191 days but get paid year round.
I'd hope you kick in a few days in the summer and during the weekend to make up for the 64 days.

The word "Teacher" has lost its shine due to people spitting on it all year. I'm sick of the hate and disrespect. My job was already hard enough before the upheaval in our state, but hateful teacher-bashers like you have made it even harder and therefore impacted the education of children. l face children every day whose parents bash teachers at home. I can't tell you how many times I swallowed a lump in my throat at school this year and just kept doing my job, because, in spite of some ignorant people's opinions, I'm here for the kids, not for a political agenda. How in the world do you know how hard I work, what political party I belong to, or how I feel about paying more for my insurance or pension? How do you know that I don't EARN my pay and benefits (or even more)?

Oh no Jason don't touch the "wealthy" (l%), take the money from those least able to afford it like women on badger care, or charge more for food stamps, but don't touch the l%.

I second that

You have been indoctrinated Steve. I'm sad for you, but under Scott Walker, this "great state" will give you what you and the rest of Wisconsin's 53% deserve.

We don't go around thinking we deserve or are entitled to anything. This is why Walker is Gov for as long as he wants. WE all work very hard for what we create and now are free from the stranglehold of public unions.

Hate speech? Slander? Lies? Where? The only hate I see here is that which you are trying to incite, Steve registered trademark. Bet you're proud of that. Way to go. Great example for your kids.

Anita apparently you have missed Jason P's last blogs, or the drivel that was said about Walker for the last year and a half. Or forgot to scroll up and down this entire comment section.

I don't have kids and if I did the last place I could see them in on a Patch comment section seeking education from their father.

never forget the diebold and scanners used in this election and what money bought those who voted for walker, i sure wont and ill be using a paer ballot the next time. meanwhile enjoy the distruction of wisconsin, and remember U asked for it

Carrie - Believe in aliens and is there a boogieman in your closet? Did we beat you guys that badly that you are now going to blame a machine?

No one paid me for my vote, did you get paid to vote for Barrett?

The more I read your crap the more I hate teachers. You guys are hurting your cause with the slander and lies.

Jason, I'm distracted by your constant misuse of words ("wrote" instead of "rote") and incorrect spellings (sttudents). I know you're not a grammarian, but surely somewhere in your decades of advanced schooling, you must have taken basic English and/or grammar and/or spelling classes. I'm beginning to think that perhaps you're not a doctor, but you play one on TV.

Anita - Feel free to think anything you want. I dictate most of what I do.

If you need a laparoscpic cholecystectomy with intera-operative cholangiogram for your acute cholecystitis and choledocholithiasis you are free to use several colorful vocatives while I gesticulate my displeasure using my 3rd metacarpal, and both the DIP and PIP joint on my right hand with the extensor digitalis. I'll be using the flexor digitorum profundus and superficialis of the other 3 digits. The flexor pollicus longus and brevis along with the opponens will all be in use too. Likely my lumbrical mucles will be adducting the phalanges as well.

lol awesome

So, Dr. Jason, you're a dyslexic, angry surgeon? FanTAStic!

I think you are referring to Michigan, Illinois or California but glad we could show you how it's done with real leadership and vision.

Thanks, Bob. Wish you could've been living here to vote on June 5. : (

lol Bob, these same idiots will be screaming soon, that the liberals caused them to vote stupidly against thier own good, i can see it coming lol

Dink - Too much republican kool-aid again? We all play bongos and smoke bongs. You sir are a glaring example of what's wrong with our educational system.

"Want a good job? Go to college and improve yourself by getting a degree" they all say from the right.

They must mean like the teachers, scientists, mathematicians and sociologists they all seem to think they are smarter than.....

Why are colleges hotbeds of liberalism? Because THAT is where the educated people are. THINK about it.

Nice. You're an ignoramus. Does anyone actually think about the effect this election has on the kids that are being educated? Teachers are under appreciated while they help raise the offspring of all. Money and benefits aside, teachers are spending more time with these kids than many parents are and are shaping the lives of these kids. If you think they are such a bad influence, take your kids out of the schools and educate them yourselves. Or pay a private school to educate them.
Not so convenient is it?

wrong dinky, we didnt lose, actually we now control the senate, see where that will get mr wanky walker :)

You have no problem bashing the public schools you come from, yet tout your education and profession at every moment...

You've done nothing but criticize the Public School System and its teachers the whole time you've been on here. Why didn't you go to a private university if the public schools are full of a bunch of lazy, greedy, selfish moochers?

And for one so fixated on "facts" you'd realize I wasn't the one who made fun of your education, I merely called out that you have been.

Jason - You are to be commended for buying into the system lock, stock, and smoking barrel. You are officially a SHEEPLE. You reek of entitlement and arrogance as you attempt to laud over those who are trying to call out and fix a broken system by pointing out the obvious and glaring problems. So all I hear when you post is BAA, BAA, BAA......

I will recant my statement about your disrespect for teachers. I spoke too soon, there are several Jasons involved in these discussions, and I mistook you for another.

Forgive me, what I should have said was, "Why didn't you enroll solely in private universities?"

You had no problem taking advantage of the reasonable in-state tuition when you were attending school, your parents and grandparents paid their taxes so you could enjoy those rates. You have no problem taking advantage of the system when it's there for you, but when it comes time to pay the taxes to allow others the same benefits you received, you don't want to. Frankly, at the risk of attacking your character, that sounds pretty selfish and ungrateful to me.

There are people who take advantage of the system. They are not indicative of the systems worth. They are however, indicative of its faults. Fix the system, don't just throw it away, there are people that actually need it.

Evidence of not having anything meaningful to write. Attacking those you disagree with for spelling errors. Maybe you should be blaming OBE (Outcome based education) or Whole Language for the educational gaps people have today, something the education system knuckleheads thought was a great idea while they were flogging it despite failures all over the country and declining achievement scores. This typical how those on your side want to have it both ways. Take credit for evidence of a good education, blame others when you fail.

All this whining about how education will go down because of Walkers reforms demonstrates two things. First, you're obliviousness to the irony in your statement given an educational bureaucracy which has had its way for decades has seen pay scales grow while achievement scores trend down. And second, considering the main effect of the reforms is to ask teachers to pay a bit more than they were previously for their healthcare and pension benefit, its clear that compensation is the only motivation for educators, and when it is altered, the possibility exists that they simply will not do their jobs as well.

