What is it about our "Dear Leader," Barry that make him feel that he has the right to interfere on pretty much of a regular basis regarding how governors choose to run their states. Funny though, it’s only when the governors are Republicans. So it is then that while he has more than enough to keep him busy in Washington, he has, instead, once again chosen to insert himself into something that is essentially none of his business. I'm sure we all remember how it was, not all that long ago, that he took it upon himself to halt the Arizona governor's attempt to protect her citizens from Mexican thugs who seem able to cross our border pretty much at will. Instead of offering assistance, he took the unusual step of having his Attorney General suing the state of Arizona. This week he decided to once more enter into the area of stepping on state’s rights by sending hordes of his “people” into Wisconsin to assist the locals with their protesting of measures being taken in the present budget battle. Working to mobilize opposition to a Republican bill that would curb public-worker benefits, plans are also being put together for the staging of similar type actions in other state capitals as well. Barry has now officially sunk to yet another all new low, even for him, in his accusing Scott Walker, the state's duly elected Republican governor, of unleashing an "assault" on unions regarding the governor's pushing of emergency legislation that would nullify collective-bargaining agreements that affect most public employees, including teachers. So here we have a gutless Democrat president totally unwilling to confront our rapidly rising national debt, doing nothing more than to slander a Republican governor who has the guts to do what is necessary to prevent his state from going broke.
Always eager to throw his weight behind any endeavor supported by his blatantly corrupt Union buddies, whenever and wherever he can, Barry has instructed those who comprise his political machine, Organizing for America, to work in close coordination with state and national union officials in their efforts to mobilize thousands of protesters gathering in Madison. Instructions have also been given to assist with plans for similar demonstrations in other state capitals as well. This Alinsky-like behavior is already beginning to spread, as thousands of labor supporters turned out for a hearing in Columbus, Ohio, to protest a measure proposed by Governor John Kasich, another Republican governor, that would cut collective-bargaining rights. Democrat Party officials are busy working to organize additional demonstrations in Ohio and Indiana, where an effort is underway to trim benefits for public workers. Some union activists predicted similar protests in Missouri, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Is this really the type of behavior we should expect to see coming from one our two major political party's? This is nothing short of blatant political thuggery. The type of activity one would expect to see in some Third World country. Well on second thought, it is pretty much the typical Chicago style of politics that our current president has been involved in before. Essentially ever since he first blew into the "Windy City" so many years ago. This is the only way he knows how to operate. He is still focused on his promise to "fundamentally transform" America.
Under Governor Walker's plan, what has all these union freeloaders in such a panic is that most public workers, excluding police, firefighters and state troopers, would have to pay half of their pension costs and at least 12 percent of their health-care costs. They would also lose bargaining rights for anything other than pay. Our “Fearless Leader” has characterized efforts to reel in the cost to the taxpayer of the growing subsidizing of these greedy malcontents as being nothing less than an out and out assault on unions. How dare Governor Walker have the "audacity" to ask these perpetual parasites to cover some of the cost of their own freight here? Governor Walker, who took office only last month, says the emergency measure is needed in order to save $300 million over the next two years to help close a $3.6 Billion budget gap in his state. Drastic problems require drastic solutions to solve them. The gravy train has been enjoyed for far too long by these public sector leeches who are now busying themselves by acting like nothing more than spoiled children. It's time for the playing field to be leveled between public employee pay and benefits and those who are forced to cover the costs. These people have been allowed to run amuck for decades and now the bill has finally come due. And there are very few options left. So my message to them would be to, "Suck it up!"
Barry is never hesitant about doing his best to throw a little gasoline on the fire. Our "community agitator" of a president told a Milwaukee television reporter, "Some of what I've heard coming out of Wisconsin, where they're just making it harder for public employees to collectively bargain generally, seems like more of an assault on unions." Sleazy does not even begin to describe the caliber of Barry's behavior regarding this matter, and hypocrisy abounds here with Barry taking the unprecedented step of inviting a local station into the White House for a sit-down interview for the sole purpose of slamming a Republican governor. Barry said, "I think everybody's got to make some adjustments, but I think it's also important to recognize that public employees make enormous contributions to our states and our citizens." The White House political operation, Organizing for America, has now gotten involved, after Democratic National Committee Chairman Timothy M. Kaine, a former Virginia governor, spoke to union leaders in Madison. The group made phone calls, distributed messages via Twitter and Facebook, and sent e-mails to its state and national lists to try to build crowds for rallies, a Democrat Party official said. Rightfully so, National Republican leaders, have praised efforts similar to Walker's and leapt to his defense.
House Speaker John Boehner issued a stern rebuke of the White House, calling on Barry to wave off his political operation and stop criticizing the governor. "This is not the way you begin an 'adult conversation' in America about solutions to the fiscal challenges that are destroying jobs in our country," Boehner said in a statement, alluding to the president's call for civility in budget talks. Mr. Boehner's first mistake is to assume that the president is capable of acting like an adult. The Speaker added, "Rather than shouting down those in office who speak honestly about the challenges we face, the president and his advisers should lead." I think it very safe to say that our president is anything but a leader. Barry has no intention of trying to lead, because what is going on in Wisconsin and what he is doing his best to ignite in other states is exactly what he wants to have happen. That's why he's sending in his folks in an attempt to heighten the level of animosity. This is how "community agitators" work, this is what he sees as being the means to his end. Barry's sole intent here is to stir the pot because as far as he is concerned, the hate and discontent he can stir up, the better it is for him. To have a president who possesses such a warped mentality is a little unsettling.
