May 9-12, 2012
May 09 00:48 Paul Thissen, House Minority Spin Leader May 09 09:52 Interesting turnout figures from Wisconsin May 11 03:25 Session highs and lows May 11 04:33 A Romney landslide? May 11 21:02 A Better Legislature: Already misleading Minnesota May 12 03:09 Walker's divide & conquer strategy? May 12 12:02 More bad news for Sherrod Brown, President Obama May 12 19:50 Another bad polling day for President Obama
Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Paul Thissen, House Minority Spin Leader
When Gov. Dayton vetoed the GOP tax reform bill, he vetoed a bill that would've created lots of jobs. He then had another hissy fit about the rich not paying their fair share and how the middle class is getting shafted, blah, blah, blah.
House Minority Leader Paul Thissen quickly issued this statement :
In this tax bill[,] Republicans made it crystal clear that corporations and big businesses are their top priority. But cutting taxes for corporations and big businesses while ignoring homeowners, seniors and farmers is the wrong priority. Governor Dayton made the right choice for Minnesota's future by vetoing it.
Republicans are simply out of touch with middle class Minnesotans, seniors and farmers. Last year they squeezed Minnesotans with higher property taxes when they eliminated the Homestead Credit while protecting corporate special interests. This year they doubled-down on corporate tax cuts while turning a deaf ear to middle class Minnesotans who have faced skyrocketing property tax hikes.
Next year the state faces billions in debt due to the Republican shutdown budget. Digging our state into a deeper financial hole with corporate tax cuts and putting those tax cuts ahead of paying back our kids is absolutely the wrong approach. Tax reform is a priority for our state's economic future, but we should do it the right way. That means not adding to our states deficit and ensuring our priority is middle class Minnesotans - not corporate special interests.
First, Gov. Dayton showed that he isn't a friend of business by vetoing this bill. You can't be pro jobs if you're anti-business.
Next, let's highlight Thissen's class warfare talking points, starting with this one:
[C]utting taxes for corporations and big businesses while ignoring homeowners, seniors and farmers is the wrong priority.
First, it's apparent that Rep.Thissen hasn't figured it out that many corporations aren't "big businesses." In fact, many are part of a healthy middle class. The bipartisan 21st Century Tax Commission report was composed of tax experts, not politicians. Their sole job was to identify ways to make Minnesota prosperous. Here's something they put in their report:
Globalization
Minnesota increasingly competes with other states, and other nations, for new jobs and business investments. Minnesota's workers face stiff competition from their lower-wage counterparts around the world, many of whom are highly skilled or educated.
With increasingly mobile capital, tax differences matter more than ever . Many economists point to corporate income taxes as 'most harmful for growth.' As other states and nations reduce corporate taxes to compete more effectively, Minnesota's high tax rates make the state less attractive to new or expanding companies. Since 2002, five states have reduced corporate tax rates (Kentucky, New York, North Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia). In addition, Ohio's replacement of its corporate income tax with a broad-based gross receipts tax will cut its business taxes by $1.4 billion annually.
In short, Minnesota's antiquated corporate tax system is hurting the middle class because Minnesota isn't attracting businesses that create a healthy middle class. If Gov. Dayton and Rep. Thissen succeed in maintaining the corporate tax status quo, Minnesota will be stuck with erratic economic growth.
Next, let's dispatch with this spin ASAP:
Next year the state faces billions in debt due to the Republican shutdown budget.
Rep. Thissen and Sen. Bakk are the reason for the shutdown. On June 30, Gov. Dayton agreed with GOP leadership on a budget that didn't raise taxes. After the GOP leadership returned to Gov. Dayton's office to tell him they'd accepted the deal, Gov. Dayton told the GOP leadership that they didn't have a deal after all.
This is typical DFL anti-capitalist nonsense:
Digging our state into a deeper financial hole with corporate tax cuts and putting those tax cuts ahead of paying back our kids is absolutely the wrong approach.
It hasn't dawned on Rep. Thissen or Gov. Dayton that changing tax policy will change businesses' behavior. Rep. Thissen and Gov. Dayton have stuck with their policies because it's a matter of faith with them. It doesn't have anything to do with economic policy.
