Grothman and his "social misunderstanding"

Glenn Grothman clearly has a problem getting along with other people. Since the unprecedented protests in Madison started he has gone out of his way to insult/incite protesters. Recently Grothman described firefighters, cops, teachers nurses and other protesters as "slobs". That kind of over-the-top-rhetoric is par for the course with this extreme ideologue.

Now desperate right wingers are trying to make Grothman into a victim because he left Scott Walker's palace last night and walked into a crowd of protesters . Apparently they followed him and chanted "shame" at him repeatedly. Oh my, how could he ever survive!

Apparently Grothman was in a Dane County courtroom earlier today insulting Wisconsin working people again but this time it was under oath. It just seems that he is a magnet for drama and that he thrives on it.

The recent Grothman antics remind me of something that I read in an August 2009 West Bend Police report involving him. The police found no wrongdoing and didn't cite Grothman or anyone else involved in the situation. That being said, a few statements in the police report stuck with me.

While investigating the incident the police officer advised "Grothman to be cautious of his style when attempting to acknowledge political rivals." The officer went on to report that the incident appeared to be a "social misunderstanding."

"Social misunderstanding(s)"...from what I can tell Glenn Grothman seems to attract them whether he is at Germanfest in West Bend or at the Capitol in Madison.

Consequences of Politically Motivated Layoffs

Scott Walker has been jet setting all over the state and appearing on national media outlets. Lately he has used that time and profile to issue threats, saying that he will start laying off thousands of people. It seems that the number keeps growing along with his political desperation. But everyone should know that this is a sick strategy that he had used in Milwaukee County

Earlier today One Wisconsin Now reminded us about Walker's "Koch" call and how he described that it was part of his political strategy to threaten more and more layoffs. They also went on to remind us of Walker's misuse of layoff threats while he was still destroying Milwaukee County.

In November 2009 Walker was being interviewed on WTDY's Sly in the Morning radio show. During that interview Sly asked about the various budget issues in Milwaukee County and Walker described how he issued layoff threats just to "get their attention". So to get what he wanted politically from the Milwaukee County Board, Scott Walker used the threats of layoffs.

Listen for yourself and pay specific attention to how Walker appears to take joy in using the threat of layoffs as a political weapon.



Using the threat of layoffs gave Walker some of what he wanted in the budget but that was not enough for him (it never is). Only a few months later he unilaterally declared a budget crisis (sound familiar?) so that he could bypass the County Board and layoff the county workers . Those layoffs included 27 courthouse security personnel that were replaced by a questionable private security company.

Nearly a year after Walker sent these workers to the unemployment line a ruling came down that Walker in-fact did fake the fiscal crisis. As such his layoffs were ruled illegitimate and the county was not only ordered to offer the jobs back but also to provide back pay. Walker had already been sworn in as governor at the time of this ruling and probably didn't care that his arrogance and political game playing cost Milwaukee County dearly.

State workers, their unions and the public at-large should take note of how Scott Walker abused Milwaukee County, its people and its public employees. He is repeating that pattern right now in Madison.

100,000 Strong

ht: One Wisconsin Now for the video

Koch Brothers' Scottie

From the Center for American Progress via the Cartoonist Group

Senators Persecuted for Giving Public a Closer Look

The State of Wisconsin, the nation and the entire world continues to learn all of the sordid details that exist in Scott Walker's so-called "budget repair bill". They are learning that it contains a ton of non budgetary policy that is both sweeping and extreme. The bill has garnered most of this attention because of its attempt to repeal 50 plus years of labor rights in only a matter of days. But as time has passed we have learned more unfortunate details about this political document. From Walker wanting to replace career civil service employees with his own political appointees to his power grab over medicaid to his no-bid selling of Wisconsin assets and much more. We have indeed learned many of the ugly details of this bill and it is largely because of the 14 courageous Senate Democrats who derailed Scott Walker's legislative fast track (or should I say runaway train?).

