What could possibly go wrong?

I mean transparency in government is, like, SO yesterday!

It's starting to look like the question isn't how much trouble Scott Walker is in, but just how many criminals he will take along with him. And perhaps the most ironic part? The owner of a decrepit, broken-down old freight railroad sits at the bottom of this apparent pay-to-play scandal. So after terminating the $850 million dollar high-speed rail project, it looks like Walker is going to be quite figuratively rode out of town on a busted rail. I wonder what he looks like in an orange jumpsuit? Hope we get a chance to find out.

Petitions have now been filed for a recall election against State Senator Luther Olsen. Sheila Harsdorf petitions should be filed shortly as well, which will make it four Repubs standing for recall so far, with hopefully more to follow.

Despite efforts to recall many of the Senate 14 (Dem Senators), no signatures have been filed and reports indicate Repubs are having difficulty getting sufficient numbers of signatures in these districts.

Boehner and the Tea Party call them trickle-down "job creators" who can't be expected to pay their share in taxes. I call them freeloaders who we can no longer afford to let ride along for nothing.

“the fight to maintain human liberty, the rights of all people.”

"Understand this. If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain, when I'm in the White House, I'll put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself. I'll walk on that picket line with you as President of the United States because Americans deserve to know that somebody is standing in their corner."

We're waiting. Nurses, who have been on the ground every day in Madison and at support rallies across the country, will buy his shoes.

Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill would bust the budget of the state agency required to administer part of it, while creating a strange and difficult standard for unions to meet in order to continue to exist, said Peter Davis, general counsel for the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission.

Walker’s bill would require the commission’s 20-person staff to conduct votes in up to 2,000 state and local government unions each April, Davis said Thursday.

“We would try, but there’s no way we could do it,” Davis said.

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From the article:

Wisconsin State Senator Julie Lassa said Friday that she and fellow Senate Democrats recently have been in discussions with Senate Republicans who also have concerns with elements of the bill, and stated those discussions soon could lead to an agreement.

I assume this might be of particular interest to those on "dag"blog...

From the letter, issued and signed by the Madison Metropolitan School District:

"The Governor's proposals are a damaging blow to all our public services and dedicated public employees. The legislation's radical and punitive approach to the collective bargaining process seems likely to undermine our productive working relationship with our teachers and damage the work environment, to the ultimate detriment of student achievement."

I couldn't have said it better myself! ;O)

 

According to the district, as of Tuesday night 40 percent of the 2,600 members of the teacher bargaining unit (in the Madison School District) called in sick. 

"It is expected that this number will continue to increase through Wednesday morning. At this ratio we have serious concerns about our ability to maintain safe and secure school environments." 

 

"Which side are you on, boys?"

Seems to be the question of the day in these parts, and Labor still has its champions.

Gee! I never saw it coming!

In response to the collapse of the housing bubble, didn't we approve hundreds of billions of dollars to be spent dealing with these "Troubled Assets" to keep this kind of disaster from crippling the economy?

Tax cuts for business are the order of the day. Meanwhile, the state budget deficit must be carried on the backs of the workers. They can keep their jobs, Walker says. But "jobs" will be redefined as "something to do with whatever time you have available," nothing more. Wages? Benefits? Non-negotiable. Wisconsin is "Open for Business." Sucks to be you.

But the formal endorsement came as Mr. Suleiman appeared to reject the protesters’ main demands, including the immediate resignation of Mr. Mubarak and the dismantling of a political system built around one-party rule, according to leaders of a small, officially authorized opposition party who spoke with Mr. Suleiman on Saturday.

Nor has Mr. Suleiman, a former general, former intelligence chief and Mr. Mubarak’s longtime confidant, yet reached out to the leaders designated by the protesters to negotiate with the government, opposition groups said.