Tags: Taxes , Paul Thissen , Veto , Mark Dayton , Deficits , DFL , Tax Reform , Corporations , Jobs , Small Businesses , MNGOP
Posted Wednesday, May 9, 2012 12:48 AM
Comment 1 by eric z at 09-May-12 07:40 AM
Gary, you are not rich. You are not a 1% club member. Why be married to them, or be their junior partner? I can understand their agenda being what it is. I cannot understand those outside the clubhouse embracing it. That never has made sense to me. Greed, that I understand. Romney destroying corporations, the greed behind that, I understand. Little guys shouting "Bravo" seems a denial of self-interest.
Comment 2 by walter hanson at 09-May-12 05:18 PM
Eric:
Does that mean you're married to a poor person and giving them your wealth?
Does that mean you're not aware that the state budget is now balanced and performing better than projected from June 30, 2011.
does that mean you don't know it was Mark Dayton and the Democrats who shut down the government?
I can go on, but it looks like you don't know what you're talking about. After all it's fact that you don't know that Moms work very hard.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Comment 3 by Rex Newman at 10-May-12 07:10 AM
I am free to name a very credible source on this, but suffice it to say that Paul Thissen is a moron.
Response 3.1 by Gary Gross at 10-May-12 10:36 AM
He's a phony, too.
Interesting turnout figures from Wisconsin
With the Wisconsin primaries for the June recall elections now history, it's time to see what lessons can be learned from Tuesday night's primaries. First, Tom Barrett defeated Kathleen Falk in the Democratic primary with 58% of the vote. There were 670,278 Democratic votes cast for governor in this supposedly hotly contested primary.
Next, in a primary that was never in doubt, Gov. Walker bested his opponent by getting 626,538 votes. Combining Gov. Walker's votes with his GOP opponent's votes brings the total GOP vote to 646,458 votes.
At minimum, Tom Barrett should be worried. Barrett worked hard and defeated Falk, which is the good news. The bad news is that a) Gov. Walker's team worked hard and got almost as many votes in an essentially uncontested primary as the Democrats got in a contested primary and b) the unions have been airing anti-Walker ads for awhile.
What's worse for Barrett is that Gov. Walker hasn't spent much of his huge warchest in advertising. Yet.
When Gov. Walker opens the advertising floodgates, I suspect that much of the advertising will highlight the direct correlation between Gov. Walker's policies and the people's dropping property tax bills. That flood of positivity, I suspect, will more than offset the unions' onslaught of spin and negativity.
One thing's certain: Gov. Walker's vote total will increase in the recall election. Gov. Walker's GOTV operation is operating at peak efficiency already. What's more is that Gov. Walker's organization is getting stronger. The volunteers have proved that they're motivated, too.
Ben Jacobs makes another good point in this article :
Even more disturbing for Democrats was that Barrett won despite the overwhelming opposition of the labor movement, which backed Falk as the more progressive candidate. Barrett had only entered the race at the end of March and still managed to overwhelm months of efforts on behalf of Falk by organized labor, which had anointed her as its chosen candidate when the Walker recall movement was still in its infancy.
The Wisconsin PEUs' candidate got defeated by 20-something points. It's inconceivable that these unionists won't turn out for Barrett for the recall election. Still, it's gotta sting that union leadership didn't get their way after all the work and money they expended on Kathleen Falk.
Tags: Kathleen Falk , Tom Barrett , PEUs , Primaries , Wisconsin , Democrats , Scott Walker , GOP , Recall Election
Posted Wednesday, May 9, 2012 9:52 AM
Comment 1 by eric z at 09-May-12 03:30 PM
I hope he gets recalled resoundingly. Short of that, recalled. But why play guessing games?
Comment 2 by walter hanson at 09-May-12 05:14 PM
Eric:
Don't worry Obama is being recalled overwhelming! That's who you want recalled. If you're talking about Walker the question now is only how big is his victory margin going to be. I think it will be at least by the 5% he won by in 2010.
