Monday, March 14, 2011

Victory in WI...For Now

VICTORY IN WISCONSIN...FOR NOW

By DICK MORRIS & EILEEN MCGANN
(emphases mine)
DickMorris.com March 11, 2011

Governor Scott Walker and the courageous Senate Republicans have struck a massive blow for "education reform" and quality schools by their passage of the restrictions on collective bargaining. Now it will be possible, in Wisconsin, to limit teacher tenure -- discharging bad ones and promoting good ones. Merit pay, rewarding great teachers with big salaries, will follow. And, should layoffs be needed, we will be able to keep our best teachers regardless of seniority.

Nationally, Walker's courage impairs the power of the teachers union and undermines the stranglehold it has on our politics. His initiatives, we hope, will spread throughout the nation.

But all will hinge on the coming recall elections. It now appears likely that the Democratic Senators will never return to the State Capitol in Madison. They will probably not return to allow passage of the rest of Walker's program, but will focus instead on their efforts to recall the Republican Senators and Governor Walker himself.

In turn, the Republicans will file recall petitions against the absent Democratic State Senators who have been AWOL throughout. Sometime between July and October, the recall elections will be held and we will see who wins.

Thus, in effect, Wisconsin is going to put the issue to a statewide referendum through the device of recall elections.

The balance of Walker's program - still held in abeyance - seeks to make state workers pay more for health insurance and pensions, force the union to collect its dues rather than see them deducted automatically, and cap collective bargaining agreements at the rate of inflation.

The course of the recall elections will determine the fate of his proposals and the future of such movements across America.

The stakes could not be higher.

We plan an all-out effort to win these recall elections decisively and to drive from office the absentee Democratic legislators. We will work hard to help the Republicans and reward them for their courage in standing up for our children in the face of the teachers unions.

If we win in Wisconsin, we will break the back of the teachers union and the entire municipal employee labor structure which has dominated state and local government for decades. The financial base of the left wing of the Democratic Party will be in tatters.

But if we lose, other governors will shy away from the confrontation and the union domination of our schools and local governments will continue, sapping educational quality.

At stake is our ability to hold bad teachers accountable, promote good ones, layoff based on merit not seniority, and to let parents choose the school they want.

We will be back in touch to suggest ways to donate to help. We'll also be urging people to travel to Wisconsin to volunteer in person to save our schools from the grip of rapacious union bosses.
~~
The stakes could not be higher.

Stay tuned.
~~~

8 comments:

Elm said...

The news media makes me sick. They manage to show the striking teachers in a "poor employee being abused by the system" light. They have had it made! 5

Susannah said...

Elm~ Hi & welcome! You're right, it's all about manipulation w/ the MSM. Frankly, I'm tired of being manipulated...Come on back sometime & stay a while!

Anonymous said...

We are facing the same things here in Indiana.Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma is talking about impeachment proceedings against our AWOL DemocRats.

Always On Watch said...

If America doesn't, as a whole, put a stop to the grip of unions, particularly those unions with public employees as members, we will lose our republic!

Trekkie4Ever said...

Were you also aware that many of these teachers were making six figure salaries by lying about sick leave and over-time. No joke. And the union bosses are making a killing.

Proud of the Republicans!

Jim said...

"Were you also aware that many of these teachers were making six figure salaries by lying about sick leave and over-time."

Can you provide some kind of source for that "information"?

How would a teacher make "overtime"? Teachers paid hourly? And how would a teacher accumulate sick time in such a way to be paid tens of thousands of dollars?

Doesn't seem logical, does it? Source?

Susannah said...

Fuzz! The people of WI & IN should not tolerate their elected officials being deliberately derelict in their sworn duties. Impeach, indeed.

AOW~ We're losing it as fast as we can...Heaven help us!

Leticia~ I'm very proud of them too. Walker & Co. took on one of the most powerful forces in America today, & didn't back down.

And yes, those teachers showed us who they were when they splashed getting "doctor's notes" for absence all over the media.

Jim~ See my next post for more info about gov't union/worker salaries.

Thanks for the comments, all!

Susannah said...

Sorry, Jim~ Have to save that WI post for another day. I have a much more interesting one to do first.