Anyone from Wisconsin?

[lucam]

I just sent this to my friends, I'll share it here:

Hi everyone,

In case you're wondering, I sat down and wrote all of this. I'm not copying and pasting some crap from a campaign site. This is something I strongly believe in and would like your support. Please forward this to your like-minded friends.

As younger people, we often don't pay much attention to the spending that occurs within our government at both the state and local level. Our generation doesn't worry much about it because we're not the ones paying much in taxes (we're not earning much yet) and we're not receiving much government assistance. We often don't give these problems the respect they demand from us.

Soon many of us will be getting married, maybe having kids, and starting our careers. The unsustainable level of spending our government is doing at both the state and national level is going to start affecting us soon. This March alone, the Federal government spent over 8 times what they collected in taxes(1). They borrowed the rest. Most of us have student loans, maybe car payments, maybe even a first mortgage. As young people, we are in a unique position to understand this kind of reckless spending will have severe consequences. You've probably got a lot of debt you're worried about, and maybe working hard to pay it off. Our government keeps spending without a plan to pay for it all. The end result will be higher and higher taxes for us and our children.

Right now, many of us are paying 25 of 35 percent in taxes right out of our paychecks. Then we pay another five to six percent every time we buy something at the store. We also pay stiff gas taxes, car licensing fees, property taxes(if you are renting, your landlord pays them by raising your rent), hunting and fishing licenses, park and trail fees, the list could go on forever. Many of the taxes aren't even seen, you're employer must pay taxes on every employee they have, as well as profits they make. You loose out on raises or better working conditions, maybe even some vacation time this year. Your favorite stores have to raise prices to cover the cost of their payroll taxes too.

The point is, we are being taxed pretty harshly right now. As we get older, as our salaries grow, we can look forward to higher taxes and more fees. Yuck.

This spring, the Wisconsin Legislator with guidance from our Governor, Scott Walker, made a pledge to Wisconsin. They are not raising our taxes. Instead Wisconsin state workers, will have to make a modest contribution of 5.8% of their salary into their pensions and pay 12.6-12.8% of their health insurance costs(2). That sure sounds reasonable? Right? Especially when lay-offs are the alternative.

Then why the big fuss? Why did the senators leave the state? Why were death threats made? Why are businesses being boycotted and threatened? Why was the capitol taken over?

The answer is that collective bargaining for benefits will be taken for state workers too. The unions are mad as hell. This is their key to money and power. The unions and state workers have got a pretty sweet deal here in Wisconsin. The state unions, through collective bargaining powers, take money directly out of workers paychecks. Teachers, who make an average of $49,093 and $25,750 in benefits(3), will no longer be forced into the Union. They'll be able to get raises based on merit. School districts will be able to get rid of the worst teachers if they need to lay people off (now the newest teachers are the first out). Unions will no longer be able to demand extravagant overtime pay, plush retirement benefits, and a cut from every state worker's paycheck.

More importantly, this bill will help control spending. We always hear that education spending "is for the children". If we leave our kids bankrupt because of enormous tax burdens, what's the point?

This plan allows for fiscal responsibility with not a single teachers or state worker being laid off.

The unions are spending millions on the tomorrow's Supreme Court race. They've got a real chance at electing an activist judge to strike down this law.

Tomorrow, we have the choice between a 10 year incumbent, conservative supreme court judge, Justice David Prosser or a government lawyer, JoAnne Kloppenburg, who has demonized the right and has pledged to kill this law. The supreme court isn't there to decide if a law is good or bad. A Supreme Court judge has the responsibility to rule on the constitutionality of the law, nothing else.

We can't afford to have a our highest court side with the union and ignore our Wisconsin Constitution.

Prosser has been endorsed by Wisconsin's law enforcement and judicial community because of his tough stance on crime, stance on the 2nd amendment, and his commitment to our state constitution(4).

I will be voting for Justice David Prosser tomorrow.

I hope you join me.

Nick

(1)http://cnsnews.com/news/article/march-m ... eight-time
(2)http://blogs.forbes.com/rickungar/2011/ ... lly-in-it/
(3)http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 24956.html
(4)http://www.justiceprosser.com/

[bgreenea3]

do some research on the collective bargaining / binding arbitration thing. you will find that studies have shown that, at least here in michigan arbitrators tend to go more towards the employers than the unions. further things I have seen have suggested that it will actually save the government money in the long run....

Fire, police and teachers might sound like they get good deals being in the unions but it is also illeagal for them to strike (in MI unk on WI).... besides do you want to run into burning buildings, otherwise go into harms way, or babysit?

I say give the governmental unions a break, and look into all the pork that your legislators vote for. there is more money wasted there than the silly wage increases fire, police and teachers get that generally aren't even close to a cost of living type increase.

[ruger22]

One amazing historical point. When we got tired of sending taxes to the King, and had the original Tea Party, the total tax rate was supposedly around seven percent.

I've read one estimate that we now pay 41% of our income to all the various taxes. At seven percent, we started a war. At forty-one percent, we put up with it!

For unions, I think many poor laws have filed their teeth. It was better in the old days, when union "reps" had pinstripe suits and Louisville Sluggers; and usually met with management at 3 A.M..

The last union I was in seemed to be in the company's back pocket. My dues likely just kept the union heads driving Mercedes.

[lucam]

I'm very grateful for the fire, police and state workers here in Wisconsin. My father is a recently retired police officer. We're a tax-hell here. We've got to do something about it.

The Wisconsin bill specifically exempts police and firefighters from the changes.

My sister is a new teacher, a very good one, she'll be the first to go if lay-offs are forced. She's smart enough to be on our side.

My point is, this bill keeps taxes at the same rate, saves government jobs, and keeps spending at a sustainable level.