Walter hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Comment 3 by eric z at 10-May-12 06:57 AM
Walter, we wait and see.
Your guys, I was really impressed with them doing their stadium thing. Meetings behind an "Iron Curtain" with cronies, unwilling to expose the process to public scrutiny, unwilling to let the public have a referendum vote, being fellow-travelers of Dayton, Mondale and Rybak while calling themselves true conservatives because they want to intrude into other folks' bedrooms.
They held the majority in both houses, and sold out.
Bless them.
Comment 4 by walter hanson at 10-May-12 04:18 PM
Eric:
On a post about Wisconsin you're talking about the stadium. It's more appropiate that you post this point on a stadium post.
And if you're using this to attack the Republicans this is a poor job.
The bill was fully vetted! No secret write up like Harry Reid did on the health care bill. Not to mention the bill forced the Vikings to pay more than Minneapolis and Dayton agreed that they had to give yet you want to call that a sell out.
The vote was divided with Republicans and Democrats voting yes or no so it's hard to argue that the Republicans sold out. Mark Dayton you can argue is the person who sold out the state since he was the one pushing it.
Of course since you don't know that Mom's work hard it's hard taking any comment you make seriously.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Session highs and lows
Thursday night, the Minnesota legislature adjourned sine die. Now that the 87th Session of the Minnesota Legislature is history, it's time to take a look back at the highs and lows of this legislative session.
King Banaian's HF2 legislation will have a substantial impact on the structure of state government. That's long forgotten because it was passed during the special session that ended the state government shutdown.
Dan Fabian's HF1 legislation was one of the first bills signed into law in 2011. Its impact will be felt for years to come. In fact, the impact is already being felt.
It's a shame that this legislative session's highlights are the historic state government shutdown and passing the Vikings stadium bill. The bill that Gov. Dayton signed into law in mid-July, 2011 was the bill he could've agreed to on June 30, 2011 .
Minnesota has felt the impact of Steve Gottwalt's HHS reform bill, which Gov. Dayton could've agreed to during the regular session. It's costing taxpayers less money for state-subsidized health insurance than it did 2 years.
Now that the legislating is done, the campaigns will start in earnest. For bloggers, that means the hectic season just finished. That means the frantic season is beginning.
Tags: Sunset Avisory Commission , King Banaian , Dan Fabian , Permitting Reform , Steve Gottwalt , HHS Reform , MNGOP , Mark Dayton , State Government Shutdown , DFL
Posted Friday, May 11, 2012 3:25 AM
No comments.
A Romney landslide?
Dick Morris is getting famous for making bold election predictions, then seeing those predictions turning into reality. This prediction faces an uphill fight if it's to become reality:
If the election were held today, Mitt Romney would win by a landslide.
Anyone who's read this blog knows that I was the first blogger to support Newt. I'll believe that to my dying breath. That said, it isn't difficult to picture Mitt defeating President Obama this November.
I've said that the GOP has a good chance of tipping a few Midwest blue states into the red column from the beginning. This polling is the first substantiation of that opinion:
Over the period of May 4-6, I completed a poll of 400 likely voters in Michigan and found Romney leading by 45-43! And Michigan is one of the most pro-Democrat of the swing states.
I also found that Obama's personal favorability, which has usually run about 10 to 20 points higher than his job approval, is now equal to his job rating. In Michigan, his personal favorability among likely voters is 47-47, while his job rating is 50-48. Romney's favorability is 49-42.
After the Indiana GOP primary, I'm picking that as the most likely of the Midwest states to go from blue in 2008 to red in 2012, followed by Wisconsin, then Michigan.
Throughout the last 5 years of Jennifer Granholm's administration, Michigan led the nation in unemployment rates. Couple that with Kwame Fitzpatrick's corruption in Detroit and you've got a perfect anti-Democrat storm brewing there.
At this point, I'm rating Michigan as a toss-up for the presidential election, with Indiana going strong GOP and with Wisconsin being somewhere between leans GOP and a toss-up.
Mssrs. Axelrod and Plouffe worst nightmare is President Obama fighting to win Michigan.
