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Date Posted: Friday, February 18, 07:11:00am
Author: Dave Zitzkat
Subject: Time to go after the Teacher's Union -Emulate Wisconsin

State Democrats absent for vote as Wisconsin budget protests swellBy the CNN Wire Staff
February 18, 2011 6:51 a.m. EST
Teachers protest at state capitalSTORY HIGHLIGHTS
"Cheesehead" rally is scheduled for New York
Madison school district cancels classes for third straight day
16 Wisconsin state senators did not appear at the Capitol for a scheduled vote
Opponents say the governor's budget is a union-busting tactic
For local coverage of this story, go to CNN affiliates WREX and WTVO.

(CNN) -- Wisconsin state senators are expected to reconvene Friday as lawmakers wrangled over a bill that would strip teachers and other public employees of most of their collective bargaining rights and cut their benefits.

Meanwhile, a self-described "nationwide grassroots movement dedicated to creating ... jobs" will hold a "cheesehead" rally in New York on Friday to show support for Wisconsin workers.

"Let's show our support for workers in Wisconsin, New York and across the USA!" said a statement from the Job Party, which plans to march near CNN, NBC and Fox along 6th Avenue in Manhattan.

In Madison, Wisconsin, where the nation's most visible budget battle was taking place, the public debate was heavy on passion, but light on legislative attendance Thursday.

Republican Gov. Scott Walker called for 16 senators -- 14 of them Democrats -- to appear at the Capitol in Wisconsin for a vote on his bill. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said the chamber will reconvene Friday.

Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller said he and fellow Democrats had left Madison because they were "trying to allow opportunity for democracy to work."



Dems flee, slow 'microwave legislation'

Wisconsin budget crisis

Teachers under the budget ax

Heated budget protest in Wisconsin
RELATED TOPICS
Madison (Wisconsin)
Scott Walker
State Budgets
"We will return and do our job, but the governor has to do his job," Miller said. He noted their return is contingent on changes to the controversial legislation.

Walker called on the absent lawmakers to return to Madison "out of respect for the institution of the Legislature and the democratic process."

"Their actions by leaving the state and hiding from voting are disrespectful to the hundreds of thousands of public employees who showed up to work today and the millions of taxpayers they represent," Walker said.

CNN affiliates WREX and WTVO reported that several of the missing lawmakers fled to Rockford, Illinois.

And while the legislators skipped town, thousands of people came to Madison to protest the bill for a third day, including many teachers, who stand to be strongly affected by the bill. Demonstrators spilled into the state's Capitol building, chanting, "This is our house" and "Forward not backward," voicing their opposition to the bill.

The Madison Metropolitan School District canceled classes for the third day Friday, because of anticipated staff absences.

Showdowns over local and state budgets -- hurt by lower tax revenues and other trends of the economic downturn, including federal budget cuts -- are occurring from California to New York.

"There are some tough decisions that are going to have to made on the revenue side and the spending side," said Elizabeth McNichol, senior fellow at the Washington-based Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

-- A month after Illinois lawmakers approved a massive tax hike, Gov. Pat Quinn on Wednesday unveiled a $35.4 billion budget that depends on state lawmakers approving $8.7 billion in new borrowing largely to clear a towering stack of unpaid bills.

-- In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg presented budget plans Thursday that could eliminate more than 6,000 teaching jobs in the next fiscal year.

-- Last month, the mayor of crime-ridden Camden, New Jersey, announced layoffs of nearly half of the city's police force and close to a third of its fire department.

-- In California, Gov. Jerry Brown imposed a statewide hiring freeze across all government agencies.

Thirty-five U.S. states and Puerto Rico reported projected budget shortfalls for fiscal year 2012 totaling $82.1 billion, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The budget battle is somewhat unique in heavily unionized Wisconsin, where collective bargaining began. Many workers don't take kindly to what they see as a frontal assault on workers' rights.

Walker, who says the state is in a crisis, is asking legislators to pass his Budget Repair Bill to combat a $137 million shortfall through June 30. An upcoming two-year budget for 2011-13 must address a pending $3.6 billion deficit, he said.

But the state's Legislative Fiscal Bureau -- similar to the federal government's Congressional Budget Office -- reported last month that tax cuts passed late last year by Wisconsin's newly-elected, Republican-led legislature had helped add more than $200 million to the state's budget shortfall.

The legislation requires workers to cover more of their health care premiums and pension contributions, although supporters say local governments will decide on health care contribution for their employees.

