Wisconsin: Little known asset stripping provision included in the governor’s onerous bill — Energy plants to be sold to private interests – Koch Brothers launch Website | Dailycensored.com

Wisconsin: Little known asset stripping provision included in the governor’s onerous bill — Energy plants to be sold to private interests – Koch Brothers launch Website | Dailycensored.com

Wisconsin: Little known asset stripping provision included in the governor’s onerous bill — Energy plants to be sold to private interests – Koch Brothers launch Website

Written by Danny WeilBusinessFeb 21, 2011

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Have you heard about 16.896? Fromhttp://rortybomb.wordpress.com/ The fight in Wisconsin is over Governor Walker’s 144-page Budget Repair Bill. The parts everyone is focusing on have to do with the right to collectively bargain being stripped from public sector unions (except for the unions that supported Walker running for Governor). Focusing on this misses a large part of what the bill would do. Check out this language, from the same bill (my bold):

16.896 Sale or contractual operation of state−owned heating, cooling, and power plants. (1) Notwithstanding ss. 13.48 (14) (am) and 16.705 (1), the department may sell any state−owned heating, cooling, and power plant or may contract with a private entity for the operation of any such plant, with or without solicitation of bids, for any amount that the department determines to be in the best interest of the state. Notwithstanding ss. 196.49 and 196.80, no approval or certification of the public service commission is necessary for a public utility to purchase, or contract for the operation of, such a plant, and any such purchase is considered to be in the public

Must See Video of Wisconsin State Senator Glenn Grothman Speaking at Tea Party Event « Larry Miller's Blog#wisolidarity #wiunion #weac

Must See Video of Wisconsin State Senator Glenn Grothman Speaking at Tea Party Event « Larry Miller's Blog

Must See Video of Wisconsin State Senator Glenn Grothman Speaking at Tea Party Event

Filed under: Scott Walker — millerlf @ 2:04 pm

Senator Glenn Grothman is Assistant Majority Leader (R) in the Wisconsin State Senate. He is a member of the Joint Finance Committee and the Senate Education Committee.

He is a Tea Party activist and playing a leading role in the present attack on Wisconsin working families.

The following video gives you a sense of the reactionary views of Grothman. In the video he says America will be destroyed from within. Why?

1. He claims Milwaukee women have incentives to choose welfare over marriage because they will receive over $38,000 in entitlements plus have access to a free college.

2. Government bureaucrats are forcing quotas on companies to hire women and people of color.

3. There is a war on men.

To see the 5 minute video go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BincmtWINMs

Please pass this video on to all Wisconsinites to see the diatribes of one of our state “leaders.”

The Answer Sheet - The irony of Obama’s ‘help’ for Wisconsin teachers #wisolidarity #wiunion #weac

The Answer Sheet - The irony of Obama’s ‘help’ for Wisconsin teachers

The irony of Obama’s ‘help’ for Wisconsin teachers

By Valerie Strauss

For two years, President Obama has been pushing school reform that has demonized public school teachers. Now he has injected himself on the side of teachers into the confrontation in Wisconsin, where the new Republican governor is trying to pass emergency legislation that would drastically cut collective bargaining rights.

Obama’s support is ironic, given that teachers’ collective bargaining rights have already been undermined by his education reform policies.

Obama, a few days ago, threw his political machine onto the side of teachers who are helping to lead a protest movement in Wisconsin over Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to cut benefits and take away collective bargaining rights from labor. Madison public schools have been closed

Tennessee teachers fight bill to end collective bargaining | Reuters #wisolidarity #wiunion #weac

Tennessee teachers fight bill to end collective bargaining | Reuters

Tennessee teachers fight bill to end collective bargaining

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By Tim Ghianni

NASHVILLE, Tennessee | Mon Feb 21, 2011 12:35pm EST

(Reuters) - A Tennessee teachers group is calling a Republican-backed state bill that would end collective bargaining an "attack" on teachers' rights.

"We don't view this as education reform. It's an attack on the rights of teachers to have a voice regarding their working conditions, which are also the learning conditions of students," said Alexei Smirnov, spokesman for the 52,000-member Tennessee Education Association, which represents 92 state school districts.

The Republican-dominated Tennessee Senate Education Committee voted last week to deny Tennessee teachers the right to negotiate their working conditions with boards of education across the state through collective bargaining.