It was clear that Scott Walker and the Republican leaders in the Legislature wanted to ram this sweeping and radical legislation down our throats before anyone got a close look at it. Democrats are in the minority and Republican legislators have proven themselves as nothing but rubber stamps for an extreme and overreaching administration. Although some media outlets attack the Senate Democrats for slowing down this runaway train, they apparently don't realize that they wouldn't even know half of the things that they currently do about the bill had not been for the Senators actions.

Scott Walker, his rubber stamps in the legislature and the extreme right wing were certainly not happy that Senate Democrats slowed down their runaway train. It is pretty clear that they really did not want the public to get a close look at the content of this bill until after it was too late. So Walker and Co. have deployed every attack and considered every dirty trick that they can to persecute the courageous senate Democrats that dared to stand in the way of his extreme agenda. Consider just some of the nasty attacks and tactics:

• Sending the State Patrol to Senators' homes and accomplishing little more than causing an early morning scene, intimidating the Senator's spouses, and frightening their children and grandchildren.
• Holding the pay of Senators by revoking their direct deposits and instead locking their checks in desks on the Senate floor.
• Conspiring with fellow Republican AG J.B. Van Hollen to try and dream up some imagined felony to threaten Democratic Senators. They seem perfectly willing to potentially abuse the law to conduct a political witch hunt (see "Koch" call).
• After at least one of the Senators received a threat that someone might burn down their home, right wing radicals show up at their Illinois hotel and trespass on private property necessitating police protection.
• On the 18th the usual Walker-boosting suspects at CRG sent extensive open records requests to several Senators (They must have rushed to send them because requests to some Senators asked for the records of a different Senator).
• Also on the 18th Milwaukee's WITI Fox 6 also sent an extensive open records request to the Democratic Senators (I have asked Fox 6 if they sent records requests to the Republican leadership in the legislature or to Scott Walker's office but so far they have not responded to that inquiry). Then they sent a revised request on the 23rd.
• We also know, thanks to Scott Walker's conversation with "David Koch", that he planned underhanded and dishonest tricks to get the Democratic Senators back to the Capitol. In the same conversation joking about bringing his baseball bat to the fake meeting.
• Walker has also tried to pressure Senate Democrats by using the same old shtick that he used repeatedly in Milwaukee County. Threatening layoffs if he didn't get his own way. We know that this is just one of his over-the-top political ploys as he admitted in a radio interview last year.
• Some Utah-recall group threatening to recall Wisconsin Senators.

It is clear that Scott Walker, his rubber stamps in the legislature and the extreme right wing that support them are willing to try every dirty trick in the book to ram this radical bill through. Going into this conspiracy they were overconfident and that is why the brave actions of the Senate Democrats have upset them so much. Walker and Co. were not counting on the public getting a nice long look at his radical bill. Each day new repugnant details of this bill emerge and that is exactly what Walker wanted to avoid by ramming it through fast. That is also why he is trying to use ever dirty trick in the book to persecute the State Senators that forced a full examination of this radical bill.

Outside Agitators You Say?

The right wing has desperately tried to explain away the massive and unrelenting numbers of protesters coming to Madison from every corner of the state. One talking point is that the large numbers can be explained away because there are allegedly "outside agitators" involved in the protests. Even Scott Walker alluded to this during his bumper sticker reading session last night. I'll be waiting for Walker to start chastising some of these outsiders that are injecting themselves into the debate:

• The Utah recall group that reportedly started the initial process of recalling the Wisconsin 14 (Democratic Senators that stopped this legislation from being rammed down our throats in only 5 days).
• The Koch Brothers and their bankrolling the attack on Wisconsin workers and on their rights. Not only are they paying the bills but they also recently opened shop near the Capitol, hiring a small army of lobbyists.
• The Republican Governor's Association now running their own brand of dishonest and over-the-top attack ads against Wisconsin workers. We also know that they are bankrolled by even more "outside agitators" like Fox News (among many others).
• Right wing charlatan and well documented liar Andrew Breitbart and his churning out vile propaganda against Wisconsin workers and those that stand in solidarity with them.