In 2008, North Carolina went Obama. This past Tuesday, African-American voters in North Carolina sent President Obama a clear message by voting for North Carolina's constitutional amendment banning gay marriage .
North Carolina, Virginia and Florida all flipped from red to blue in 2008. President Obama won't repeat that feat this time. In fact, there's a decent possibility that this trio of states flips those states back into the red column this time.
While I don't agree with all of Morris' predictions, I agree with him to the extent that there's a decent possibility of an electoral romp by Mitt.
Tags: Polls , Dick Morris , Pundit , Wisconsin , Michigan , Ohio , Indiana , Mitt Romney , GOP , President Obama , Democrats , Election 2012
Posted Friday, May 11, 2012 4:33 AM
Comment 1 by eric z at 11-May-12 08:05 AM
Let's be a bit more explicit. You were a supporter of Newt AND a critic of Romney AND of his people's tactics.
Don't etch-a-sketch at this point. Sure say anything about Romney - Obama, that's fair. But don't be so dismissive of history.
I know it is hard to compare the two because of how Romney has hidden from any definition of who he is, but he will be doing enough etch-a-sketch redefinition, that we should see something emerging soon as the persona Romney wants to project.
Comment 2 by Gary Gross at 11-May-12 09:19 AM
For months, even after he shafted the unions over the Keystone XL Pipeline project, President Obama claimed that he stood for an all-of-the-above energy policy. Screen shots showed, however, that President Obama's all-of-the-above policy didn't include coal.
Clearly, President Obama isn't interested in the truth.
Comment 3 by Bob J. at 11-May-12 11:33 AM
RINO for everybody. And no chance to remake the Republican Party until at least 2020.
If it weren't for who he's running against, I'd say this party deserves to go the way of the Whigs.
In any event, a conservative congress is vital in case we actually do elect a President Etch-A-Sketch.
Comment 4 by walter hanson at 11-May-12 03:52 PM
Eric:
I was hitting Gary hard during the primary about Newt and his coverage of Mitt. This post by Gary is an honest assessment of the race.
On the other hand you're talking about President Etch-A-Sketch. So we know that Obama is an etch-A-Sketch president since he changes his views on gay marriages for votes, like he claims on the xcel pipeline, etc. Besides since you don't know that mothers work very hard it's kind of hard to expect a serious thought from you.
Bob:
President etch-A-Sketch is Obama and being out of office in November of this year not 2020.
Gary
Don't forget Ohio!
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
A Better Legislature: Already misleading Minnesota
Minutes after the legislature recessed, a new progressive organization joined in misleading Minnesotans. The people writing ads for A Better Legislature made it clear that they share ABM's disdain for telling the whole truth.
If history was written based solely on their first video , you'd think that nothing positive got accomplished during the 2011-12 legislative sessions. ABL didn't waste time before ignoring the GOP legislature's positive pro-jobs and pro-taxpayer accomplishments.
If we based our votes on who accomplished and/or proposed positive things this session, the decision would be over within minutes. The DFL refused to propose a budget. The DFL didn't put a set of redistricting maps together. Sen. Bakk and Rep. Thissen wanted a government shutdown because they thaught they could force Republicans into a tax increase during a special session.
Another dirty little secret is that the DFL could've averted a government shutdown . Gov. Dayton ignored Jon Gunyou's letter to MnDOT Commissioner Sorel when he vetoed the Transportation Bill . DFL legislators could've kept road construction projects going by overriding Gov. Dayton's veto.
If the DFL had put a high priority on doing the right thing, they would've shown genuine political courage. Instead, they chose playing politics over doing the right thing.
According to ABL's video, the GOP legislature a) was "too extreme" and b)was a "do-nothing legislature" that focused on "the wrong priorities."
That's BS.
ABL also blames the GOP for the government shutdown despite the fact that Gov. Dayton could've signed the budget proposed on June 30,2011. Instead, state government was shut down for 2 weeks before he signed the budget that was agreed to on June 30.