Jason, if you did indeed learn to spell in school, you would have realized that you spelled the simple word 'their' incorrectly several times in your posts. You also made a number of grammatical errors that should have been learned through rote memorization, which is how it is spelled by the way. While memorization is an important aspect of education, it is only a small part of it. A well educated individual knows more than his or her subject area, has the ability to think creatively and critically, questions how the world around them works, has concern for the betterment of society, has an open mind and looks at all sides of an argument before forming an opinion, and among other things, the ability and fortitude to express themselves properly in both oral and written communication. As an educator, I spend many hours correcting work. I do not scrawl corrections on student papers. Rather, I ask them questions to make them think about how they can improve upon their work. I welcome students to disagree with me because it is important for me to encourage my students to be thinkers instead of robots. Their querys open dialogue that enriches their ability to process. While rote memorization might help a student perform well on a test, which isn't always the best form of assessment to determine what a student has truly learned from a lesson, the information is often quickly lost after the test is completed...and it does absolutely nothing to encourage independent thought.

KB - I have mild dyslexia.. I often transpose letters but thanks for the heads up. Most of what I write professionally is dictated and then transcribed (thank god).

As to rote memorization. -- It is the basic foundation of all knowledge.

Without the ability to add subtract multiply and divide - you can't do Calculus, trigonometry, or any higher mathematics.

Without the adequate vocabulary and reading comprehension skills - you will never never understand Shakespear, the magna carta or the canterbury tales.

"I welcome students to disagree with me because it is important for me to encourage my students to be thinkers instead of robots. " -- What made you think 4+ 4 was 9 ? How does this make you feel?

As to

"A well educated individual knows more than his or her subject area, has the ability to think creatively and critically, questions how the world around them works, has concern for the betterment of society, has an open mind and looks at all sides of an argument before forming an opinion, and among other things, the ability and fortitude to express themselves properly in both oral and written communication."

I have a great concern for the betterment of society. I believe that the only system of economics that has ever allowed a society to thrive has been free market capitalism. The dynasties of China, the Empires of Rome, the British Empire, the Persian Empire -- all pale in comparison to this little country that was founded <250 years ago.

What is threatening it is an enemy from within. Look at California's fiscal picture, or Illinois's or New York's. They are all collapsing under the weight of pension and payroll promises that were made years ago that simply can not be fufilled.

I care deeply about our children and the crushing legacy of indebtedness we will be leaving them if we do nothing.

@Jason,
I am truly sorry that you have so little understanding or respect for the people you "serve" ("have a baby out of wedlock at 14 so that I can get public housing, wic and medicaid"?!?!?!) Clearly, you have never experienced living in public housing, off WIC or using medicaid. These are not desirable! They are better than nothing, however.
Consider the fact that teen pregnancy has only gone up since the (conservative) platform of abstinence only sex ed has been adopted, and continues to go up in "red" states more and faster than "blue" states. I do not think that young women are making informed decisions to become mothers in order to reap the state benefits that come pouring in. Nor does it help when state benefits are only available to people in the most dire straits, as is again the agenda pushed by conservative lawmakers. The old "welfare moms drain the system" lie has been proven to be just that - a lie. JP Morgan Chase drains the system. Bank of America drains the system. Corporate welfare upends the system.
Having a salary that allows you to pay for major malpractice insurance; a secure job; an extensive education with enough degrees to keep you jawing on about them for several posts does not qualify you to make these sort of statements or judgments without recourse. I would be appalled to learn that my physician carried the vitriol inside her that you have been writing.

@emeryrian - I worked at Charity hospital in downtown New Orleans.

I took care of women whos stated goal was to get pregnant out of wedlock, get public housing, wic and medicaid. I experienced it first hand. It was real, the children were real, and I took care of them.

My job isn't in any way shape or form secure. If I get an injury to my hand tomorrow I may never be able to do my job again. If congress dosen't pass the "doc fix" my re-imbursements will go bye-bye. (private insurers usually base thier payment scales off of medicare payments.) What if I don't meet revenue projections? What if someone has a bad outcome and sues me?

My job is secure?!? - Where do you live? Fantasyland?

Dear dyslexic Jason.. I teach English, which I believe is every bit as important as math, and I must point out that Shakespeare ends with an 'e', both the Magna Carta and Canterbury Tales are capitalized and I have never believed that 4+4 = 9. If I taught math, I wouldn't have the discussion of " What made you think 4+ 4 was 9 ? How does this make you feel?". Math, for the most part, is about absolutes...life, on the other hand, is not. One can memorize their mathematical tables and equations, but it does not make them educated. You have consistently posted about how educated you are, but honestly, I fail to see it. Though you are typing out your words, I can pretty much hear you screaming them as most people who have no intelligent argument tend to do. The one that makes the most noise always gets the most attention...I know this as a teacher, and I am sorry to say that I have gone against my usual tactic of ignoring the class clown to take the time to respond to you twice. I feel for your patients, and while you have claimed to have done 'charity', I can only believe that you haven't listened to a word any of them have said. I am sure their names escape you, many of their ailments are 'cured' with expensive medications they don't necessarily need, and they are dismissed with little concern or compassion. I am grateful you are not my doctor, but I do believe you should certainly be forking out that money for your liability insurance. You're going to need it.

Math, for the most part, is about absolutes...life, on the other hand, is not...

That is quite possibly the DUMBEST thing I've ever read.

If my patient lives or dies -- an absolute. Either the surgical wound gets infected or it dosen't. If the appendix ruptures -- an absolute. If I use bad grammar or misspell a word I'm either wrong or right...As you've hen pecked me on about 10 times.

What my bad spelling and grammar do not do - is make any of my well-reasoned arguments any less valid.

I did not say I provided "charity"...

I worked at Charity Hospital (AKA The Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans) It is the Orleans Parish Hospital (Parishes are Louisiana's "counties") The other name for the hospital is "the big free" as most of the care is provided at little to no cost to the indigent and poor of downtown New Orleans.

As part of my duties - I was evacuated off the roof top after caring for my patients during Hurricane Katrina.

I am a surgeon - I don't prescribe much beyond pain medication and IV fluids. So your Obamaesque claim that I prescribe "expensive" and "unnecessary" treatments is utter bunk.

If you think I preform unnessary surgery on people - You're disturbed.

