Koch Brothers Behind

[NoAngel2u]

Wisconsin Effort To Kill Public Unions

Rick Ungar
THE POLICY PAGE
Source

As the nation focuses on the efforts of Governor Scott Walker to take away collective bargaining rights from public employees in Wisconsin, new information is coming to light that reveals what is truly going on here.

[wabbit]

^^^^It's just politics as usual...only change is the voters decided to put someone else in charge. I don't blame the teachers for being upset. They were getting benefits paid for and now they may have to share the expense. The real losers here are the kids who are missing classes cuz their teachers want to get political on the taxpayers' dollars and use sick days to protest.

[NoAngel2u]

If you are reluctant to believe that this is a coordinated attack, consider this-

This afternoon, Marty Beil, executive director of the Wisconsin Public Workers Union, sent a message to the Governor’s office agreeing to the cuts to pension & welfare benefits sought by Walker in his bill. The governor’s response was “nothing doing.” He wants the whole kit and kaboodle – the end of the collective bargaining rights of the public unions.

From what I've been reading and hearing in interviews, their greatest issue has been about the gov's interest in ending their collective bargaining rights.

As far as the kids go,,, they get 2 weeks off for winter holidays, 2 weeks off for spring break and 3 months off for summer, so I think they'll survive a week or so off so that Americans who feel they are about to lose something important can make their voices heard. This should also be educational for them. I think they should face consequences however for claiming "sick days." No point in lying about what you're up to.

[luvsluvin]

^^^^It's just politics as usual...

Oh... I don't think so.

The Americans for Prosperity group, a Tea Party group that is a Koch Brothers front, has put up a website and petition called www.standwithwalker.com. The website attacks all collective bargaining – not just for public employees’ unions. Americans for Prosperity is also organizing a rally tomorrow in Wisconsin to support Gov. Walker.

Why are the Koch Brothers so interested in Wisconsin? They are a major business player in the state.

Koch owns a coal company subsidiary with facilities in Green Bay, Manitowoc, Ashland and Sheboygan; six timber plants throughout the state; and a large network of pipelines in Wisconsin. While Koch controls much of the infrastructure in the state, they have laid off workers to boost profits. At a time when Koch Industries owners David and Charles Koch awarded themselves an extra $11 billion of income from the company, Koch slashed jobs at their Green Bay plant:

Officials at Georgia-Pacific said the company is laying off 158 workers at its Day Street plant because out-of-date equipment at the facility is being replaced with newer, more-efficient equipment. The company said much of the new, papermaking equipment will be automated. The layoffs are not because of a drop in demand. In fact, Malach said demand is high for the bath tissue and napkins manufactured at the plant.

You really have to wonder how long it will take for Tea Party devotees to realize just how badly they are being used.

[NoAngel2u]

Another interesting article on the subject by Mr Unger.

The Final Battle In The War Against Unions Is Underway

[luvsluvin]

excellent article. I live in Ohio... so we'll see what happens here in the not-too-distant-future.

Ohio, with long time uber-conservative John Kasich in the driver’s seat, has already introduced a bill similar to what we are seeing in Wisconsin. Many believe that Minnesota is getting ready to do the same. If these efforts are successful, you can expect a wave of similar legislation throughout the nation.

No rational individual would dispute the preeminence of corporate interests in America. While most of us are not happy about this, we don’t really know what we can do about it as we simply do not have the money or clout to buy the power corporate money can buy.

That’s where the unions come in. Without the collective bargaining powers that unions bring as the only real offset to corporate greed and without the organizing strength unions bring to political action, there will be no counter-balance to corporate power. I promise that you will not like the result if our unions should disappear – even if you are not a union member.

For these reasons, I would argue that anyone who does not find themselves among the 5% of the wealthiest in America, should stand up and declare, “Today, we are all Cheeseheads.”

Failing to support Wisconsin unions would be a mistake for which we will pay dearly for generations to come.

[wabbit]

Here in my school district we have to contribute for all of our benefits...makes it really hard for me to be terribly sympathetic with Wisconsin teachers who are getting a free ride.

[motherfunky]

Hitler banned Unions, so did the Commies. Look how that worked out for people.

[skyguy2007]

Hitler banned Unions, so did the Commies. Look how that worked out for people.

Hmmmm, I must have missed the part where our government is trying to ban unions....nice try though!

[Moab]

The issue is over pensions and the unions power of collective bargaining.

Almost all of the pension plans were sold the toxic housing market junk bonds. SOoo ... why are states like Wisconsin taking it out on the employees because they were caught up in the outright fraud the sellers of the interments were perpetrating. The very same employees the states like Wisconsin, who in the pre housing bubble burst days were rolling in that fraudulent wealth and therefore giving the unions and state employees anything they wanted. Even lining their own pockets with pay raises and pensions.

I think the solution would be join in with other states and sue these corrupt investment banks and recover the loss from them not the working men and women who did not have anything to do with what instruments were purchased and funding those plans.

The Koch brothers, if the article is true should be charge with the crime of racketeering these brothers from what I read are involved in organized crime along with the investment banks. Like racketeering they are out to profit at the expense of others and would bankrupt the state's in doing so ..

http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/budget_gs.php I love this link you can see the debt and all of it's breakdowns ..

Just for fun click on the states tab and look at Wisconsin ... or whatever ..