So if Scott Walker is really so concerned about "outside agitators" perhaps he should start with some of his own. Scott Walker can continue his delusional comments about the increasing and unrelenting thousands of protesters but it wont change reality. These are hard working tax paying Wisconsinites that are outraged at his aggression towards them. They are firefighters, teachers, snow plow drivers, concerned citizens and many others. Oh, and when the inevitable recall papers are filed against Walker and his enablers in the legislature, I can assure you, it will not be done by someone in Utah (or any other state).

To Quote Scott Walker...

"You want a tough job; you've got to take some hits." [April 9, 2002]

Yes and that is especially true when you bring it on yourself by trying to end 50 years of law and tradition in only 5 days.

ht on video: Blue Cheddar

Attention Media: Don't Miss the Real Story!

I've read, watched and listened to many reports in the media about Scott Walker's "budget repair bill" (which is anything but) and I'm noticing an incomplete theme. Too much of the focus in the reporting is being put on the prospect of wage and benefit reductions. Don't be misled into thinking that this is the major point of the backlash against this bill. After all the public employee unions were already prepared to give $100 million in various concessions but Walker refused to negotiate at all. So the unions have made it clear that they are not adverse to carrying their fair share of the burden in terms of wage/benefit concessions.

The real outrage is Walker's unprecedented attempt to take away basically all collective bargaining rights. That wipes out basic rights that workers have had for over 50 years in Wisconsin. That includes the loss of the right to address things like workplace safety, seniority, grievance procedures and just about anything else for that matter. These drastic and unprecedented actions are bad enough but trying to do so in the space of one week is downright diabolical. This is not to even mention the fact that the bill very deliberately tries to weaken and undermine public employee unions organizationally.

It is right to highlight this bill's proposed cuts to workers pay and benefits because those things are very real and they are significant. But don't get stuck in the right wing talking points so deep that you leave the discussion only in that one rut. Continue to report the full amount of damage that this bill will do not only to workers' pay and benefits but also to their most fundamental rights. If you've missed that major detail then you have missed the real story.

You're Against "Policy" in a "Budget Bill" You Say?

If only I had a dime for every time a Wisconsin Republican lamented "putting policy in a budget bill". While Governor Doyle was in office they constantly repeated the mantra like a cadre of broken records. If we didn't before, we now know that this right wing frothing was nothing but phony political posturing. If the concern was ever genuine, then why are some of the same people feigning outrage before standing behind Scott Walker's "budget repair bill" now? Because it is stuffed with radical right wing policy.

The Legislative Fiscal Bureau put together a memo listing various policy items in Walker's "budget" bill. It includes a variety of new policies in the areas of Children & Family services, Health Services, the State Civil Service System and repealing collective bargaining rights for public employees (even on issues that have nothing to do with pay/benefits and don't impact the state budget in any way).

One of the extreme items that Walker has included in this bill involves yet another power grab that I've only heard a few people talk about. In his bill Walker is seeking to create and personally fill new political appointee positions. Primarily these Walker appointees would replace any legal council at the various state agencies. Apparently he doesn't want anyone but a loyal political appointee rendering "legal" decisions. No doubt that will help make their conclusions fit his predetermined political agenda.

The bottom line is that there are a ton of extreme and overreaching policy items stuffed into this bill and the same Republican hypocrites that were complaining about the tactic months ago are employing it now. For just one example, take former Republican Speaker Mike Huebsch's (now in the Walker cabinet) comments in 2007:

"If it is good policy, it should go through the regular process. It should come in as legislation, it should go through committee hearings, and have a stand-alone vote in the Legislature."