It's not "liability insurance" it's malpractice insurance. I'm not selling cars, I'm practicing medicine.

For an English teacher you have some of the worst reading comprehension I've ever encountered.

I had to go through 4 years of medical school, 5 years of residency in addition to passing both a written and oral American Board of Surgery exam. How do you think I got through all that if I was so ethically bankrupt? I have to renew my hospital privileges every 2 years, my medical licenses every year, my insurance certifications every 3 years. I have to log every one of my cases into a National Quality improvement database.

I'm in one of the most highly regulated industries on the face of the planet. I've jumped through hurdles that you can't even fathom. Rounds started at 5:30 every morining, seeing 40 in-hospital patients before the OR started at 7:30 AM. These people had major liver and pancreatic resections. Have you ever scrubbed in for a 7 hour case where you can't eat, drink or pee? Oh, If you screw up the person in front of you will likley die. On my trauma rotation we had to crack chests in the ED from GSWs. I've been exposed to Hep C, HIV and TB.

The fact that as an English teacher you don't have enough critical thinking skill to realize that there is virtually no way I could "skate" through these things unnoticed, doing "fake" surgeries on people scares me.

Other than improving grammar and spelling - do you do ANYTHING for your kids?

Hey, one other thing KB. For an ENGLISH teacher not to know that the bard's name has had multiple different spellings that have been used over the course of the last 400+ years and that no one actually knows what the real spelling actually was.......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelling_of_Shakespeare's_name

Embarrassing? -- I vote yes.

It is never worth giving up. The best thing anyone can do for everyone else is realize how powerful an individual can be. If you have the power to change even one person, that is a success. Because they can change another, and they can change another, and so on. It all starts with one person, and one such as yourself, who finds our inability to cooperate as disheartening as myself, would certainly be a pity to lose.

Louis
I do hope you have a friend or someone to talk with tonight.

Louis, suicide is serious business. I believe you are serious. I hope you are not. Humans have emotions and engage in conflict as a means of communication. It's not, usually, personal. Perhaps you need someone to talk to. Or just vent to. Vent away. But suicide is not the answer.

Louis, please please call someone who will sit with you when you are in so much pain. I feel for you and wish you a sense of peace. I know these are very bad times, but the world needs more people who can feel things deeply and care like you do. There is a lot of hate, but there is also a lot of caring. Please reread the article and realize all the people he talks about DO care; please think about them and not the incredibly mean-spirited people who have written comments on this thread. Please let me know you are ok.

this Louis guy....sad. he needs help. so are you all going to blame Walker for Louis' plight as well? i mean, since Walker caused a "civil war" in this state Walker must be blamed for Louis' suicidal talk. hey Louis....do what the people say - don't comment anymore. get help. this is no reason to be talking like this. dial a friend or relative and talk to them.

Dear Louis,
I looked up this number...the hotline number: 1-866-488-7386.
Please call them. Do it for me -- i'm a retired teacher myself, and i care about how you are feeling.

Stop it Jeff, no one said anything like that.

@kyle - i know no one said that. i said, "so are you all going to say...."? it's hypothetical. and no one likes a whiner....so why don't you stop.

You really don't know when to quit do you? I will stop "whining" as you like to put it. Because someone as full of hate as yourself is not someone I want to have anything to do with. This particular post stopped being about Walker as soon as suicide was brought up, and when suicide is involved, there is absolutely no room to push anyone's buttons.

Louis, if you read these anymore, remember, he is the exception not the rule. There are plenty of people who care as much as you do, and who care about you.

@kyle - you're whining again. how do you interpret "hate" from my original post? i said (reread what i commented) that Louis, if he is in fact suicidal, should get help. how is that hateful. also, this article and the comments following IS about Walker. it never stopped being about Walker simply because someone threatened suicide, if in fact, it's a real threat. please read my post again before you get emotional and go on and on and on.

People do fight and squabble at times, especially if they feel very strongly about something. But they also love and laugh and play and work and have hobbies and friends and relatives and pets that they enjoy being with. This is just a hot issue right now in our state, but it too will pass. Take a break from reading this slop and listen to some upbeat music, call or text a friend, watch a funny movie or read a book. Don't do something that is permanent and cannot be undone. Life can be hard at times, but there is also much joy in life, much beauty in nature and in people too. Please get some help, Louis. Call 1 800 273-8255 for assistance (suicide hotline). Good luck to you.

#1) That's why Fire, EMS and police were exempted from ACT 10.
#2) Federal employees (The FBI agents, CIA agents et cetera) don't have collective bargainin rights over anyhting other than wages. -- they do just fine.
#3) NASCAR rocks!

You're right we need those services, and thanks to Walker we saved many of them from being laid off.

It's like still not sinking in is it with these clowns? No wonder we were in trouble red is blue and the sky is purple to these guys.

So the world you libs live in is a religion! I knew it no one would believe all that kool aid without having some faith in it.

He writes one of these about every week...

I agree. As for the other Jason... ewww... a dyslexic surgeon? No, thank you.

EVERY firefighter I know WANTS to be in the stations with action. That is a level of courage most do not possess. Believe me, every lawn-chair sitting firefighter would rather NOT be.

The hate is heart-breaking. Thank you, Gov. Walker; this is the climate for which you have so diligently worked.

@Kris - 3000 hours plus, huh! Seeing that 2,000 hours (fifty weeks X 40 hours per week) is what is standard in most private sector jobs, I find your math a little fuzzy. By my calculations, the average teacher probably works about 1,300 hours per year.

Thanky, but I see you missed Jason's past blog postings

Thank you for your service Dr. Harding. Though it might not seem like it, hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites are thankful for your and your family's years of dedication to our students. Though current policies and leadership may not represent our appreciation, many of us will continue to fight to ensure that already marginalized groups (public workers, women, racial minorities, religious minorities, etc.) do not continue to be oppressed by white, privileged politicians and the rich billionaires and indoctrinated voters who support them.

I am, more or less, in your same boat, and when I see former students it is a joy. I also keep in touch with hundreds of them via FB--how wonderful it is to see them grow up and have families and adventures! People can say what they want about us, but we know the truth. We loved their children, and being a teacher was never about the money. I just think it's sad that so many hard-working teachers are being unfairly brow-beaten. By the way, I am still paying for my student loans, and I cry when reading "Love You Forever". When my daughter was in kindergarten I came to her class to read that book one day and she whispered to me, "Mom, please don't cry!" It was the only time I didn't! No matter what anyone says, they cannot take away my lovely memories of spending time with so very many wonderful and different young people. They taught me as much as I taught them. It was great, and I have no regrets. I am proud to have been a part ot the educational community.

