Wisconsin Parking Spots Are Next Battleground in Budget Impasse

Thursday, 03 Mar 2011 06:38 AM


Senate Republicans in Wisconsin, refusing to compromise on a proposal to curb collective bargaining, are making the parking spots of their Democratic counterparts their next target.

The Republican-controlled body created a rule yesterday that would strip the parking privileges of senators, or their staff, who are absent without leave for two or more session days. The missing member would also face a daily penalty of $100.

Fourteen Senate Democrats left the state last month to prevent a vote on Governor Scott Walker’s “budget repair bill.” The Assembly, also Republican-led, on Feb. 25 passed the measure, which curbs the collective negotiating rights of government employees and helped spark protests across the U.S.

“This majority is trying to compel those senators to come back and do their job,” Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said at a press briefing in the Capitol in Madison yesterday. The appearance was held to “once again show our unity to demonstrate that we’re all very strong on the governor’s budget- repair bill,” he said.

The penalties may begin as soon as tomorrow for members who remain absent, Fitzgerald said. The rule also enables the Senate majority leader to instruct the chief clerk to empty out a missing member’s office expense account and end paychecks through direct deposit, compelling legislators to retrieve the money in person.

‘Torn Apart’

Fitzgerald said he was “disappointed” that the Senate Democrats have continued to stay out of the state. The 33-member body has 19 Republicans.

“The institution of the Wisconsin state Senate is, I think unfortunately, being torn apart by this bill,” he said.

Walker, a Republican, on March 1 proposed $3.4 billion of cuts and savings in his spending plan for the next two years to help close a $3.6 billion deficit.

An e-mail and telephone call requesting comment from the office of Senate Democratic Leader Mark Miller of Monona went unanswered.


Copyright 2010 Bloomberg News

Good.

Citizens should be outraged that their senators are AWOL.

Imagine a corporation having a board of directors not agree on something and half of them running away to Europe. They'd be fiired.

Cowards or savvy politicians, you say potato...

(03-03-2011 12:24 PM)Mr. Peanut Wrote:  Cowards or savvy politicians, you say potato...

No one buys your delusional thought process. Redefining words is the lefter's stock and trade. Terrorist v. Freedom fighter. Sane people know what you are doing, and soundly reject it. Fail PeaWee.

What a shame the reichwingers up there are such babies. Btw, are Muammar Walker and his cronies going to open up the palace-I mean Capitol building for public use anytime soon? I mean, it was court ordered. Guess Walker and his goons feel they are above the law and can do whatever the hell they want.

(03-03-2011 12:24 PM)Mr. Peanut Wrote:  Cowards or savvy politicians, you say potato...

1. It's been reported to be a felony.

2. You whine and critizice when GOP lawmakers filibuster or table a bill in committee...both of which are legal.

(03-03-2011 12:49 PM)RobertN Wrote:  What a shame the reichwingers up there are such babies. Btw, are Muammar Walker and his cronies going to open up the palace-I mean Capitol building for public use anytime soon? I mean, it was court ordered. Guess Walker and his goons feel they are above the law and can do whatever the hell they want.

Seems to me that the "babies" were those who were losing and knew it. They felt their only option was to run away from defeat and hide. They have an important legislative job and decided to run.

Robert, as your hero the One has said - elections have consequences. In such a deep blue state, the voters threw out the dems who have run that state for generations. They voted in Walker and a GOP majority.

Despite those facts, you want to smear those who are doing what they campaigned and won the election on. The more that they whine, goon it up with thug tactics, and stay away from their jobs in the Wisconsin legislature, the less support your side will get from the Average American. Your side is losing this fight and you insist on digging.

Oh, and please keep calling those adults who didn't run away from their jobs and responsibilities names. It is really, really helping your cause.

Again, they may be right in what they want to accomplish, but they are going about it the wrong way.

What would be the right way?

(03-03-2011 01:35 PM)Redwingtom Wrote:  Again, they may be right in what they want to accomplish, but they are going about it the wrong way.

I agree with your thought with the exception of being right. I'm left wondering what the consequences are for them if they show up and vote against the bill only to see it pass. In reality, the unions only lose the money they've already conceded to contribute to their benefits. As for collective bargaining, is losing that really such a bad thing? That mostly impacts the union chiefs.

(03-03-2011 01:30 PM)MileHighBronco Wrote:  

(03-03-2011 12:49 PM)RobertN Wrote:  What a shame the reichwingers up there are such babies. Btw, are Muammar Walker and his cronies going to open up the palace-I mean Capitol building for public use anytime soon? I mean, it was court ordered. Guess Walker and his goons feel they are above the law and can do whatever the hell they want.

