So I thought he complained, and I IM'd him, why did idiot offend you, but he never was the 1 who flagged my posts.

"dhpackr" wrote:

So in one thread there is prompting to stay on topic.. in another there is prompting taking it off topic. :)

"Pack93z" wrote:

"Pack93z" wrote:

without it, a employer can simply deny a worker all the above items and pay low wages, offer no insurance, long hours, no training, all the things you cry that you do not have

"dhpackr" wrote:

you first whined about how your employer could not find skilled employees, then came back and said let's cut millions of dollars in public education!

"dhpackr" wrote:

Washington (CNN) -- Some political experts have said that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, in a battle with public employee unions over the right to collective bargaining, has overreached in his attempts to shore up the state's budget shortfall.

"I think it'd be fair to categorize the proposal (to cut union bargaining) as an overreach," said University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor David Canon. "Maybe the biggest reason for that claim is the fact that he didn't campaign on this."

Protesters who have filled the state's capitol are upset with Walker's call to curb collective bargaining rights as part of his effort to balance the state's budget. Union leaders have agreed to pay more for health and pension benefits but have objected to curbing collective bargaining. Walker has refused to budge.

Walker, a former state legislator and Milwaukee County executive before he was elected governor last year, said he looks to Ronald Reagan for guidance in the current battle in which he's engaged. But one critic said Walker's public face conjures up images of a more recent president.

"Walker has been combative and steadfast, reminiscent more of George W. Bush's mystifying and utterly unjustified self-confidence (remember "I'm the decider?") than anything Ronald Reagan ever said or did," wrote Paul Fanlund of Wisconsin's progressive Capital Times.

Opponents have questioned Walker's motives as seeking prominence among like-minded conservatives or pursuing a vendetta against a traditional Republican foe. But another Wisconsin political scientist said while Walker "may, at some level, see himself as a vanguard of this new Republican effort," the governor is motivated by convictions.

"I don't see this as delusions of grandeur or him doing this in any way to propel himself on the national stage," said Thomas Holbrook, a professor of government at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. "The type of person he is, these are the things he believes needs to be done and he's got the majorities so he's going to do it."

Holbrook said Walker showed similar convictions when he was Milwaukee County executive from 2002 to 2010.

"He tended to stick to his guns there and say 'This is what I want, this is what I'm pushing for' and maybe he didn't get it in the end," Holbrook said. "But he didn't have a majority by any means."

Canon agreed, saying Walker's style of negotiating and a tough approach to unions is consistent with his time as county executive.

Former U.S. Comptroller Gen. David Walker wrote in the Washington Post that the Wisconsin governor has legitimate concerns about the collective bargaining process.

"However, he seems to have overreached in connection with some of his proposed solutions," David Walker wrote. "While there are many reasons that government workers should not be able to bargain over pension and health benefit levels, it is reasonable for them to be able to bargain over current pay, employee benefit contributions and normal work rules."

Wisconsin, which has elected liberal Democrats such as former Sen. Russ Feingold and U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, shifted from blue to red in the 2010 midterm elections. The Republican wave not only hit congressional elections, but also statewide ones.

The GOP has a strong majority in Wisconsin's legislature, with Democrats having little power to affect the agenda. In the State Assembly, Republicans hold 60 seats and Democrats hold 38. In the State Senate, Republicans hold 19 seats and Democrats hold 14.

"He has an opportunity with these huge majorities in the legislature to get his agenda through and that's what he's doing," Holbrook said. "As for his political future, I'm not sure this is going to benefit him in the long run. I see it as more of coming from conviction and opportunity."

Channeling Reagan?

Walker got as much attention as his stand against unions when he was punked by a blogger who pretended to be a top GOP donor. On the call, Walker indicated that he looks to former President Reagan in the standoff. Reagan took on air traffic controllers and stood strong against communism, Walker noted on the call.

Canon noted a difference between Walker and Reagan, though -- Reagan compromised with Democrats during his two terms in office, negotiating on sticky issues such as Social Security and national security. Walker has shown no signs of backing down.

"He did have to compromise a fair amount when he was president," he said. "Scott Walker has unified Republican control of Wisconsin government, so he doesn't have to negotiate."

When Walker was campaigning, he said he wanted unions to start contributing more.

"But nobody saw this collective bargaining part of the proposal coming," Canon said. "That's why I think this could be seen as overreach. There's a pretty good chance he would not have been elected had this been part of the campaign in November."

In a USA Today-Gallup poll last week, 61% of those surveyed said they opposed eliminating collective bargaining rights if a similar bill was proposed in their state.

Among Republicans, 54% said they would favor such a move; 62% of independents said they would oppose it and 78% of Democrats were opposed to it.

GOP defection?

Republican governors are taking note at what's happening in Wisconsin and other states. Some prominent GOP governors are even coming out in support of collective bargaining rights.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott said in a recent interview with Tallahassee's WFLA radio that his belief is "as long as people know what they're doing, collective bargaining is fine."