@gm dale - Jason called someone "dense" in one of his comments. soooo.....that's namecalling.

I agree totally.

thank you shelly, very few on here will agree with u, but im hoping and praying that the people here in my state, will finally wake up and vote for this hard working president, who has had to fight for everything that would be good for us, myself, i will vote for every dem running in wisconsin, because to do otherwise would kill this country

It is so important! I completely agree with you. I hope America gets it right!

when Politifact favors a Rep, the Reps applaud and the Dems jeer. vice versa. please.....and tell me @patricia, did Barrett NOT take any out-of-state campaign contributions? oh wait - he did, but he didn't get as much as Walker so that makes Walker the bad guy. come on. and by the way, i DO think Citizens United should be repealed but, hey, that's the Supreme Court for ya. and when the Dems decided they wanted to recall Walker, they knew that by law Walker could take in as much money as he could - no limit. i'm tired of hearing how money bought the recall election. had Barrett won, the left would be saying, "see money couldn't buy the election". if money would be inconsequential in that scenario, why is it meaningful just cause Walker won?

The last gov raised taxes and fees on everything and still had a 3.6 billion dollar hole. Business fled the state to escape from the crushing burden of government waste spending and high taxes.

Walker came in, did the opposite and now we create jobs, saved public workers employment and have a projected surplus as revenues have increased.

Get it yet? Public jobs are a hole, and expense and generate no additional income to the state.

Awesome.

#1 True. You did say taxable income. I overlooked that and I apologize. BUT...what you DID say is this: "I moved last year to be colser to my aging parents. Total gross recipts or the year were about 150,000$ I paid 43,000$ in for malpractice insurance, I paid 15,000 in legal bills, I had a few more deductions for moving expenses and intrest paid on my residence that totaled a bit over 10,000 and I had a tax bill of about 40,000$ --- that left me with 40,000 $ for the year."

So your claim of 50% is proven to be a) impossible in any event and b) wildly incorrect in your case. Using merely the expenses you provided (not EVEN accounting for the standard deduction or others to which you were entitled), and assuming you're single, I have a taxable income of $82,000, putting your marginal rates at 6.5% in WI and a WI liability of $5101; a marginal federal rate of 25% and liability (assuming HOH) of $15268. (The standard deduction for HOH federally in 2011 was $8500, so it would've been even less). As for my note about "car payment", it was snark to show anyone can claim they paid "50% in taxes". It fell flat.

#2: Alrighty.

#3 Surely you realize when we speak of "max tax bracket" we're referring to the income tax. Regardless, you ARE NOWHERE NEAR the max! Even using marginal rates, you paid 6.50 (WI) + 25% (Federal) + FICA (10.2% combined) + 2% = 43.7%. With FICA/MED, a LIBERAL calc gives $30373 in taxes, which is 37% of taxable income.

@ LGRAFF -

"what you see is a group of white, heterosexual, able-bodied, middle/upper class MALES telling everyone else how to live their lives"

like YOU'RE telling everyone on this post how to live THEIR lives? and "whities"? isn't that racist? also, Walker honed down collective bargaining rights - he didn't eliminate them completely. if you're gonna rant & get emotional, be factual.

Pretty racists there LGraff, but your side does like to group everyone into a little pod and race is the favorite medium.

Collective bargaining is NOT a right. Get it yet? Not a right, over and out 10-4

You can thank Doyle, the gov before Walker for the tax policy that is behind your mis guidance about her taxes.

Very simply stated and well put!

thank goodness, lol!

You chose it, whether you realized it or not, because being a teacher is a service to your community. Thank you for your sacrifice.

I agree with you Chris, one hundred percent. We all need to start acting like real adults and stop saying such hateful insulting things to one another. When I was working in the classroom, I would have never allowed the students to speak to each other that way.

An ad Hominem attack ---
ad, a preposition meaning toward or at
Hominem - 3rd declension accusitive case noun - meaning - man

An attack "toward the man" - not his argument.

An ad hominem attack is often the refuge of the intellectually bankrupt, as they can not articulate thier position strongly, or can not refute the position of the opposition. The debater will then resort to "name calling"...

Example "you're an ignoramus" -- Really? That's the best you can muster?

Can't you be a bit more creative? If you're soooo much smarter than I am couldn't you at least have plagerized somehting more profound?!?

I do desire we may be better strangers. --Shakespear (As You Like It)

You have all the characteristics of a popular politician: a horrible voice, bad breeding, and a vulgar manner." - Aristophanes

You have all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." - Winston Churchill

"I have never killed a man, but I will read your obituary with great pleasure." - Clarence Darrow

C'mon -- try harder next time.

Well, Dr., since you've provided us with choices I vote for Churchill's. I notice your post time is during working hours. Wouldn't your anger issues be more effectively dealt with by wielding one of your knives? Oh, excuse me, scalpels? I feel for your 3:00.

@mornimist
Your article offers no proof that Act 10 is not working. The teacher you site is going to another school district that is also using Act 10. Your article only proves that some school districts are to stupid to retain teachers. That is a completely different subject.

Also, at the bottom of the article where is states some of the things that needed a compromise, it list: "For example, the dress code calling for professional attire was fleshed out with more specifics". Private sector employees switch jobs all the time because they can't stand the working environment. That is what is going on in New Berlin. It is not in any way sounding a warning against Act 10.

As for the teacher leaving state, if that is a knee jerk reaction to a foolish school district, then he has more mobility then 75% of the private sector and more power to him.

I have asked 3 or 4 times in this thread for actual proof that Act 10 is failing. All I have seen is presumptions and assumptions. This article is more of the same.

Hey @J. B. Schmidt

1:14 pm on Thursday, June 14, 2012

Here is another thing from Walkerville that is NOT working!!

J. R. @jrios68 say Wisconsin unemployment numbers, going from 6.7% in April to 6.8 in May http://bit.ly/LHiU8J & #ItsNotWorking

Hey @ Morninmist

You completely ignored the fallacy in your own original post and are attempting to deflect.