The GOP legislature was productive. The GOP's reform agenda improved the permitting process, which is already creating jobs. The GOP reformed the budgeting process when they passed King Banaian's Sunset Advisory Commission legislation.
The GOP reformed the HHS when they passed Rep. Steve Gottwalt's HHS reform legislation. As a result of the HHS reform legislation, the HHS budget growth rates have shrunk from 16% increases per biennium to 5% growth rates per biennium going forward.
In fact, the DFL stood in the way of the entire GOP reform agenda.
ABL wants Minnesotans to ignore how much of a positive impact the GOP's reforms have had on creating job. The GOP legislature worked tirelessly to make it easier for all businesses to create jobs.
The GOP got little help from the DFL in turning a $6,200,000,000 deficit into a $1,200,000,000 surplus. By comparison, when the DFL won majorities in the House and Senate, they first spent the entire $2,200,000,000 surplus, then spent us into the aforementioned $6,200,000,000 deficit.
ABL will undoubtedly get tons of money from Dayton Family Politics, Inc., aka ABM. Alida Messinger promised her support months ago:
She is vowing to do all she can to help the DFL regain control of the Legislature and get President Obama re-elected...Messinger, 62, contends GOP politicians are harming Minnesota. 'We are not a quality-of-life state anymore,' she said. 'Citizens need to get involved and say we don't like what you are doing to our state.'
Messinger is entitled to her opinions. It's just that they're ridiculous. In November, 2010, Minnesotans spoke with a loud, clear voice in emphatically rejecting the DFL as majority party. That's when they rejected the DFL supermajority in the House and the veto-proof majority in the Senate. That's when Minnesotans in all corners of the state hired Republicans to run the legislature.
Doesn't Messinger think that their voices count? Does she think that only liberal voices count?
The DFL's thinking is straightforward. When they don't win, it isn't that people rejected their ideas. It's that their message didn't get out. That's warped thinking considering the media's availability to publish the DFL spin thinking without hesitation.
Thus far, ABL hasn't hesitated in not telling the truth, much less telling the whole truth. If ABL felt a fidelity to the truth, they could honestly say that they disagreed with the things the GOP legislature passed. They didn't take that approach. Instead, they developed a chanting point about how the GOP legislature was a "do-nothing legislature".
Here's some questions that ABL and their DFL allies won't answer: If the GOP legislature is a do-nothing legislature, how did the budget go from having a $6,200,000,000 deficit when they started to having a $1,200,000,000 surplus? If the GOP legislature is a do-nothing legislature, how is it that jobs are getting created?
The fact that Gov. Dayton signed the GOP budget and that that budget took Minnesota from a $6,200,000,000 deficit to a $1,200,000,000 suplus means that the legislature must've gotten things right most of the time.
HISTORICAL UPDATE: When Tim Pawlenty was elected governor, Minnesota faced a $4,200,000,000 deficit. As chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Jim Knoblach was given the responsibility to figure out what was and what wasn't needed. Not only did he balance the budget without raising taxes. When Jim retired in 2006, Minnesota had a $2,200,000,000 surplus, which the DFL inherited.
The DFL spent that $2,200,000,000 surplus, then ran the deficits up to $6,200,000,000.
It's a statement of historical fact that Republicans turned that $6,200,000,000 deficit into a $1,200,000,000 surplus by making wise spending decisions.
Tags: A Better Legislature , Alida Messinger , Special Interests , Redistricting , Paul Thissen , Tom Bakk , Government Shutdown , DFL , Reforms , Surplus , Budgets , Permits , HHS , MNGOP , Election 2012
Originally posted Friday, May 11, 2012, revised 12-May 12:18 AM
Comment 1 by A Promenient DFL Activist aka Rick Mons at 11-May-12 10:20 PM
This piece is breathtaking in its level of obfuscation. The cost of the tax bill's reduction/freezing of business taxes and creation of R&D credits is proposed to come from possible "surpluses" in revenue. If those surpluses fall short -- which won't be known much before the General Election -- the school districts better look out. (Especially since the Teaparty has already wiped out the Tobacco Settlement Fund in our lifetime.)