Republicans hold the majorities in both the Senate and House. The Tennessee School Boards

The Attacks on Teachers and Unions in Wisconsin Should Concern Everyone Lily's Blackboard – Lily's Blackboard #wisolidarity #wiunion #weac

The Attacks on Teachers and Unions in Wisconsin Should Concern Everyone Lily's Blackboard – Lily's Blackboard

The Attacks on Teachers and Unions in Wisconsin Should Concern Everyone

Feb 17th, 2011

by Lily.

Photo by Emily Mills

Fifty years ago saying you were a “poor teacher” was redundant. Teachers were mostly women who wanted to teach, not to get rich, but because they loved kids.

However, 50 years ago, teachers and education support staff such as school secretaries and lunch ladies were expected to be polite and obedient and accept what they were given. They had no power to come together and bargain a better salary with administrators, who were, coincidently, mostly men. They were constantly exploited and underpaid.

Wisconsin, 50 years ago, became the first state in the country to do something

N.J. state employee unions to hold rally to support Wisconsin workers - NorthJersey.com #wisconsin #madison #wiunion

N.J. state employee unions to hold rally to support Wisconsin workers - NorthJersey.com

N.J. state employee unions to hold rally to support Wisconsin workers

Monday, February 21, 2011

BY GINGER GIBSON

STATE HOUSE BUREAU

STATE HOUSE BUREAU

TRENTON -- The largest state employee union is organizing a rally at the State House on Friday to express support for workers rallying in Wisconsin.

The Communication Workers of America, which represents most of the state's employees, will hold the rally at noon. National AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka will speak at the rally.

“We are all Wisconsin public workers this week,” Hetty Rosenstein, CWA state director, said in a statement. “They’re trying to blame middle class workers for the financial mess that Wall Street caused. It’s more politics as usual and we’re ready to fight back.”

Wisconsin state employees have staged large rallies at the Madison capitol to

Letter to Governor Walker from Fr. John Jones, Philosophy Prof/ Dept Chair at Marquette « Larry Miller's Blog #wisolidarity #wiunion #weac

Letter to Governor Walker from Fr. John Jones, Philosophy Professor and former Department Chair at Marquette « Larry Miller's Blog

Letter to Governor Walker from Fr. John Jones, Philosophy Professor and former Department Chair at Marquette

by millerlf

Saints Cyril & Methodius Orthodox Church

The Orthodox Church in America

2505 South 30th Street

Milwaukee, WI 53215

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

February 19, 2011

Dear Gov. Walker,

We are writing you to express our strong dissatisfaction with provisions of the current budget repair bill that would limit or eliminate the right of public workers to engage in collective bargaining. We oppose these provisions. We have strong objections to the fact that such provisions would be put forward for a vote by the State Senate with no adequate time for sustained and open public discussion.

Many Orthodox Christians who immigrated to this country during the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries worked in factories, mines, and other industries. They experienced dreadful working conditions and sustained opposition to their efforts to engage in collective bargaining to improve those working conditions. They struggled with great difficulty to gain the civil and legal rights of workers to unite and collectively bargain with employers. Those hard-won rights reflect a deeper moral right of people freely to associate with others to obtain and maintain a decent standard of living. As you well know, Wisconsin was the first state to grant public workers the right to organize

Unions will rally on Tuesday in support of Wisconsin workers - Politics in Minnesota #wisolidarity #wiunion #weac

Unions will rally on Tuesday in support of Wisconsin workers - Politics in Minnesota

Unions will rally on Tuesday in support of Wisconsin workers

by Paul Demko
Published: February 21,2011
Time posted: 11:11 am
Tags: collective bargaining, Madison, Minnesota AFL-CIO

A little bit of Madison is coming to St. Paul. The Minnesota AFL-CIO is organizing a rally for Tuesday afternoon at the Capitol to show support for public employees in Wisconsin, who have been staging a week-long protest over Gov. Scott Walker’s effort to curtail collective bargaining rights.

According to a Facebook event page, more than 700 people have indicated that they will attend the Minnesota rally. While several state legislatures are considering legislation that would restrict collective bargaining rights for public employees, no such proposal has been introduced in Minnesota.