Since it states we added jobs, the obvious reason for the uptick is due to how the number is generated. Unemployment only includes people looking for jobs and not those that gave up looking. Since Wisconsin has now proven to be business friendly, the number of people looking has increased. However, I am sure you were smart enough to figure that out.

Exactly Karen. They need to spend one day in the classroom to see the true impact and work a teacher does everyday to make children successful. It is a very selfless job.

@Education
Your statement, "people vote Republican if they are extremely wealthy, and/or if they are religious (against women's rights and gay rights), and/or if they are against the betterment of the society as a whole" only proves your statement, "when faced with lack of information (ignorance) we seek out knowledge, we research, we interview, observe, and ask questions until we are no longer ignorant", is something you have yet to try.

seriously, shut up. wow.

Well said Tom.

How in the world does Citizens United destroy the middle class? Do you understand the provisions of that decision? Citizens United was an organization which was prohibited from airing a film critical of Hillary Clinton after Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 911 was allowed to criticize Republicans. They took their case to the SC and won thus removing 1st Amendment restrictions on political speech by any American or American organization..

Citizens United applies equally to Corporations and Unions. This decision allowed independent entities to engage in political speech under provisions of the First Amendment, which McCain Feingold placed restrictions on.

If you look at the top 25 all time contributors to Washington politicians over the last 25 years you find that only 6 were corporations while 13 of them were national unions.

The fact is unions including the NEA (5th largest political donor over the past 25 years) have held disproportionate influence over lawmakers for the last 3 decades. This information is easily searchable on Opensecrets.org.

All one has to do to see this is look at how much money was poured into Wisconsin over the past 18 months by national unions to thwart Walkers reforms. If youre worried about the effects of Citizens United, this is what should worry you, not corporate political giving.

You're kidding right? Walker collected 30 million to run his campaign, and the county of Burnett had to hold a small dinner, and sell campaign buttons to be able to afford to buy 200 Barrett signs which cost $500.00. Super Pacs are able to collect UNLIMITED funds annonymously to run attack ads, and in Burnett county I saw hundreds of ads attacking Barrett, and ZERO attacking Walker.

Merri - The money game was equal if not slanted towards the dems. The unions spent 10s of millions prior and during the election. No one bought my vote did Barrett pay you for yours? Barrett wasn't he candidate, Falk was and she got spanked. Well so did Barrett. The entire time when the drums were being banged the songs sung, and the hate speech shouted no one on the left thought, hey, we actually need a good candidate to beat Walker!

"Recall Walker" wasn't on the ballot

Hi Merri, contrary to what mcollins and steve say below me, Mr barrett did NOT get money from the unions, all the money he collected was from ppl like u and me. Yes this election was bought by citizen united and repubs, and all the spin in the world from some here wont change that fact. when a election is called just 10 min after polls closed, u definitly smell a rat, and this one was a bif rat. conservatives can come on here all they want (freedom of speech) and spin it any way they want, but the teachers and workers of wisconsin were robbed, i will never believe that 60% of the ppl of wisconsin voted for this governor, not after collecting more than a million signatures against him. ..what is really sad is that these same repubs will be crying when the rest of our state goes into the dump and wioll blame it on any one but this governor

I agree that the state would be better off looking into Welfare fraud- they could save millions...I have worked in a low income classroom for 5 years and yet I see it all the time. Families who get free this and that but can afford drugs and alcohol and drive Escalades and own huge TV's. A lot of our money goes to supporting illegals as they come here and have children so they can collect free this and that...sad that no one looks into that... I am all for getting help from the state if you truly need it, but I don't like when people cheat the system. There are many who collect money under the table and never pay taxes...what about their fair share.

Jebidiah, Sue and Steve. I have no idea which planet you people are from, but I stood out in the cold, collected signatures, went door to door to collect more. I got more bird's flipped at me than in the whole rest of my life...and that driving in Chicago traffic.I have lived here for 20 years, and let me tell you, no one bought my vote, we got NO money from the democratic party, and no money from unions,Obama didn't think it was even necessary to visit the stateThis was a grass roots movement brought on by Walkers anti-Wisconsin in the dead of the night legislation that he saw fit to stuff down the residents throats. I personally felt it was my duty as a resident to give WI a second chance since Walker did not run on a "Union busting" "I will sell your natural resources t the highest bidder" nor "I hate kids and don't think they need health care" Platform.Unfortunately your ability to carry your big gun in your big pocket (that is most likely making up for some OTHER short comming) is more important than women and children having health care, a decent education, food, clean water and air.So we got trounced by THIRTY MILLION dollars worth of attack ads paid for by the Koch Bro's. Gogebic Taconite,The DEER Doctor and the rest of the major contributors. WISCONSIN .....the best government money can buy....Open for business and for sale. Shame on all of you that didn't take the opportunity to stand up for Wisconsin residents, and voted for more big business in our politics.

Jebidiah DEAREST, your facts and statements just don't ring true. WHY was the $30,000,000.00 collected by Walker from sources OUTSIDE the state of WI??? Why would that be do you suppose??? The figures I am seeing from Cap times states that Barrett's money came from predominantly Wisconsin residents, and in very small increments. Like I said a Grassroots effort that in hindsight was monumental as it had never happened before. We made history in the numbers of signatures obtained, and in the numbers of residents that were involved in the collection of them. Had we managed to recall Walker it again would have been history making. The fact that the Senate was regained says a lot don't you think? So it was not an all out victory for Walker, but a statement that maybe the residents are not happy about "recalls" in general. Had this been a simple election I believe he would have lost.

Simple math for the simple minded.
You collected over one million signatures. If you took the $30 that Jason claims were saved in property taxes and supported your cause, that would have been $30 million.
But Libs are too cheap to support their cause. AFSME is dying because it's members are cheap. Jason could support his kid's teacher more, but that won't happen for two reasons: 1) He is too cheap, 2) This is really about money for his teacher wife.

AMEN! I agree Dana

I'd guess you'd rather see massive layoffs Dana? That's not very nice to lay off public workers and teachers. We need teachers why do you hate them?

I never went into the teaching profession knowing the earning potential...actually I take that back...I knew it because my dad was a teacher for 33 years. He has never topped $56K with a Master's +20 and 33 years of experience. I knew that when I went into teaching, I would probably start at around $28K...which I don't consider wealthy by any means. After 5 years of college and higher education and trainings required every year, I deserve much more than the $30K I am now receiving after 5 years teaching. The people taking care of the elderly deserve much more than $11 too...this is what we are saying. The people that benefit society do not get paid enough. However, those people willing to do that work have big hearts, and are not in it for the money to begin with. Teachers are not greedy suckers out to take money from all you private sector hardworking members of society...they are teachers because they have a passion for children and education. Teaching is not a job of luxury.