Now this phony is busy pimping himself to help fast track Walker's "budget bill" which is not only fully infused with policy but the kind of extreme policy that fundamentally changes at least 50 years of Wisconsin law. Not to mention that the bill is totally unprecedented in how Walker is trying to seize power that currently doesn't exist in the office of the governor. Mike Huebsch, can you tell me again why you are were so against the idea of policy being included in a budget bill? What has changed besides the party affiliation of the governor's office?

Huebsch certainly isn't alone, there is a whole parade of right wing hypocrites on this issue. People like Republican Robin Vos have repeatedly "offered nasally diatribes against the use of 'non-fiscal policy' items in state budgeting." Thank goodness someone took a moment in today's rushed hearing to point out his total hypocrisy and to get it formally on the record.

This is the queen of all policy-infused budget bills and that suddenly doesn't seem to bother anyone on the far right.

Despotic Bill Not About A Budget

Scott Walker's despotic attack on public employees (and ultimately on all workers) is being misleadingly couched as a budgetary issue. The only part of this extreme agenda that has anything to do with a budget is the fact that he chose to introduce this radical policy in something called a "budget repair bill". Public employee unions were ready to go to the negotiating table making concessions representing hundreds of millions of dollars. But like any dictator, Walker had no interest in negotiation because he had a radical agenda to impose. An agenda that overturns 50 plus years of labor law in one week with little to no public discussion. Perhaps the biggest piece of evidence that this is not about real budgetary consideration is Walker's excluding of police and fire unions, some of which politically supported his campaign.

If Walker's plans really had anything to do with budgetary concerns he would not have excluded his political supporters in the police and fire unions. While he suggests that his naked attempt at killing (most) public employee unions will save local municipalities money, he doesn't address the fact that often they spend large portions of their budgets on public safety. So how do you actually save local governments cash when you have exempted what is often their largest expenditure?

For example, the Public Policy Forum provided some of the following data in a 2009 report on the City of Milwaukee's budget:

• Police, Fire and Public Works departments have represented 75% of overall tax levy-supported departmental expenditures.
• From 2004-2008 those three departments also accounted for 81% of departmental expenditure growth. Among those three departments, the police department had by far the largest expenditure growth, with the fire department coming in a distant second.
• In fact police and fire expenditures comprised a full 58% of the city’s operating and maintenance expenditures.
• The Milwaukee Police Department alone had the greatest portion of city expenditures, accounting for 40% of it and for a full 38% of all city positions.

These facts serve only as examples and are certainly not exclusive to the City of Milwaukee. Take a look at most municipal budgets and you will often find that the police and fire departments are among their largest (if not their largest) expenditure items.

The point here is certainly not to promote taking away the collective bargaining rights of police officers or fire fighters, but rather to expose the Walker lie that his radical agenda has anything to do with budgetary concerns, especially for local governments.

Afterthought: If you are a local official and you think that Scott Walker has any concern whatsoever about your local budget, you better brace yourself for when you become the next bullet point on his extreme agenda. Given his record and past proposals, it will likely come in the form of drastic cuts or maybe even the elimination of the shared revenue program. So now just might be a good time to take a stand.

Everyone Should Honor the Labor Movement

I'm sure that most people are looking forward to the extended holiday weekend. The truth is that if not for the labor movement in America, not only would we not have the extra day off but we wouldn't even have a weekend in the first place. Like many of the other achievements of labor, as a society we clearly take it all for granted now.

Here are just a handful of examples that come to my mind: The Eight Hour Workday, The Weekend, Child Labor Laws
Basic Workplace Safety Laws, Basic Benefits Like Vacation time, Paid Sick Days and Health Insurance

Some have chosen to forget what the labor movement won for all of us through blood, sweat, tears, and even death. Let's face it, when have the corporate elites ever given workers anything that they didn't have to fight for? Although they are a favorite target of the right-wing, there are many things that all of us simply wouldn't enjoy today without labor fighting those battles of the past. This weekend we should all honor those sacrifices of the past and think about how we can create a better working environment for the future.