Wisconsin Democrats: ‘Gov. Scott Walker Is a Dictator’ | Politically Illustrated #wisolidarity #wiunion #weac

Wisconsin Democrats: ‘Gov. Scott Walker Is a Dictator’ | Politically Illustrated

Wisconsin Democrats: ‘Gov. Scott Walker Is a Dictator’

BY: RICHARD LONGPUBLISHED: FEBRUARY 21, 2011

"Wisconsin's GOP Tramples State Employees," by Monte Wolverton.

SAN FRANCISCO (Politically Illustrated) – Wisconsin's Democratic leadership fled the state four days ago to prevent a bill from becoming law that would limit the bargaining rights of union members, calling Governor Scott Walker a "dictator."

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“He will not talk, will not communicate,” Sen. Tim Carpenter told The Huffington Post. “In a democracy, I thought we were supposed to talk. But the thing is, he’s been a dictator, and just basically said this is the only thing. No amendments, and it’s going to be that way.”

Mr. Carpenter’s comments come after offering a series of

What Happens in Wisconsin Will Affect Workers Across the Nation | AFL-CIO NOW BLOG #wisolidarity #wiunion #weac

What Happens in Wisconsin Will Affect Workers Across the Nation | AFL-CIO NOW BLOG

What Happens in Wisconsin Will Affect Workers Across the Nation by Tula Connell, Feb 21, 2011

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John August, executive director of Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions and native Wisconsinite, sends us this on events there. The coalition is an alliance of 29 local unions representing 90,000 health care workers.

I am a proud Wisconsinite—not just because of the recent victory of the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl 45, but also because of the state’s great progressive traditions. Those traditions include a strong labor movement and the birth of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the major public sector union, in 1936.

Yet all of those great, progressive traditions are fragile.

In many states today, including Wisconsin, public sector employees’ jobs, wages and benefits are on the line. The very right to have effective collective bargaining for public employees is at great risk all across the country.

Wisconsin’s new governor, Scott Walker, proposes eliminating most collective bargaining rights for public employees. He has said he does not have time to negotiate over the fiscal

Chicago Teachers Union Organizes for Wisconsin Protest | The Weekly Standard #wisolidarity #wiunion #weac

Chicago Teachers Union Organizes for Wisconsin Protest | The Weekly Standard

Chicago Teachers Union Organizes for Wisconsin Protest

12:15 AM, FEB 21, 2011 • BY STEPHEN F. HAYES

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On Sunday, Mary Bell, president of the Wisconsin Educational Association Council, instructed the teachers in her union to return to the classroom after many of them skipped school for three days last week. The unexpected move energized Republicans in Wisconsin, who took it as a sign that negative public reaction to the “sick-out” is making a difference.

Photo Credit: Flickr user Nikonrobin

Or perhaps they don’t need the numbers because the unions are bringing in additional reinforcements. Madison, one of the most liberal cities in the United States, is a town always in search of a cause. So having a union protest there is like having a Rally for the Troops at Fort Benning.

But labor groups and Democratic Party organizations from outside the state have been sending people to Madison for the demonstrations. Below is an email from the Chicago Teachers Union, which is sending a bus first thing Monday for the day’s events. The CTU twitter feed posted a message Saturday evening, saying: “CTU

Keep the pressure on! AFT - Wisconsin #wisolidarity #wiunion #weac

AFT - Wisconsin

Keep the pressure on!

FURLOUGH DAY RALLY - MONDAY, FEB. 21 at 12:00 and 5:00

Monday is a furlough day - let's make it our biggest rally day yet!

Click here to see the bus schedule.

Click here to sign up for the bus!

ROCK FOR OUR RIGHTS - MONDAY, FEB. 21 at 6:30

Tom Morello (formerly of Rage Against the Machine) will headline this show. For up-to-the-minute information, follow the Facebook page "Rock for YOUR Rights!" Bring your family!

The myth of shared sacrifice. Two tens for a five. « Fred Klonsky's blog#wisolidarity #wiunion #weac

The myth of shared sacrifice. Two tens for a five. « Fred Klonsky's blog

The myth of shared sacrifice. Two tens for a five.

by Fred Klonsky

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NY Times columnist Paul Krugman almost get it right this morning.

He shows how the Battle in Mad Town is not really about state budgets, but about power.

For what’s happening in Wisconsin isn’t about the state budget, despite Mr. Walker’s pretense that he’s just trying to be fiscally responsible. It is, instead,