Wisconsin Governor Threatens To Replace Union Workers With National Guard - HuffPo

[WillyT]

Apparently, they've reanimated Ronald Reagan...

Wisconsin Governor Threatens To Replace Union Workers With National Guard
Lila Shapiro
HUFFPOST REPORTING

<snip>

State workers in Wisconsin are protesting a statement by Republican Governor Scott Walker that, union reps say, amounts to a threat to use the National Guard to help break the public union.

Citing a $137 million budget deficit, Walker announced a plan last week which would essentially take away the public union's collective bargaining rights and slash benefits for state employees. Meanwhile, the share of corporate tax revenue funding the state government has fallen by half since 1981 and, according to Wisconsin Department of Revenue, two-thirds of corporations pay no taxes.

In the case of a walkout, Walker has put the National Guard on alert. Last week, he told reporters that the guard is "prepared" for "whatever the governor, their commander-in-chief, might call for," such as staffing prisons if guards go on strike.

Wisconsin is one of a number of states facing severe budget cuts and difficult choices. But as Bloomberg News points out, the biggest savings Walker is proposing have nothing to do with state workers or collective bargaining. Walker claims the state can save $165 million by the end of next June simply by restructuring existing debt.

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More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/15/wisconsin-state-workers-p_n_823476.html

:banghead:

[still_one]

1. How is that voting in republicans working out for ya? /nt

[Drale]

2. How long before this guy completely loses his mind

and trys to send the national guard to washington to overthrow "dat cheatin stealin gobment"?

[HereSince1628]

4. You mean he hasn't? Shit! I gotta get to some cover!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bluzmann57]

3. I thought I saw an article somewhere where the Guard told Walker no

Something about the Guard not being his personal force or something like that. I can't remember where I saw it, but I'll try to find it if I can.

[HereSince1628]

5. I haven't read that, if you find it PLEASE send me a PM n/t

[Greybnk48]

6. There's something like that said in the last paragraph

of this article.

[MisterP]

7. wasn't this what the LaRouchites promised in Illinois? tanks on the streets?

like the Teabaggers, the LaRouchites did some lefty/populist stuff (like the Baggers' erstwhile opposition to The Holy Mandate) but were ultimately for wingnut policies
alas, all we have against them are Juan Perons, Carlos Menems, and Carlos Andres Perezes