cucumber,
No matter what the situations is or who is right, the Democratic legislators are obstructing democracy with their strike. (Read more here http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/article.php?p=85397) While the Republicans also engaged in such methods of preventing quorums (including Abraham Lincoln – while he was a member of the Whig Party in the Illinois House and, most recently in 1988, in the US Senate), it wasn’t on a vote pertaining to a budget which creates chaos. It is interesting to note that when the GOP shut down the government in 1995 after multiple vetoes from President Clinton and in an attempt to balance the budget (which they did – the first time in 30 years!), they were demonized by the media and eventually lost the gains they made in the midterms. Yet, when lawmakers in Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan (soon to come – New York and New Jersey) obstruct a government from being effective – they get a free ride with bashing those seeking to balance the budget.
We must also highlight the difference in quorums that were prevented in the past (involving both parties) and those of today. It has become a phenomenon. Instead of governing, they flee (without basic explanations of flaws they see in the bill). It’s like the domino effect of the Middle East, one man burned himself and the entire region is engulfed in protests – one legislative body decided to play the sore-loser game and the rest followed. However, while those in the Middle East and Africa do it to promote democracy, these legislators do it to protect tyranny and special interests. While those civilians voice their opposition to the evil dictators that oppress them, these elitists are here to quiet down the voice of the mainstream people.
If you want to know why unions are no good for a state budget, look at Indiana. Six years ago, Governor Mitch Daniels did the same thing that Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is proposing for Wisconsin – the outcome? A balanced budget and AAA bond ratings. It isn’t a partisan fight. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is trying to do the same (as is California Governor – former tax and spend liberal – Jerry Brown). Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) slammed President Obama for his failure to lead on the budget. Debt is not good for anyone even those that are public employees that are members in a union. Read former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney’s Opinion in the Boston Herald today about the threat of lingering debt. Think of it: less economic growth equals less tax revenue which means less benefits for public employees. Of course you might say that a government never runs out of money; well, look at California that had to issue IOU checks in return for work.
Unions do not negotiate on behalf of the workers – rather on behalf of their leaders. It is the bonuses they earn and the deals they make that drives them. They understand that an effective and capable teacher should stay longer than the one teaching for ages with low average grades. They understand that private workers earn less and do a better job; yet, they seem to be selfish on the taxpayers’ account. This is wrong and must be stopped. It was FDR, a Democrat, that warned against public employee unions. Today, we should heed to his warning and limit their rights in order to make government effective again.
We should note that Governor Walker campaigned with a platform to limit public unions, hence their strong support to his opponent and Democrats in general. He’s doing what the people elected him to do and is doing it faithfully. Liberals like Charlie Hall (and his sources at DailyKos) can try to distort things, but facts remain facts. We know that they oppose all of the bill they just decided on a culprit to demonized those trying to balance budgets and it was Walker and collective bargaining rights.