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Subscribe to RSSNBC’s John Yang reports: From off-camera, background conversations with Senate Republicans and Assembly Democrats in Madison, it appears that the political forces at work on both sides in the budget standoff do not favor any sort of resolution much before April 4, when Gov. Scott Walker's (R) layoffs would take effect.
While there are indications that the resolve of some Senate Democrats -- who expected their foray into Illinois would last only a few days at the most -- may be wavering, they are under great political pressure from the unions to stay away as long as possible. They are also resolved to act as a unit, so that no one Democrat can be singled out as the 20th senator who provided the quorum that allowed passage of Walker's budget bill. At the same time, though, they don't want to cause any state worker to be laid off, so it's likely they'll return and face the inevitable before the layoffs take effect on April 4.
The Senate Republicans, meanwhile, appear to be set in stone because of internal bicameral politics. Senate Republicans have a history of compromising after their colleagues in the Assembly take tough, politically difficult votes -- like on Walker's budget bill. Before passing the budget bill, Assembly Republicans sought assurances from their Senate counterparts that they would pass the bill without amendments. And, so far, the Senate Republicans appear to be united. But some Senate Republicans are frustrated with the way Walker has sold the bill to the public, saying he hasn't done enough to make what they see as the link between collective bargaining and bloated public spending.
They also might be further frustrated by the results of this poll: By a 65%-33% margin, Wisconsin residents want Walker to compromise on the current standoff, according to a poll conducted by the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, the Wisconsin State Journal reports. Walker’s approval rating is 43%-53%, with 45% strongly disapproving. (The poll was conducted Feb. 27 to March 1, the day Walker gave his budget address.) (Here’s the full poll.)
“The leader of the 14 Wisconsin Senate Democrats who left the state last month to block legislation that would curb public-employee union rights said yesterday the senators plan to return ‘in the relatively near future,’” the New York Post writes.
Filmmaker Michael Moore was protesting in Wisconsin. He said that the protesters "aroused a sleeping giant" in the national fight for workers' rights. “Police estimated the crowd at 30,000 to 40,000, less than the past two Saturdays,” the Wisconsin State Journal writes.
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Wow, 30,000 to 40,000, that's almost the entire population of my town. That's alot of people to be out protesting, and, from my experience, there alot more people who feel the same way but who are loathe to stand outside shouting "Hi hey hey! Hi Ho! Union busting has got to go!" I went to plenty of protests during the Bush administration, and believe me, I'd rather have been someplace warm and dry.
I heard the crowd was more like 50,000, and it looked that way from the footage I saw. What will be totally amazing, will be the crowds that appear when the state senators come back. God help Walker if he tries to force them back like political prisoners.
I'd say his 15 minutes of fame are just about up. He underestimated completely if he thought that Wisconsin workers would just lie back and take it, or that Wisconsin people weren't smart enough to see through this.
Anna - notice how the electorate in Ohio just 'rolled over' and let Gov. Kasich pass a bill that basically guts collective bargaining?
That is what was expected in WI. There is a concerted effort to do this in a few more states as well. The Dems made a SERIOUS miscalculation when they ceded the statehouses to the Republicans (my opinion). The DNC is ineffective and did NOT do their best to promote their message. Lucky for the DNC and the Dems the Republicans are overreaching (again) and the pendulum will swing back, probably in 2012.
Both Democrats and Republicans in Wisconsin have to be careful not to make this against "unions", but against public service unions. And every time a "protester" shouts "union", shout back "public employees".
And as for you right-wing bomb throwers, you really ought to look at some of the amazing work some craft unions actually do. Their apprentice / journeyman / worker / member program, where the rule is like ten years to finally earn your membership, produces some of the most skilled craftsman from bricklayers to truck drivers in the world. Sometimes (not often) they gain great wages and benefits for those represented by their union, and in many cases that skill set is worth it.
And for you left wing bomb throwers, you really ought to look at the public fury about $100k pensions (in my town) and stop trying the subterfuge of blurring the line between private sector and public sector unions purely because you think that it will help you get back the radical agenda in the next election.
Ridiculous. There is no real line between public and private sector unions of the kind you are describing. Pensions result from negotiations. If you have weak negotiators in your town, I suggest you run for village board, city council, or mayor and get in there and pitch your side of the story. If you don't like the results being obtained by your local officials, then it's YOUR fault if it continues. Stop whining.