Jebadiah, on one thing we agree....it IS too bad that my efforts we for naught. I don't care as I can sleep with a good conscience. I KNOW I did the right thing. Public lands being privatized is the next step as that is exactly what the Deer Doctor was hired to look into. He is a deer rancher and an MD. He is from Texas one of many states Walker went begging to acquire more than $30,000,000 to innundate WI with attack ads. When you are paying $2,000 per deer to fill your freezer you will ask yourself..."what happened?" This MD puts up high fences and then feeds the deer quite well as he is an MD, but then charges big bucks to take one. This TYPE of farming may be responsible for the recently free from CWD area suddenly coming up with a doe with CWD in the far northwestern part of the state. BTW it was never about the teachers paying part of their own health care or retirement, it was about his stripping them of their bargaining rights....BIG difference. I would suggest reading a book called The Chicago HayMarket Riots. It might enlighten you about just what all was sacrificed to FORM Unions. Another book is one called The Rich And The Rest Of US. Also very enlightening. Walker a rock star? Hardly... He is a teabagging blowhard that has no regard for Wisconsinites, and may soon follow my other former Governors from Illinois and do one term in office and one in jail where he and his co-whore-ts belong. Orange would look great on him. I just can't wait.

First I am NOT now nor have I ever had the opportunity to even JOIN a union. Therefore I hardly support their agenda. I do live in this state, I do my homework, and I have found that the pools left behind by G.T. are bright orange...I SAW them, and personally I don't want to look like Snookie after swimming in them. I also don't want to glow in the dark. Second Dr. Kroll the Texas Deer Czar is alive and well, and was hired by Walker for 125,000 to look into the probability of fensing in our public lands for deer farming. Privatizing our public lands. If we had redwoods, they would be coming under the ax. Relaxing WI standards which were previously better than the ones proposed by the EPA. WE in WI care about our Natural Resources. In my part of the state it is just about all we have actually. Except for an abundance of redneckwhitesoxblueribbonbeer individuals that don't have more than 2 brain cells to rub together. Barrett was not my candidate. He is just the dude that won the primary. I voted for Vinehout. I didn't care for Falk because she was just TOO wrapped up in the "Union thing" nope I worked to get rid of Scotty (read koch ho) Walker for a whole different set of reasons as actually if you look....there are enough of them to go around, so me and 1.2 million others couldn't all be wrong. Like I said, had it been a regular election I think those that objected to the recall in general would have had a different "X" on their ballot.

Dear M. Collins, you are so full of it your eyes are brown. These are the tactics Walker uses to tell lies to his constituents. Perhaps you might like to share in his orange jumpsuit too? I sincerely hope Walker goes as has 3 other Governors have gone in Illinois.....one term in office and one in jail. Out and out lies and distortions don't make for a good argument. 3/4 of Walkers funds came from out of state interests,,,,,interests that are very very interested in our natural resources. 3 or4 million from WISCONSINITES doesn't compare to the 30 million walker collected most from out of state. MONEY WON...admit it and get over it. CORPORATIONS ARE NOT THE PEOPLE!!!

@merri - "orange jumpsuit"? do you know something we don't know? you have no clue if Walker will a) get indicted or b) serve any time regarding the John Doe issue. insinuating that he will is irresponsible. until he is indicted and serves time, please keep you opinions and guesses to yourself. that goes for anyone else. perhaps Walker will get indicted. who knows? until that time arrives, you know nothing. and what if Walker escapes indictment? we will be blessed with you comments apologizing for insinuating such?

@M - no comparison 8-1 spending advantage for Walker.

I'm scrolling from bottom to top, how much more of this 8-1 spending BS do you think I will find?

@M : once again look at the facts - 8-1 spending advantage. The election was bought.

You were too cheap to support your cause, plain and simple.

propaganda is not a fact and the more you type it does not make it true.

@M - once again get he facts. 8-1 spending advantage by Walker. He bought the election and you fell for it.

funny how people keep saying Walker bought the recall election. had Barrett won, you'd all be saying, "see, Walker's monies couldn't buy the election". why is money inconsequential THEN but because Walker won, money is the crux? Barrett had out-of-state-monies but because Walker had more, Walker's in the wrong. when the recall effort was set into place, you all knew that by law Walker was free to raise as much money as he wanted. what - are you telling me no me there was no union monies (including out-of-state monies) to help support Barrett and the recall effort. blah, blah, blah. just admit you're all pissed Walker beat back Barrett and you're all sitting around like vultures waiting for the prospect of Walker being indicted. admit it and we can go on.

No one paid me for my vote, are you paid for your Drive?

Money was equal, unions dumped 10s of millions into these recalls. Lay off MSNBC for a bit, the brainwashing is taking hold.

The 1933 Hitler connection, you're a moron.

Greg, YOU voted for Walker against your own best interests, but *** I *** am the moron??? Keep that VERY BIG GUN close by honey bun cause ya got nothin elsewhere!

You are a moron for the Hitler reference.

Yep, you're pretty much a moron Merri

Walker, gov for as long as he wants. Thanks for the mandate and turning this state from Blue to Red

Merri, don't be discouraged by the likes of Greg and especially Steve. They are ruining our state and our country. I read a very interesting article recently from the UK, actually, and it made the point that a democracy cannot exist in today's dumbed-down society because the majority of people no longer have the ability to think logically and vote for the best candidate. Arguing with these idiots is therefore, unfortunately, pointless. They are EXACTLY the type that the Republican party counts on for support. Then people like us, who are educated and are able to see the big picture try to enlighten our misguided neighbors and they don't trust us. Don't trust US? What do we have to gain? But they trust Walker/Bush/Cheney/Mitt? WHAT??!!??!! Oh my GOD!!! REALLY??? It's so deeply disturbing to me that I could just about rip my hair out. I cannot believe how dumb people are! They are being manipulated by expert manipulators who do not give one SHIT about them, their state or their country. They only care about the money and how to keep it for themselves and their rich buddies. We try to look out for those who are unable to do it for themselves and we get spit at by people like Greg and Steve. Meanwhile, my grandchildren will have to live with the consequences of their moronic choices. And they have the audacity to call you a moron? They haven't got a CLUE!!!

