Though almost all those on the right might say this is the
Democratic Party taking orders from “union bosses,” it’s actually a platform
issue that is not only important to liberals and progressives but one of the
main reasons for the recall. Unions or not.
jsonline: Union leaders are asking Democratic candidates for governor to veto the next state budget if it doesn't restore collective bargaining for public workers and at least one leading candidate - Kathleen Falk - has agreed, participants in the private meetings say.Falk by the way has already got the endorsement of the states largest teachers union, WEAC. Thankfully Sen. Tim Cullen dropped out of the race, because he would have not restore collective bargaining. Do you think for one minute the Republicans would have waited a day before restoring an important issue they counted as their top priority? That’s the difference in parties, and it’s killing the Democrats:
"The governor's job is to veto budget items that don't reflect citizens' values. That's why a million people signed recall petitions - because Scott Walker's budgets didn't reflect citizens' values," Falk spokesman Scot Ross said. "All the support she'll receive is because she the best candidate to take on Gov. Walker's divisive, extreme, national tea party agenda and bring Wisconsin back together."
“I said I could not make that promise and I did not think any serious candidate for governor could or should make that commitment," Cullen said of a veto of the state budget. "It's a $60 billion document."But newly announced candidate Sen. Kathleen Vinehout was just as cautious.
Vinehout said that she would seek to sell the state public on the importance of restoring collective bargaining rather than attempt to force it through the Legislature in a budget standoff. "The answer to that was that was I would do my very best to avoid a situation where we have brinkmanship," Vinehout said.But didn't we already have that discussion, the protests...the recall for gods sake?
The democratic candidate cannot win the governorship of Wisconsin by getting just the votes of union supporters and registered Democrats. They will need a substantial number of votes from independents. However, these independents have been fed the mantra of 'unions bad'. They've been told that public union workers are getting benefits that you don't get and they don't deserve. And these benefits are at your expense.
ReplyDeleteSo, unless the democratic candidate can convince these independent voters otherwise, he/she is going to lose.
I also think voters outside of Dane County/Madison, may not vote for Kathleen Falk.
This is an incredibly stupid pose. Most of us that marched at the Capitol agree that restoring collective bargaining rights should be a main platform of any Dem candidate, but to threaten to VETO THE BUDGET if it's not part of it? A shameless pander that is counterproductive.
ReplyDeleteAnd why wouldn't you pass the restoration of collective bargaining rights as a separate piece of legislation, and start it right after you're elected, instead of hammering it out through the arduous budget process. One of our main problems is that real issues aren't discussed separate from the budget, and since Walker and WisGOP admit collective bargaining isn't a fiscal issue, why not do it separately? :)
It won't just be voters outside of Dane County who won't vote for Kathy Falk in a primary- lots of us in the county won't do it either, mostly because of panders like this.
Keep up the good work on TDY, and bring this up tomorrow.