Mealsure the Teaparty's interest in creating jobs by looking at the beneficiaries of their economic legislation. It's the ol' trickle-down concept. Where, oh where, is economic legislation for the middle class which would spur demand? And, despite the Teaparty's obeisance toward their business buddies, which businesses hire unless there's demand for their goods and services?
The biggest pig-in-a-dress-and-lipstick this past session was the Teaparty cailing Tort Reform part of Job Creation. Even the Supreme Court and its reform task force openly laughed at that ploy.
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 12-May-12 12:09 AM
First, it's important to note that Rick's right that increasing demand for products creates jobs. Nobody who reads LFR disagrees with that statement.
Second, Rick's portrayal of TEA Party activists as virtually the GOP agenda is silly. Had the TEA Party gotten its way, the Vikings stadium bill likely wouldn't have gotten a vote. The DFL's use of the TEA Party as evil boogeyman is a time-tested trait of the DFL. Because the DFL is devoid of appealing ideas, their chances of winning elections is based on being negative while sounding reasonable.
As for the TEA Party wiping out the tobacco fund, Mons would be well-served to actually learn the TEA Party's foundational beliefs. At or near the top is the principle of not spending money foolishly in the first place. Limited government isn't just a motto with TEA Party activists. It's part of who they are.
Finally, the DFL's outright lies that this legislature was a "do-nothing legislature" isn't credible. Too many positive reforms became law over the last 2 years. Is Mons willing to argue that trimming the rate of growth of the HHS budget from 16% per biennium down to 5% per biennium isn't a major success? Is Mons willing to argue that speeding up the permitting process hasn't already had a significant impact in creating jobs?
Comment 2 by eric z at 12-May-12 08:30 AM
"Had the TEA Party gotten its way, the Vikings stadium bill likely wouldn't have gotten a vote."
That is the first good thing I have seen in any Tea Party stuff. Unsuccessful, but right minded. Too Bad.
Comment 3 by Chad Q at 12-May-12 10:32 AM
While I agree whole heartedly with your take on this Gary, unless the GOP gets a PR firm or someone in the party that can actually articulate their goals and success, it is a moot point. The DFL has the media to get their message out even if it is filled with half- truths and outright lies. Of course the GOP did not do itself any favors by increasing the budget, growing government, and allowing a billion dollar stadium to pass under its watch. While I detest everything the DFL does, at least you know what you are getting when they have the control. With the current crop of GOP, you just never know.
Walker's divide & conquer strategy?
The blogosphere and Twitter are abuzz with what's being called "Walker's divide & conquer strategy." The story tells us more about the media than it tells us about Gov. Scott Walker. This AP article is a perfect example of what I'm talking about:
Newly released documentary film footage shows embattled Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker shortly after his election describing a "divide and conquer" strategy for taking on unions by first going after public employees' collective bargaining rights.
I've heard the media call challengers embattled more than a few times. Still, until now, they've only said that about candidates when they're trailing.
That's the first time I've ever heard the media call a sitting governor with a 5-point lead embattled.
The AP's reporter wasn't done striking that tone. Here's more:
Walker, who faces a recall election next month largely because of anger over the collective bargaining law, made the documentary remarks in January 2011 in response to a question from Beloit billionaire Diane Hendricks, who subsequently gave his campaign $510,000, more than any other person. She asked Walker if he could make Wisconsin a "completely red state, and work on these unions, and become a right-to-work" state.
"Well, we're going to start in a couple weeks with our budget adjustment bill," Walker responded. "The first step is we're going to deal with collective bargaining for all public employee unions, because you use divide and conquer. So for us, the base we've got for that is the fact that we've got...budgetarily we can't afford not to. If we have collective bargaining agreements in place, there's no way not only the state but local governments can balance things out."
It's foolish to deny that Gov. Walker hasn't supported right-to-work laws since he introduced right-to-work legislation when he was in the legislature almost twenty years ago.
The budget repair bill was inevitable. I wrote here about how PEUs were crippling small towns in Wisconsin:
Bernie Nikolay should be happy. His school district; he's the superintendent in Milton, had a good November.
