Unrest has broken out in Madison, Wisconsin as Big Labor seeks to stop legislation that would curtail the unprecedented levels of power that left-wing labor groups have wielded in the state for far too long.
From the AFL-CIO to the DNC, Wisconsin has turned into ground-zero for the fight against Big Labor and the devastation that union’s cast on taxpayers and state budgets. The DNC is providing aid and comfort to the unions involved, according to Ben Smith at Politico:
The Democratic National Committee’s Organizing for America arm — the remnant of the 2008 Obama campaign — is playing an active role in organizing protests against Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s attempt to strip most public employees of collective bargaining rights.
OfA, as the campaign group is known, has been criticized at times for staying out of local issues like same-sex marraige, but it’s riding to the aide of the public sector unions who hoping to persuade some Republican legislators to oppose Walker’s plan. And while Obama may have his difference with teachers unions, OfA’s engagement with the fight — and Obama’s own clear stance against Walker — mean that he’s remaining loyal to key Democratic Party allies at what is, for them, a very dangerous moment.
OfA Wisconsin’s field efforts include filling buses and building turnout for the rallies this week in Madison, organizing 15 rapid response phone banks urging supporters to call their state legislators, and working on planning and producing rallies, a Democratic Party official in Washington said.
The @OFA_WI twitter account has published 54 tweets promoting the rallies, which the group has also plugged on its blog.
“At a time when most folks are still struggling to get back on their feet, Gov. Walker has asked the state legislature to strip public employees of their collective bargaining rights. Under his plan, park rangers, teachers, and prison guards would no longer be able to fight back if the new Republican majority tries to slash their health benefits or pensions,” OfA Wisconsin State Director Dan Grandone wrote supporters in an email. “But that’s not even the most shocking part: The governor has also put the state National Guard on alert in case of ‘labor unrest.’ We can’t — and won’t — let Scott Walker’s heavy-handed tactics scare us. This Tuesday and Wednesday, February 15th and 16th, volunteers will be attending rallies at the state
The situation has spun so far out of control that all of the Wisconsin State Senate Democrats have fled the state. Many think they are seeking “asylum”, if you will, in Illinois (no surprise that they would run to this den of communists). Without at least 1 Senate Democrat present, the State Senate won’t have quorum and is unable to consider Governor Scott Walker’s proposal to curtail the fat-cat labor unions.
If anything, the Democrats fleeing the State shows just how uncommitted they are to getting the State’s finances under control.
Not only have Senate Democrats effectively shut down the State Senate, but Big Labor has shut down many public schools in Madison. Many teachers called in sick so that they could go protest Governor Walker’s proposal at the state capitol.
How ironic is it that the very people that feel they need more taxpayer money would deprive taxpayers that are already paying a princely sum to these Big Labor leeches of their child’s education. Disgusting.
The DNC and the AFL-CIO should be ashamed of what they are doing in Madison. If anyone needed evidence of the greed that Big Labor has towards government coffers, let the situation in Madison be your example.