@M: ONCE AGAIN YOU SPEW FALSHOODS. WALKER OUTSPENT BARRETT 8-1. Facts please M.

The state of WI has spoken, and HALF of the people either don't like recalls period, or think Walker is doing an adequate job, or have something against Barrett, or are allowing their spouse to bully them into voting for Walker because they don't want to stop carrying their brand spankin new gun, or because they honestly think that if Gogebic Taconite comes to WI head waters to destroy our wetlands that they will poof get a great job using heavy equipment to rape the landscape, or maybe they think teachers ard the devil incarnate, but WI actually also consists of a whole lot of people who think he is an uneducated lout out to pay back his campaign contributors by relaxing our pollution standards, striping unions of bargaining rights, waging war on women and children including their health care and education, and becoming the teaparties new poster boy to get rid of the "nigga" in office. There, I said it.

@SEAN: paying the teachers union? What in blazes are you talking about? Teachers pay union dues out of their salaries. Look- when a unionized plumber comes to fix your pipes , some of money you pay them goes to their union dues. It's part of their salary. Do you object to that man? Regardless - teachers can opt out of unions now and have no representation if sued. A great majority of teacher have opted in and continue to pay their UNION DUES OUT OF THEIR SALARIES. YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT MAN?

The taxpayers were paying the unions. WEA Trust is a company that is owned by the teacher's union and they were ripping-off the taxpayers and funding those that allowed them to rip us off. They got greedy and they got caught.

@JEB- BTW- We see seniority rules in private and public sectors. Why do yiu think they have seniority rules JEB?

@JEB- ANOTHER FALACY. The best teachers I know belong to unions and have enjoyed seniority for years. That seniority no longer exists so a moot point but the truth is - school districts who respect teachers and their skills honed over years of experience are doing everything in their power to retain them. They unlike the NB school district and perhaps this one know the value of experience.

Today's teachers unfortunately can't decide whether they are tradesmen or professionals. All the education they claim to have apparently doesn't impart the skill (or desire apparently) to negotiate their own deal based on their own track record of success. In a sane world the best teachers will command the highest salaries, but what union collective bargaining has achieved is made it virtually impossible to get rid of horrible teachers. In the world excellence is rewarded with higher compensation. There is no such motivator in teaching hence no motivation to be excellent. No motivation to think outside the box with a brilliant breakthrough, and no demotivators for failure. Show up, don't murder or molest anyone (altho the unions will STILL fight for you if you do) and your career and retirement is largely assured in a way no ones is in the private sector.

I agree that good teachers don't make enough. Thats because money they should get is going to the mediocre ones for just staying around long enough. What's amusing about this point is that I've made it to teachers before and more often than not they come back telling me they don't know any bad ones! Of course not, everyone gets a medal in their outcome based world. Theyre all special.

@JEB: all teacher must make a choice to belong to a union or not. That is the law. They are not forced to join a union. Enough said.

Gosh, we have the same thing at my shop and we don't have to fund the Democrats.

I'm so hungry
I haven't had a lunch break in years let's all unionize!

@Jeff- and CB is gone. So no more complaints right? BTW- all those perks you saw resulted from CB. Slowly you will see those benefits erode as corporations seek more profits.

@Drive to 24. wrong, collective bargaining is not gone - it was pared down. also, do you know for a fact that "slowly you will see those benefits erode..."? no - you don't. you think you know but you don't. not interested in what you think will happen.

@jeb: you're dead wrong on the dues. The teacher who chooses not to donate keeps does not pay. No charity- they get to keep it for whatever they want. Teachers have to make a conscious effort to pay union dues. No more fare share. So you now have teachers who don't belong to the union who will reap the measly monitary benefits but if they are sued will not have access to lawyers paid by WEAC.

Many Repubs vote against their best interests. In many cases they are daddy or hubby Repubs. Can't think for themselves.

Explain how Barrett could be viewed as someone's best interest. He didn't have a platform. He is a 3 time lost cause. Just a throw-away vote.
A vote for Governor Walker was based on facts, a vote for Barrett was based on emotion.

Vikki I totally agree with you whole heartedly! My favorite post on FB was that "ANY WOMAN THAT VOTES FOR WALKER SHOULD HAVE HER BOOBS REPOSESSED! For God SAKES I feel like I am swimming in Evangelicals, and now that my own religion (Catholic) has jumped on the band wagon I am totally disenchanted with any sort of organized religion. People need to keep their religion out of my state and their politics out of my science. Love thy neighbor....unless it is that gay couple over there, or that mulsim family, or that black dude...what a bunch of hypocrites! Making badger care unaffordable for who? Most women with children. Striping our educators of their rights to collective bargaining, and WHO are those educators....mostly women. Violence against women act is not necessary??? Are you kidding??? And women doing the exact same job as a man and being paid less for it can't sue??? More "women need to know their place" bull crap. I see it everywhere I go in this neck of the woods. Bravo to the woman who ran her husband over because he was trying to stop her from voting in the primary because as he said "she was going to vote for one of THOSE WOMEN" Wake up people and smell the coffee and not that tainted tea!

So Merri Ann, did you vote for Rebecca Kleefisch or the evil MAN that was trying to take her job?
"And women doing the exact same job as a man and being paid less for it can't sue???" They can't? Really? Sounds like you drank the lefty Kool-Aid.

@greg: say what?

The author of this blog sits at home and makes up this amusing satire, while his teacher wife brings home the bacon. You really didn't think that this was about "the kids" did you? Sucker.

Based on exit polls? The same exit polls that had the election at a dead heat, until it was called in record time. Obama can count on that.
What does "the recall is over" mean? Why are you here spouting off then?

The recall election was a referendum on Act 10, as was the Prosser election. Act 10 is working and Governor Walker is a great leader that signed it into law.

Yep, are you retarded? Do you use "Republs" because you are retarded? Are you bored because you are retarded?

Bringing home the bacon has nothing top do with Governor Walker, it is a working thing, so I don't expect you to understand. Let me see if I can explain. It is like an entitlement for people with jobs. It is an expression for earning a living, a concept that is foreign to you.