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who faces his own battles with teachers unions, recently told The New York Times that if collective bargaining is fair, "I have no problem with it."

Holbrook said that for Republican governors who are distancing themselves from the collective bargaining issue, it "gives them room to do other things that they'd not normally get away with -- simply because they can say, 'No I'm not going after collective bargaining.' "

(CNN) -- As the hours count down to the budget address of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, one Republican lawmaker says he crossed state lines to meet with state Senate Democrats who fled in protest of a bill that would curb the collective bargaining rights of most public employees.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said Democrats asked to meet him to begin dialogue over the state's controversial budget repair bill that requires public workers -- with the exception of police and firefighters -- to cover more of their retirement plans and health care premiums.

"I made it very clear that if I was going to meet with them, it can't be about compromise about the budget repair bill itself," Fitzgerald told CNN. "It had to be about other items, maybe down the road. Or, the way we handle ourselves once they come back."

During the two-hour meeting, Fitzgerald said he identified at least seven Democrats who he said would like to return to the Senate chamber, but are contending with what he described as union pressure for the lawmakers to remain out-of-state.

The state's 14 Democratic senators fled to neighboring Illinois last week to prevent a quorum of 20 votes needed to pass legislation on state spending. CNN could not immediately reach the Democrats for comment.

Passage of the budget repair bill, which would apply to the current spending plan, would limit collective bargaining to wages. Any pay increases beyond the rate of inflation would be subject to voter approval.

Tuesday's spending plan is being rolled out as protesters enter a third week of demonstrations at the state Capitol. Thousands of people have rallied around the Capitol, and some have moved inside the building.

Union leaders have agreed to pay more for benefits, but oppose restrictions bargaining rights that the governor argues are needed for meaningful fiscal reforms.

Walker has called on the lawmakers to "come back and do their job," sending State Patrol officers to Democrats' homes in an effort to pressure their return.

"If we fail to pass this bill by Tuesday, we lose $165 million worth of savings. If we continue down that path we start seeing layoffs," he warned.

Wisconsin is confronted with a $137 million budget shortfall by June 30.

The GOP governor defended the proposal, saying the measures are needed to head off a $3.6 billion budget gap by 2013 that could result in thousands of layoffs.

The state faces a March 16 deadline to balance the budget, officials said.

The bill was passed by lawmakers in the state Assembly early Friday and must still clear the Senate, where the AWOL Democrats have stalled the legislative process.

Meanwhile, a Dane County judge issued an order Tuesday to reopen the Wisconsin state Capitol building to the public, after it was closed by police, according to Democratic Rep. Peter Barca.

Judge Daniel Moeser issued a temporary restraining order to reopen the building, which has been a central location for protesters demonstrating against the Republican-backed budget repair bill.

Hundreds had gathered outside the Capitol building on Monday, chanting, "Let us in!" Their yells were met by a group of protesters who remained inside, chanting, "Let them in!"

President Barack Obama also weighed in on Monday, appearing to allude to the growing controversy by telling a group of governors that while "everybody should be prepared to give up something" in the face of new budget realities, "I don't think it does anybody any good when public employees are vilified" or their rights are infringed upon.

The president has publicly expressed support for those fighting to keep collective bargaining in Wisconsin.

Walker, in the meantime, is getting an assist from national Republicans.

The Republican Governors Policy Committee, a wing of the Republican Governors Association, launched a new television ad Tuesday defending Walker's stance on his budget bill.

The ad claims that Walker is simply trying to balance the budget without raising taxes and asking state employees to contribute more to their own benefits, "just like everyone else."

Several labor groups have already run ads attacking Walker.

Meanwhile, in Ohio, thousands gathered in Columbus Tuesday to protest a Republican-backed proposal that would curtail public workers' bargaining rights and strip their right to strike.

As in Wisconsin, Democratic lawmakers have labeled the move as union-busting, while their Republican counterparts argue that it's necessary to address fiscal reform.

In Indiana, Democratic lawmakers may have torn a page out of the Madison book after also fleeing to neighboring Illinois. The group remained there on Tuesday, extending the stalemate over a GOP-backed proposal that union supporters say will restrict workers' rights.

Salary of House/Senate - $174,000
Salary of Speaker of House - $223,500
Salary of Majority/Minority Leaders - $193,400
Average US Salary - $33,000 to $77,000
Maybe our elected officials should make an average salary too. After all, it's a time of sacrifice.

"dhpackr" wrote:

"dhpackr" wrote:

Just as we reform our entitlement programs for the 21st century, we must also reform our education system. Clearly, we have to produce graduates who are able to compete -- not only with their peers from Chicago or Des Moines -- but also from Shanghai or Sydney," Walker said in the address.

"You do what you can to fund core services, but you have to draw the line ensuring the basics of K-12 make it to the classroom," said Eric Schutt, the governor's deputy chief of staff.