The legislation also requires collective bargaining units to conduct annual votes to maintain certification, a costly procedure, and eliminates the right of unions to have dues deducted from worker paychecks.



State Democrats absent for vote as Wisconsin budget protests swellBy the CNN Wire Staff
February 18, 2011 6:51 a.m. EST

16 Wisconsin state senators did not appear at the Capitol for a scheduled vote


Opponents say the governor's budget is a union-busting tactic
For local coverage of this story, go to CNN affiliates WREX and WTVO.

(CNN) -- Wisconsin state senators are expected to reconvene Friday as lawmakers wrangled over a bill that would strip teachers and other public employees of most of their collective bargaining rights and cut their benefits.

Meanwhile, a self-described "nationwide grassroots movement dedicated to creating ... jobs" will hold a "cheesehead" rally in New York on Friday to show support for Wisconsin workers.

"Let's show our support for workers in Wisconsin, New York and across the USA!" said a statement from the Job Party, which plans to march near CNN, NBC and Fox along 6th Avenue in Manhattan.

In Madison, Wisconsin, where the nation's most visible budget battle was taking place, the public debate was heavy on passion, but light on legislative attendance Thursday.

Republican Gov. Scott Walker called for 16 senators -- 14 of them Democrats -- to appear at the Capitol in Wisconsin for a vote on his bill. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said the chamber will reconvene Friday.

Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller said he and fellow Democrats had left Madison because they were "trying to allow opportunity for democracy to work."



Dems flee, slow 'microwave legislation'

Wisconsin budget crisis

Teachers under the budget ax

Heated budget protest in Wisconsin
RELATED TOPICS
Madison (Wisconsin)
Scott Walker
State Budgets
"We will return and do our job, but the governor has to do his job," Miller said. He noted their return is contingent on changes to the controversial legislation.

Walker called on the absent lawmakers to return to Madison "out of respect for the institution of the Legislature and the democratic process."

"Their actions by leaving the state and hiding from voting are disrespectful to the hundreds of thousands of public employees who showed up to work today and the millions of taxpayers they represent," Walker said.

CNN affiliates WREX and WTVO reported that several of the missing lawmakers fled to Rockford, Illinois.

And while the legislators skipped town, thousands of people came to Madison to protest the bill for a third day, including many teachers, who stand to be strongly affected by the bill. Demonstrators spilled into the state's Capitol building, chanting, "This is our house" and "Forward not backward," voicing their opposition to the bill.

The Madison Metropolitan School District canceled classes for the third day Friday, because of anticipated staff absences.

Showdowns over local and state budgets -- hurt by lower tax revenues and other trends of the economic downturn, including federal budget cuts -- are occurring from California to New York.

"There are some tough decisions that are going to have to made on the revenue side and the spending side," said Elizabeth McNichol, senior fellow at the Washington-based Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

-- A month after Illinois lawmakers approved a massive tax hike, Gov. Pat Quinn on Wednesday unveiled a $35.4 billion budget that depends on state lawmakers approving $8.7 billion in new borrowing largely to clear a towering stack of unpaid bills.

-- In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg presented budget plans Thursday that could eliminate more than 6,000 teaching jobs in the next fiscal year.

-- Last month, the mayor of crime-ridden Camden, New Jersey, announced layoffs of nearly half of the city's police force and close to a third of its fire department.

-- In California, Gov. Jerry Brown imposed a statewide hiring freeze across all government agencies.

Thirty-five U.S. states and Puerto Rico reported projected budget shortfalls for fiscal year 2012 totaling $82.1 billion, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The budget battle is somewhat unique in heavily unionized Wisconsin, where collective bargaining began. Many workers don't take kindly to what they see as a frontal assault on workers' rights.

Walker, who says the state is in a crisis, is asking legislators to pass his Budget Repair Bill to combat a $137 million shortfall through June 30. An upcoming two-year budget for 2011-13 must address a pending $3.6 billion deficit, he said.

But the state's Legislative Fiscal Bureau -- similar to the federal government's Congressional Budget Office -- reported last month that tax cuts passed late last year by Wisconsin's newly-elected, Republican-led legislature had helped add more than $200 million to the state's budget shortfall.

The legislation requires workers to cover more of their health care premiums and pension contributions, although supporters say local governments will decide on health care contribution for their employees.

The legislation also requires collective bargaining units to conduct annual votes to maintain certification, a costly procedure, and eliminates the right of unions to have dues deducted from worker paychecks.

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