Republicans Implement New Union Rules before Law takes Effect to Break Up Unions Now

Why are the Republicans moving ahead with their plans even though the law is not official yet? Because they know the unions don’t have the time to hold the vote to continue representation. Not only that, employee paychecks will start contributing more to their benefits package, again, before the bill is law.

What an amazing miscalculation by a what can only be describes as a rogue party, since I’m assuming all of this will have to be undone sometime later. It’s surreal watching these irresponsible ideologues mishandling our state government. To start:

Gov. Scott Walker's administration is no longer collecting dues on behalf of state unions and as of Sunday began charging employees more for health care and their pensions, even though nonpartisan legislative attorneys say the changes are not yet law. State workers will receive paychecks April 21 that reflect the changes, he said in a conference call with reporters.

The impossible requirement to get union approval again, this year and every year, is unrealistically high…on purpose:

Union bargaining changes will require some 30,000 state workers to hold a do-or-die vote on their unions' futures by the end of April … To stay alive, the unions will have to meet a much higher standard in their vote than Walker and other state elected officials had to meet to win their offices - getting 51% of the vote of all their union members, not just the ones who actually cast ballots.  

Bob McLinn, president of the Wisconsin State Employees Union, (said) Walker" wouldn't be governor under the rule that he established."

Two points here; was it really a voter mandate to give Republican lawmakers a virtual “wrecking ball” to take apart our state government, and two, why must unions be held to a higher electoral standard than our government representatives? For example:

jsonline: The state Government Accountability Board says there were 3.49 million voters registered to vote in that election. Of that number, Walker received only 32.3%.  

Walker received 1.13 million votes, or 52.3% of the total number of 2.16 million ballots cast in the governor's race, according to t. But many more state residents didn't vote at all.

Walker's mandate came from one third of the state, while two thirds of the state may have a different idea the next time around...or preferably before.