Seems to me that the "babies" were those who were losing and knew it. They felt their only option was to run away from defeat and hide. They have an important legislative job and decided to run.

Robert, as your hero the One has said - elections have consequences. In such a deep blue state, the voters threw out the dems who have run that state for generations. They voted in Walker and a GOP majority.

Despite those facts, you want to smear those who are doing what they campaigned and won the election on. The more that they whine, goon it up with thug tactics, and stay away from their jobs in the Wisconsin legislature, the less support your side will get from the Average American. Your side is losing this fight and you insist on digging.

Oh, and please keep calling those adults who didn't run away from their jobs and responsibilities names. It is really, really helping your cause.

I don't know but if I am a senator and the first time I heard of the bill was in a commercial by a rightwing fringe group while driving to work, I might take drastic measures too. Transparency? Who needs it?

(03-03-2011 01:41 PM)smn1256 Wrote:  

(03-03-2011 01:35 PM)Redwingtom Wrote:  Again, they may be right in what they want to accomplish, but they are going about it the wrong way.

I agree with your thought with the exception of being right. I'm left wondering what the consequences are for them if they show up and vote against the bill only to see it pass. In reality, the unions only lose the money they've already conceded to contribute to their benefits. As for collective bargaining, is losing that really such a bad thing? That mostly impacts the union chiefs.

Well, there is definetily some impact felt by the rank and file on at least some level.

And I said they "may" be right. If they are, then the bill won't accomplish anything and the governor will not likely be re-elected.

(03-03-2011 12:50 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  

(03-03-2011 12:24 PM)Mr. Peanut Wrote:  Cowards or savvy politicians, you say potato...

1. It's been reported to be a felony.

2. You whine and critizice when GOP lawmakers filibuster or table a bill in committee...both of which are legal.

I don't whine about either one of those or "Deem and Pass" for that matter. Politics is a hard business and the GOP does a masterful job of gaming the system (within th rules) and confounding the Dems. If this is a felony then they will suffer for their actions. Ultimately the people will decide at the ballot box

(03-03-2011 01:30 PM)MileHighBronco Wrote:  

(03-03-2011 12:49 PM)RobertN Wrote:  What a shame the reichwingers up there are such babies. Btw, are Muammar Walker and his cronies going to open up the palace-I mean Capitol building for public use anytime soon? I mean, it was court ordered. Guess Walker and his goons feel they are above the law and can do whatever the hell they want.

Seems to me that the "babies" were those who were losing and knew it. They felt their only option was to run away from defeat and hide. They have an important legislative job and decided to run.

Robert, as your hero the One has said - elections have consequences. In such a deep blue state, the voters threw out the dems who have run that state for generations. They voted in Walker and a GOP majority.

Despite those facts, you want to smear those who are doing what they campaigned and won the election on. The more that they whine, goon it up with thug tactics, and stay away from their jobs in the Wisconsin legislature, the less support your side will get from the Average American. Your side is losing this fight and you insist on digging.

Oh, and please keep calling those adults who didn't run away from their jobs and responsibilities names. It is really, really helping your cause.

Informal board sanity rules ask that one never quotes RobertN directly, so that those who have him on ignore don't have to see his posts......

(03-03-2011 01:48 PM)RobertN Wrote:  

(03-03-2011 01:30 PM)MileHighBronco Wrote:  

(03-03-2011 12:49 PM)RobertN Wrote:  What a shame the reichwingers up there are such babies. Btw, are Muammar Walker and his cronies going to open up the palace-I mean Capitol building for public use anytime soon? I mean, it was court ordered. Guess Walker and his goons feel they are above the law and can do whatever the hell they want.

Seems to me that the "babies" were those who were losing and knew it. They felt their only option was to run away from defeat and hide. They have an important legislative job and decided to run.

Robert, as your hero the One has said - elections have consequences. In such a deep blue state, the voters threw out the dems who have run that state for generations. They voted in Walker and a GOP majority.

Despite those facts, you want to smear those who are doing what they campaigned and won the election on. The more that they whine, goon it up with thug tactics, and stay away from their jobs in the Wisconsin legislature, the less support your side will get from the Average American. Your side is losing this fight and you insist on digging.

Oh, and please keep calling those adults who didn't run away from their jobs and responsibilities names. It is really, really helping your cause.

I don't know but if I am a senator and the first time I heard of the bill was in a commercial by a rightwing fringe group while driving to work, I might take drastic measures too. Transparency? Who needs it?

Walker campaigned on doing this, won on this. Keep Ignoring that light in the tunnel as you get plowed over.