Wisconsin Democrats Flee State House To Avoid Vote.

[twyacht]

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/wisconsin-democrats-hide-vote/2011/02/17/id/386507

Wisconsin Dems Go Into Hiding to Prevent Union-busting Vote
Thursday, 17 Feb 2011 02:39 PM

Senate Democrats in Wisconsin failed to show up Thursday for a vote on a "union-busting" bill that has prompted police officers to launch a dragnet for the missing lawmakers.

Republicans hold a 19-14 majority but a vote cannot be taken until at least one Democratic senator is present.

"It's kind of unbelievable that they're elected to do a job and they wouldn't show up to do it," Republican Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald told Fox News.

Fitzgerald said the apparent boycott may force the State Assembly to vote first on the bill. But he added that if police officers find the lawmakers, they will bring them back to the chamber for a vote.

"This isn't something I've ever seen in the state of Wisconsin," he said. "It's a very volatile situation right now but those people were elected to do a job and unfortunately they're not doing it. They're not representing the people of their district."

The bill has sparked a storm of protest for three days. Teachers marching at Wisconsin's Capitol Building in Madison shut down schools for a second day Thursday so they could demand collective bargaining rights that they say are essential to keeping kids in school.

Dozens of schools closed as a result of high absences as thousands of protesters, including students and teachers, marched on the Capitol building to demand state lawmakers strike down a bill that would require union concessions worth $30 million by July 1 and $300 million over the next two years.

The bill, which also bans collective bargaining rights for teachers, requires educators to contribute 5.8 percent to their pensions and 12.6 percent to their health care. Currently, educators pay 0.2 percent for their pensions and 4 to 6 percent of their health care costs.

"Our goal is not to close schools, but to instead to remain vigilant in our efforts to be heard," said Mary Bell, president of the 98,000-strong Wisconsin Education Association Council.

State lawmakers proposed the legislation as part of an effort to close a $3.6 billion budget gap, and say they expect it to pass and eventually reach the desk of newly elected Republican Gov. Scott Walker.

"This bill isn't about an assault on public employees. We have great public employees throughout the state, I have them in my district, hard-working folks," said Republican state Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald. "What this is is about the budget. We're $3.6 billion in the hole. We're not going to raise taxes to solve it. We all ran, you know, this last election cycle on saying that we are going to cut government spending. ... Everybody is going to have to do their part."

But Michael Langyel, head of the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association, said Walker and Republican lawmakers are asking public employees to give up more than everyone else.

"If people say the only way to solve this budget crisis is to take away from people who are working hard, they are wrong. We believe that we have a right to have a fair wage for our hard work. More importantly, the collective bargaining process allows us to positively impact school policy issues. We are the advocates for our students, and we will maintain our voice in defending our students," he told Fox News.

Langyel added that if Walker wants to balance the budget, he should force his friends to pay more.

"There are many people who support the governor who contribute nothing and pay nothing and are not contributing. This is the time to have fair taxation in the state of Wisconsin, where the friends of the governors do not get a free ride and the hard-working people have to carry the extra burden," he said.

Speaking Wednesday to WTMJ4 in Milwaukee, President Obama weighed into the debate, saying that making it harder for public employees to collectively bargain "seems like more of an assault on unions."

Wisconsin's measure would end collective bargaining for state, county and local workers, except for police, firefighters and the state patrol. Unions still could represent workers, but could not seek pay increases above those pegged to the Consumer Price Index unless approved by a public referendum. Unions also could not force employees to pay dues and would have to hold annual votes to stay organized.

*****

Let the Dems show their true colors as cowardly toddlers in the sand box. The majority of WI citizens spoke Nov 2. State employees will actually have to contribute to their own retirement and healthcare.....

WOW!!!!! What a concept.....Students interviewed at the state Capitol didn't even know why they were there, as their teachers unions rented bus's to bring them in...

Nice....

[fightingquaker13]

This sort of thing happened in TX. periodically as the Senate needs a qurom to pass laws. The majority party sends the state cops out looking for them. The first instance I remember four of them holed up in a storage locker and played cards, got shit faced and ate BBQ (sounds like the corner ). The last time was one of the things that got "Twinkle Toes" DeLay in trouble for abuse of power. When Dems went AWOL in a redistricting vote, he had Homeland security track them down using airline and credit card info. I love Texas, a state like Florida where its weird enough you don't have to make stuff up.
FQ13

[JC5123]

Here is how this crap needs to be handled.


http://eightiesclub.tripod.com/id296.htm

R.I.P. Mr. President. We miss you.

[JC5123]

They have called CNN with a list of demands.


http://nation.foxnews.com/missing-wisconsin-democrats/2011/02/17/awol-wisconsin-dem-calls-cnn-list-demands


So what....are they holding themselves hostage? 

[JC5123]

In light of the new democrat strategy of running away to avoid votes, I humbly submit that they should change their symbol from the jackass, to the flea.

[Sponsor]

[TAB]

Something I heard the other day about this, i'm not sure if it was true.

basicly it said that the union member voted on the deal and it passed, but the union leaders went against that vote and are fighting it.


I have no idea if its true or not, but it would not shock me if it was.

[runstowin]

Here is how this crap needs to be handled.


http://eightiesclub.tripod.com/id296.htm

R.I.P. Mr. President. We miss you.
But Ronald Reagan was a man.