I Stand with Walker

What is the most upsetting issue revolving around this 144 page "Budget Repair Bill?"  It is that so many people are surprised that a politician is actually doing what he said he would do.  Scott Walker campaigned on changing the way our state government does business including taking on the state employee unions.  With his record as Milwaukee's County Executive people knew that he is a man of his word and has the political courage to actually do something about our problems.

Democrats whine about the process saying that there has not been enough time.  Sorry, but this bill is only 144 pages and was introduced a week before any voting on the bill took place.  Where was the outrage from Democrats when Governor Doyle and the Democrats passed a $1 billion tax increase in a budget merely 24 hours after it was introduced?  At the time there were 15 opposing Republicans in the Senate.  They did the right thing and stayed to keep the democratic process alive, knowing that they would be defeated.  What the Democrats in the Senate have done is set a new precedent in obstructionism.  If you don't like something, run and hide with all your friends.  Had Republicans done this for Doyle's tax increases, how outrageous and contemptible that would have been!

What Walker has done does not disband unions by any stretch as many would have you believe.  What Walker has done is limited their once overbearing negotiating power.  Politicians through recent history have kept public employee wages in check only to increase their benefits.  The average Milwaukee Public Schools teacher this year will earn $100,005 in compensation, over 40% of which are estimated benefits costs.  Good luck finding that kind of deal in the private sector.  This allowed them to keep our biennial budget somewhat under control by passing extraordinary costs onto future taxpayers.  By limiting the collective bargaining to only wages, Walker is providing true transparency into increasing labor costs.  It is time for public employees to get a dose of reality.