A Wake-Up from Wisconsin: 'Fight like an Egyptian'

OurFuture.org by Sam Pizzigati | Feb. 22, 2011 (Opinion)

Wisconsin’s capitol continues to reverberate with the sound and fury of workers and students united — against the 'Mubarak of the Midwest' and the wealthy he so diligently shields from any inconvenience.

In 1911, exactly a century ago, Wisconsin enacted America’s first state income tax, a tax-the-rich move initially proposed, a few years earlier, by the state’s innovative progressive Republican governor, Robert La Follette.
Now another Wisconsin Republican governor is trying to make history — in the opposite direction. The newly elected Scott Walker isn’t just demanding pay and benefit givebacks from the state’s public employees. He’s ... Full Story »

Posted by Patricia Blochowiak

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by Bob Herrschaft - Feb. 23, 2011

... the article presents a cost breakdown of Gov. Walker's plan and contrasts it with Gov. Dayton's plan in neighboring Minnesota;the differences in the two approaches are striking. The issue of compensation for "comparable education"is also mentioned, highlighting the attempt of special interests to put a greater burden on an educated, middle class electorate, as though their credentials are inferior to an entrepreneurial elite.

I am old enough to remember Bob La Folette and the fact that there were once progressives, even in the Republican Party. At that time I had an elderly Norwegian aunt living in Madison, proud of local accomplishments.

Wisconsin public employees, as one new study notes, already take home 8.2 percent less annually than private-sector workers with comparable educations. More »

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Priscilla L. Davis – Feb. 25, 2011 - 12:18 PM

I am a Wisconsin native as well, and was employed as a union worker at the University. I remember well the hard-working people who loves their state (and obviously still do)as much as the Govenor, which is why they are already agreed to furloughs to help with the budget and also with giving pay cuts and benefits the current and the past Democratic governor asked for. Certaintly, not all of the fiscal problems are caused by UNIONS. What about the revenue side, why give up big tax cuts prior to any budget negotiations to see if they were affortable. It appears that this was a planned attempt to create the crisis, much the same as what the Republicans did in Washington with the 7 Billion tax cut for the richest 2 % of Americans, by holding up extending unemployment benefits. Again,the Republicans in Congress are threatening to shut down government to get draconian budget cuts that will have little or no effect on reducing the deficit, but to satisfy their ideological positions through blackmail. Is this legislating, or thuggery. Are the Republicans today acting responsible to American society? Or, are they more beholden to their corporate donors? We all need to “Fight Like the Egyptians.”

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by Patricia Blochowiak - Feb. 22, 2011

Patricia posted this story.

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by Patricia L'Herrou - Feb. 24, 2011

the article contains sources for the information it conveys about the status of the state's and the workers' financial places at this point. other news media has reported a median teachers' pay in the state, criticized by a public which agrees with the governor, an odd response of a majority which apparently isn't criticizing the governor's tax cuts for those making much more. it is made clear by this writer that the state's public sector pay doesn't compare favorably with the private, when education level is factored in.

i recommend the alternet article; our economic pain is coming from big industry. the problem has become systemic--not just wisconsin-- our country, most western nations--most of the world--, becoming over the last few decades much more conservative in economic factors, with large corporations becoming much larger, and the 'market' numbers playing a large role in determining unemployment/ employment, rates of pay for workers, political battles over taxes, with many at the higher ... More »

unless we begin acting to recover our democracy from the plutocracy now in control… the ‘american dream’ will continue to drift ever further from the ... More »

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by Priscilla L. Davis - Feb. 23, 2011

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