The battle raging in the states underscores the very deep philosophical and political divisions between Barry and Republicans over how best to control spending and who should bear the brunt of the costs. By aligning himself so closely with unions, our buddy Barry is throwing the country under the bus as he chooses to side with a core piece of the Democratic Party base, but one that has chafed in recent weeks as Barry has sought to attempt to portray himself as more of a centrist to voters by his appearing to reach out to business leaders. Republicans now see a chance for them to show that they're the ones willing to make the tough choices to cut spending and to challenge the power of public-sector unions, which are the largest element of the labor movement and regularly raise tens of millions of dollars for Democrat campaigns. Governors in both parties are slashing once-untouchable programs, including those covering education, health care for the poor and aid to local governments. Some states, such as Illinois, have passed major tax increases. And if I remember correctly, those tax hikes were the parting shot of a Democrat controlled legislature and were put in place in the dark of night before they were tossed out of office. Typical behavior for Democrats.
States face a collective budget deficit of $175 billion through 2013. Many experts say state tax revenue will not fully recover until the nation returns to full employment, which is not likely for several years thanks to Barry and the Democrats. Beyond their short-term fiscal problems, many states face pension and retiree health-care costs that many analysts say are quite simply unsustainable. Some states already are curtailing retirement benefits for new employees, although many analysts say it will take much more than that to bring their long-term obligations in line. The huge debt burdens coupled with the impending termination of federal stimulus aid later this year have spurred talk of the need for a federal bailout for the states. At least for now the White House has dismissed such speculation, saying states have the wherewithal to raise taxes, cut programs and renegotiate employee contracts to balance their books. Of course, for Democrats the only solution to any budget dilemma is always to raise taxes. To their way of thinking, we should never actually cut spending. Well the time to cut spending is now officially upon us and everyone, including unionized public employees need to start paying their fair share. The days of the free lunch are over!
The organized protest at the Wisconsin state capitol drew an estimated 25,000 people, and long after the quorum call, thousands remained on the grounds, from children in strollers to old ladies in wheelchairs. Many of the “protesters,” such as 51-year-old Laurie Bauer, had been on hand since Tuesday, with no plans to leave until the issue is resolved. "It's one thing about the money. We'd be willing to negotiate the money," said Bauer, a “library media specialist,” whatever the heck that is, at Parker High School in Janesville. But "he's trying to take away our human rights. I don't want my kids living in a state like that." Have you ever heard a more idiotic statement come out of the mouth of anyone? Then we have Loren Mikkelson, 37, who held the same position, that budget cuts are negotiable, but collective bargaining rights are not. "We can meet in the middle. We're willing to give. He's acting like we've never given anything; we've given," said Mikkelson, a “airfield maintenance worker” who said he has endured furloughs and pay cuts in his county job. "We just want a voice." Buddy, quit your damn whining, don’t you know that nobody likes a whiner, especially an over paid one. You've had a voice, now it's time for those who have been paying your bills to have a voice. It’s time for you to start covering some of the cost of your outrageous and very costly "benefits" that up to now I and my fellow taxpayers been footing the entire bill for. Do yourself a favor and just grow up!
The state-level battles and Barry's decision to step into the fray illustrate how the budget choices state leaders are facing probably will have direct implications for the president's political standing. Wisconsin and Ohio are likely to prove to be battlegrounds for Obama's re-election effort. Mobilizing Organizing for America around the budget fights could help kick-start a political machinery that has been largely stagnant since the 2008 campaign and reignite union activists who have expressed some disappointment with Barry. However, it could very well prove be somewhat of a double edged sword because by leaping in to defend public workers, the president risks alienating swing voters in those states and nationwide who are sympathetic to GOP governors perceived as taking on special interests to cut spending. Barry, in his comments to the Wisconsin TV reporter, tried to walk a fine line, noting that he, too, has taken on the unions. "We had to impose a freeze on pay increases on federal workers for the next two years as part of my overall budget freeze," he said. "I think those kinds of adjustments are the right thing to do." For him to say that he too has taken on the unions is more than disingenuous, it's a lie.
Governor Walker, meanwhile, called his proposals "modest" and appeared to be trying to show distance between public employees and workers employed by private companies, who he said expressed support for his policies during visits he made to manufacturing plants this week. "Many of the companies I went by, like so many others across the state, don't have pensions, and the 401(k)s they have over the last year or two, they've had to suspend the employer contribution," Walker told Milwaukee radio station WTMJ. "So, not a lot of sympathy from these guys in private-sector manufacturing companies who I think reflect a lot of the workers in the state who say what we're asking for is pretty modest." Modest or not, these professional freeloaders have gotten their free ride for long enough for no other reason than because they belong to corrupt unions. For years they've been laughing all the way to the bank at all of us suckers who were left to pick up their tab. And enough is enough. The money is now gone.Ob
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