The average retired teacher in Maine lives on $19,000. Only 13% teach for 25 years, netting them a retirememnt income of $26,000. Unlike other workers, teachers don't draw Social Security in addition to their pensions, as that would be considered double dipping because they work for the government. I guess in that way, a public union worker is different from a private sector worker.
yeah if you say public sector union then you can screw em and not really rile the unions as a whole. divide and conquer, that's brilliant who came up with that one? Machiavelli
Actually, public workers are eligible for Social Security as long as they paid into the program enough to qualify. Most public workers get their pension, Social Security, and their 401K, whatever that consists of. Civil Service jobs that don't qualify for Social Security do not have Social Security taken out of their pay. I wish I had that option, to opt out of Social Security, invest the money myself and rake it in after I retire. I am 100% confident my earnings would far exceed what my current estimate of my retirement benefits are going to be with Social Security, if there's anything left when I can retire.
FR:
Maybe that's because he knows the link just isn't there. Just ask the ordinary Wisconsin resident. I found an interesting video, called "Wisconsin-itis" through the website of the Wisconsin chapter of Americans for Progress.
http://www.refocuswisconsin.org/
In the video, which was no doubt made for the purpose of supporting the anti-spending agenda, you will notice that NO ONE blames government workers for their current economic problems, but they DO blame the banks. Wisconsin’s problems, like those of so many other states, really began with the collapse of the housing bubble, despite what republicans are trying to sell now.
Maybe the national media in general, and First Read in particular, needs to do a better job of researching, analyzing, and articulating THIS part of the issue. People who had been getting along just fine for 30 years didn't suddenly lose their farms and livelihoods because of public worker unions.
They lost them because of the BANKS.
Failure to connect the dots caused the crisis on September 11, and led us into an off-the-books and unnecessary war that contributed directly and heavily to the bloated federal deficit. The media was complicit in this, at least with respect to the war in Iraq. Failure to connect the dots also led to the largest financial collapse, either in my lifetime or yours, First Read.
And the ongoing failure of the media to do your jobs reporting THAT is about to lead to yet another sort of economic disaster.
Shiny object, shiny object, shiny object. For heaven's sake, PUT ON YOUR SUNGLASSES.
I am so proud of the people of Wisconsin for standing up to thugs that wish to own the American people They will keep taking if we let them They`ll tell you their broke and you need to give up what they fought to get. I myself have never been in a union but wish I had someone on my side when I was asked to give up pension, wage increases took cuts in pay less insurance the lists go on. I am not going against the unions like some others that are jealous because they do not get good benefits I wish we could all have decent wages and benefits. Lets bridge the gap between the obscenely rich and the working class citizens. Government elite bought and paid for by the mega- rich scum How do you live with yourselves How do you touch your children with those filthy hands
Barb, did you read the line in the article above 'Senate Democrats are under great political pressure from the unions to stay away for as long as possible'? Is there anything about this statement that you find odd? You like to decry the 'mega rich' for buying candidates, but it seems like the unions have been doing the same thing for years. Quite a few of those union thugs are from out of the area shipped into the area by unions to protest.
if someone will organize this protest properly wisconsin can have 500,000- 1,000,000 protesters . all you have to do is set it up, and let it be known when and where. there are plenty of people all across this nation that is angry about what walker is trying to cram down the throats of working people. democrats don't give in to this dictator (stay stronge the nation needs you)
Never trust a republican. there will be layoffs if the dems return or not, and when the gov is finished the Koch brothers will be the winners and the people of wisconsion and their beautiful enviroment will certainly be the lossers!
I feel that the ability to collectively bargain should be tied to a states ability to expend funds to begin with. However, before you start bashing me, I don't condone doing away with collective bargaining altogether. I would propose that when a states revenues exceed or are projected to exceed expenditures, collective bargaining for public employees would be triggered. If the state is running defecit, then it really doesn't make any sense to negotiate with funds that aren't there. To keep the government from increasing the budget for the sole reason of avoiding collective bargaining, the budget could also be tied to last years budget indexed for inflation. I've seen Californias budget driven into the ground by the unions representing CalFire and some of the other CalPers entities. The benefits those guys get are outrageous, and it's no wonder the state is going broke. I remember a conflagration I was on in SoCal. Right in fire camp the union was drumming up business (as peoples homes were burning) with CalFire personnel to sign petitions and protest their wages being less than county firemens pay. That definitely did not sit well with me, as the unions used an emergency response to further their cause.