The girls swim team won the state title, a first for Milton girls athletics. And an arbitrator said the district could switch health coverage away from the insurer owned by the teachers union. That'll save the district as much as a million bucks a year.
For a district with a $33 million budget, that's cheery. For the rest of the state, it means a tide may have turned.
Here's the heart of the matter:
The question is why it had to go to arbitration at all. The answer is that in Wisconsin, school districts can't change health carriers, even if they keep benefits the same , without negotiating. And teachers unions have been very partial to keeping WEA Trust.
This may be changing. If unions won't agree to dump WEA Trust plans, a district could always get an arbitrator to side with them. But districts were loath to use arbitration, which they could lose badly, so long as they had the old qualified economic offer law in place.
That guarantee of no arbitration in exchange for a certain compensation hike got killed, however, by Democrats last year. That means, says labor law director Barry Forbes of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, districts are less likely to go along with WEA Trust.
"In a sense, the elimination of the QEO forced us to take the gloves off," he said. If districts must arbitrate anyway, they'll fight for the right to seek lower bids.
PEUs kept insisting that health insurance be bought from WEA Trust. The PEUs didn't care that WEA Trust's insurance cost more money than other insurance companies for comparable benefits.
The truth is that Gov. Walker and the GOP saved cities and school districts tons of money. Because of the budget repair bill, unions can't dictate where the school district or the city buys their health insurance from. The scary part for WEA Trust is that they'll now have to compete for business rather than getting handed a city- or district-wide monopoly.
The unions hate Gov. Walker for defeating them. That's why they're attempting to recall Gov. Walker. Gov. Walker defeated them once by passing the budget repair bill. Now, he'll defeat them again when he defeats Tom Barrett in their rematch.
Milton's success at saving $382 a month per employee shows that works. "That set of arguments can be replicated in 100 or more school districts in Wisconsin," said Forbes. The decision will significantly affect what districts will push for and what other arbitrators see as reasonable, he said.
"I've had lots of calls from superintendents in districts having the same issue as us," Nikolay said.
In short, forcing health insurance companies to compete has saved school districts tons of money. It's saved taxpayers tons in lower property taxes, too.
It isn't just Gov. Walker that will defeat Tom Barrett. Reality will defeat the unions. Lower property taxes will defeat collective bargaining rights, too.
Tags: Health Insurance , WEA Trust , Unions , Monopolies , Collective Bargaining Rights , Tom Barrett , Democrats , Scott Walker , Competition , Free Markets , Property Taxes , Republicans , Recall Election
Posted Saturday, May 12, 2012 3:09 AM
Comment 1 by eric z at 12-May-12 08:25 AM
Walker is a disease. A contagion.
Comment 2 by Patrick at 12-May-12 09:06 AM
Eric
Why do you say that? I must have the details if you have any - please share.
Comment 3 by Jethro at 12-May-12 12:24 PM
Eric: If you are talking about Walker being a disease or contagion to out of control spending and unionized inefficiencies, you are right!
Comment 4 by Nick at 12-May-12 12:30 PM
What about WI Governor Walker expanding the school voucher system? Based on the Milwaukee voucher system, correct?
Comment 5 by walter hanson at 13-May-12 06:25 PM
Eric:
It's impossible for you to say somebody has a disease (unless you think not giving the unions everything they wants is a disease) since you don't know the fact that everybody else knows that Mom's work very hard!
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Comment 6 by Gary Gross at 13-May-12 07:32 PM
Walter, If you're going to continue using that closing line, which I hope you don't plan on doing, at least spell it correctly. It's "moms work very hard", not "Mom's work very hard."
Comment 7 by eric z at 15-May-12 12:00 PM
That Diane Hendricks tape and his Congressional testimony under oath make Walker's situation different than if it were the tape alone.
The tape unequivocally establishes a clear intent and agenda, making Wisconsin a "red state" and undermining unions. A GOP political motive, per "red state" and an attack on unions, the Hendricks questions being coupled - a "red state" motive and a "right-to-work" motive.