Not my fault, most of my High School English teachers were morons. Jason, the author, is the one that claims his blogs are satire. In fact, in his last blog, he pointed out that we were too stupid to recognize it. Hence my comment.

Fact-You were too cheap. Barrett could only raise $3 million? You had 1 million recall petition signers, that's $3 each. But almost NONE of the money came from the signers, it came from the unions. So the fact is that you were too cheap to support your cause.

OMG....why do you people (@Drive to 24) keep repeating yourselves. big money won the election??? so if Walker had lost would you say that Walker's big money didn't help him? sure you would. so how is big money a factor then in Walker's win? whose fault is it that Barrett didn't raise more money? had Barrett raised more money, the money issue wouldn't be - an issue. Walker was within his legal rights to raise as much money as he wanted. how much was contributed to Barrett's campaign - and the recall effort - by unions and unions and special interest groups outside of WI? just because Walker got more money, he's the bad guy and his money bought the election.....i'm cracking up here. you and others like you have an answer for everything. everything. and you don't listen cause you keep repeating the same arguments, which makes me have to type the same rebuttals.

Jeff, prior to the supreme courts decision "Citizens United" a person could only contribute a relatively small amount of money to any campaign. Post Citizens United, one can give unlimited amounts of money. Be it Unions, huge multinational corporations it is all the same. OBSCENE amounts of money were spent by huge corporations, and some also from Unions who actually don't give money per se, but they do solicit EXTRA funds for specific causes, and in this case the recall. (My own husband gave money to the recall via HIS union UAW) He was aware of where the money would go and that was why he donated it. Huge corporations are NOT people. If they are supposed to BE people, where is their birth certificate? Silly I know, but the point is that here we are about to see thousands of women and children kicked off of badger care, but 30 million was not too much to spend to keep Walker in office? I worked the recall from the signatures all the way through the phone calling. I am a WI citizen, I am not union, and quite frankly of the 50 of so people I worked very closely with during this recall NONE were from out of state, and only about 4 were union members. The teachers in the area would not be caught dead standing like we did on the street corners in the cold waiting for people to stop and sign. They would have been chastised at work for doing so. My point, get ALL this huge cash flow OUT OF POLITICS. Overturn Citizens United. Screw Unions and Corporations alike.

@merri ann - i AGREE. overturn Citizens United. corporations are not individuals. but until then, it's the law and NO ONE can say whether or not Walker would've won or lost had he and Barrett had the same amount of money to campaign with. no one can read those tea leaves.

jeb, Government sector employees no longer have to pay dues, if the choose not to. They can use the money to offset the amount they pay towards their health and pension benefits.
Collective bargaining was being abused and was costing the taxpayers too much. The Government sector employees would really be calling foul if the Legislature would have taken the lay-off path, rather than Act 10. Collective bargaining was really about union control versus local control.

Jeb you are wrong again. It totally depends on the school in question. I have 4 teachers that teach in local schools that I know personally and here in the NW corner, the teachers are not allowed to have their union dues collected by having it taken out of their checks first of all, and second of all the teachers are ALL walking around on eggs.There is absolutely ZERO politics allowed in the school even in the break room.The teachers are being threatened by the administration that they will be fired on the spot if they even bring up the subject.They are meeting at one anothers houses to try to figure out their next step, but many of the better teachers are fed up because they lost their tenure, and they truly voted with their feet. They are moving out of the state because of being stripped of their bargaining rights, took a pay cut, are paying a lot more for their benefits, and are feel more appreciated in their new positions. Those that stayed the year out will not be going back. The schools are putting ads in the papers now for the fall. It is a huge mess here. Finding qualified teachers is not that easy. I have no idea what you are talking about with tate and Zalinski. I do my own research. I wadded through the law that was being proposed by Gogebic Taconite, and the KNOWN pollution elements are mentioned right there in the law. They truly wanted to make it smooth sailing with no compensation for any destruction. It was an authorless bill . No one claimed it.

http://news.yahoo.com/record-california-school-districts-financial-jeopardy-213823872.html

@merri ann - good...teachers shouldn't be talking politics at school. do it outside the work area. and you repeat yourself. you go on and on and on. i told you this before - teachers weren't stripped (completely) of their collective bargaining powers. they were pared down. also - it's not a right. if it were, i'd have collective bargaining rights. everyone would. it's a job perk.

Leftys don't care about women or anything else. They work strictly on emotion because they have no facts to back their cause. They say that they support teachers, they don't. Their policies would have caused massive teacher lay-offs, like in the California link above. They want power, union power, taxpayer funded union power...Nothing else.

OK, who was in charge of the DNR when the dumping occurred? I dare you to find out. http://dailyunion.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=110&ArticleID=11752
This looks like another witch hunt to me.

Cathy Stepp was the secretary that saw fit to give a slap on the wrist. Did you even read the article?

Not the question. Answer the question, I dare you.

So you are OK with spreading 5 million pounds of untreated sewage on farmfields near the homes in Jefferson County? Would you have checked their wells then?

How about Barrett dumping raw Sewage in Lake Michigan? You know the dumping killed a bunch of HIV+ people in the mid nineties? Cryptosporidium can be deadly to the immunocompromised. What has mayor Barrett done to fix this?

Well said Merri.

No, I am not OK with Cathy Stepp allowing this 300% of allowable amount of human waste to be dumped on a field jeopardizing all those wells, and I absolutely would have had the well tested, however when she states that there is no way of knowing should the well come up "tainted" WHO did the polluting. I would think that the history of the HERR corporation would play a role in pointing a finger, but when as Walker has done you relax the previously more stringent than the EPA rules you will get more pollution. I just can't wait till you all are out there fishing with billowing clouds of soap suds as has been seen in some Illinois rivers. You people deserve what ELSE Walker has in store for you. For many years it has been BASH THE MEXICANS. THEY are the reason there are no jobs, THEY are the reason for a poor economy etc etc etc. Now it is the TEACHERS. You people will fall for anything. YOU go do stoop labor practically standing on your head picking radishes in the fields for 12 hours in the hot sun for peanuts. Some states had crops rot in the fields because of very stringent immigration standards, and all the ads in the world produced NO AMERICAN WORKERS willing to do the task. Same with teachers. Do you WANT to teach your own privledged, spoiled rotten brats? These people you dis'd are dedicated and feel they can make a difference and you just treated them like third class citizens. They ahve the most important job in the state teaching the future generation.