Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Where is the America that fought for the people’s pensions, social security and health benefits. When can we retire to even enjoy what Americans have fought for since the 1880’s. Are the Republican policies really succeeding? We all watched the recent budget standoff in Madison, Wisconsin where state employees overtook the elegant state building that looked a lot like state capital buildings in Washington or something like a scene out of the movie Idiocracy. It is scary that Americans are beginning to look like the protestors of the Middle East. These are hard working state employees protesting not the hippies that had a message of world peace but were pretty high on drugs at the same time.
These people are protesting a Republican backed bill to charge them more for a pension CEO’s are getting tax breaks or no tax on their billion dollar bonuses and stock options. This controversy comes with Governor Scott Walker’s plan. This issue is bringing thousands of people protesting in American streets. Are we learning from the Middle East? Yes, we are protesting in our own Middle West. The battle over one state’s budget bill has become a referendum on public employee unions.
Where are American Unions? Jimmy Hoffa Jr. is out there looking and sounding just like his father who was an extreme advocate to preserving the American unions but you have to look very carefully for any American business that has a union to care for its employees. Now politicians like Scott Walker in an effort to cut costs are cutting the very people they supposedly represented during their election speeches of lies. How about they cut their salaries first!
In Wisconsin there currently is a majority Republican legislature to vote on the cuts for the people. Then the 14 Democratic senators left the state in an effort to postpone the vote they knew they would loose. The hard working citizens had to make their presence known by taking the building. The Governor is facing a 130 million dollar budget deficit. Protestors say the Governor is using the budget to break the back of what few unions are left. This is completely ironic since Wisconsin was the first to give Americans collective bargaining rights 50 years ago.
Teachers and other employees fear that without union protections they will be out of a job. Currently 45 states have projected budget shortfalls in 2012. At least 9 Governors who also happen to be Republicans expect to curtail their unions in an effort to get their budgets under control. They don’t discuss other spending. The Ohio Governor John Kasich says, “ If they want to strike, they should be fired!” Does this guy know anything about American history? He must be a descendant of a British guy during the Revolution.
A recent poll showed that public support for Unions was declining. Is it a taxpayer issue or a workers rights issue? Aren’t they both the same people? Recently the police and the tea party has shown support for the unions. What used to be the faces of law abiding people has become frustrated faces that scream, clog up streets and overtake official government buildings. These are the very same people that tell their children shut up, sit down and be respectful. They are too angry to do that anymore. God Bless the American Spirit!

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