John Nichols has an insightful online post at The Nation, dated May 14, pointing a C-SPAN online item about Walker Congressional hearing testimony. Below, a quote from C-SPAN
"House Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) explained his reasoning for holding the hearing, 'rather than kick the can down the road in Wisconsin, Governor Walker's actions to cut spending and address over-compensation of public employees are putting his state government in a stronger financial position.''
It appears Walker testified about having only a budgetary motivation. Under oath.
Finally - What about Walker's history at Marquette University? He did define his character back then, and I don't see any evidence it's improved.
Comment 8 by walter hanson at 15-May-12 04:15 PM
Eric:
Just curious if Walker is so bad and the unions are so great at telling the public how bad Walker is how come Walker has a 9 point lead? Why is the Democrat National Committee not investing in the Wisconsin election?
What's turning Wisconsin, Minnesota, and other states red is simply that the public has learned thanks to the disaster that Obama has given us why liberal policies can't work and should be repealed.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
More bad news for Sherrod Brown, President Obama
If this poll is accurate, then Sen. Sherrod Brown, (D-OH), is in trouble. First, here's the poll's screening:
From May 2 - 7, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,069 registered voters with a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.
Polls using registered voters are friendlier than likely voters. Now for the bad news for Sen. Brown:
If the election for United States Senator were being held today and the candidates were Sherrod Brown the Democrat and Josh Mandel the Republican, for whom would you vote?
Brown -- 46%
Mandel -- 40%
This trend isn't heading in the right direction for Sen. Brown. On Oct. 26, 2011, Sherrod Brown led by a 49-34% margin. On Jan. 19, 2012, Brown led 47%-32%. Now Brown leads 46%-40%.
At this point, I'd rate this as a leans GOP pickup seat.
Things aren't better for President Obama, either:
If the election for President were being held today, and the candidates were Barack Obama the Democrat and Mitt Romney the Republican, for whom would you vote?
President Obama 45%
Mitt Romney 44%
If this poll is accurate, it's telling us that Mitt's actually ahead. (Remember the registered voter factor.) If President Obama loses Ohio, which I think is likely, though I think it will be a tight race, President Obama's path to 270 EVs gets significantly trickier.
Combining these figures with the polling from Michigan and Wisconsin leaves the Democrats with a challenging map for 2012. Of the 2004 red states that flipped blue in 2008, North Carolina is out of reach for President Obama, as is Indiana. Ohio is likely to return to red state status, as is Virginia.
If Wisconsin or Michigan flips from blue to red, that would seal President Obama's fate as a one-term president.
Tags: Polls , Sherrod Brown , President Obama , Ohio , Democrats , Josh Mandel , Mitt Romney , GOP , North Carolina , Indiana , Red States , Wisconsin , Michigan , Blue States , GOP , Election 2012
Posted Saturday, May 12, 2012 12:02 PM
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Another bad polling day for President Obama
Anytime an incumbent is below 45% in approval ratings, that incumbent should hire a real estate agent because his time is up. This polling should trouble Mssrs. Axelrod, Obama and Plouffe:
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Saturday shows Mitt Romney earning 50% of the vote and President Obama attracting 42% support. Four percent (4%) would vote for a third party candidate, while another three percent (3%) are undecided.
This is terrible news for President Obama. It's one thing to be trailing at this point. It's another thing when 60% of likely voters are rejecting President Obama's message and his 'accomplishments'.
I haven't seen numbers this bad since George H.W. Bush ran for re-election. We know what happened that year, don't we?
This polling is tied directly to President Obama's unpopular policies and President Obama's 'accomplishments'. President Obama knows that he can't win if the conversation is about O'Care, the stimulus, the failed economy and the regulatory overreach by the NLRB and the EPA.
If that's what we're talking about this September and October, Michelle Obama will be thinking about where she, President Obama, Sasha and Malia will live the rest of their lives.
Tags: President Obama , One Term Wonder , Polls , Bailouts , Obamacare , Stimulus , Recession , Deficits , David Axelrod , Democrats , Election 2012
Posted Saturday, May 12, 2012 7:50 PM
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