[downtowndude]

Walker Like An Egyptian.

I was both proud and chagrined while seeing the people of Egypt rise up to demand democracy in their country. Proud to see the people stand up to 30 years of oppression, express their dissent, and demand representation for themselves in their government. Chagrined to see the people of Egypt displaying the commitment and courage to their future that so far Americans haven't mustered. I wondered “what have the Egyptians got that we lack?” Bigger cajones? Or have Americans become so stressed out and over-extended by our day-to-day work and family commitments that all we can think about is getting home to sit in front of our large-screen TVs?

True, the Egyptians faced much worse in restrictions on civil and political liberties than we here in America. But our country is in serious trouble, and few will deny it. Consider: unemployment in some demographics (think urban non-white males) is around 25%, and under-employment - individuals working two and sometimes three different jobs - among who haven't lost their jobs is almost the norm. The wealthiest Americans make something like 75 cents of every dollar of income in the country. Abuses by the banks have transferred billions in savings and pensions for ordinary Americans straight into the pockets of the wealthy and well-connected. Home foreclosures are the highest since the 1930's and banks continue the business of foreclosing on homes for which they don't even hold the mortgage. Forty million Americans can not see a doctor. Our children are routinely outperformed in educational tests by the children of twenty to thirty so other nations. A large proportion of our bridges are unsafe for vehicular traffic. And our democracy now looks more and more like a corporatocracy: government by the corporation, of the corporation, and for the corporation.

And then a funny thing happened in Wisconsin. Large groups of protestors began appearing at the state house in Madison. Tens of thousands of workers, students, and concerned citizens have thrown the capital into a turmoil. They have shown up every day this week; 17,000 on Tuesday, 25,000 on Thursday, and an even larger group today. They crowd the capital building and the city block surrounding it. And similar public protests have appeared at the capital in Ohio. So maybe the American public has not been bullied into a state of passivity and stupor after all.

The immediate object of these public protests in Madison is a plan by the newly elected governor, republican Scott Walker, to take away the collective bargaining rights of state employees. Gov. Walker says the proposed legislation is necessary to close the state's budget overruns. The new law would nullify past agreements made to the state's public workers regarding pay scales, overtime pay, merit and performance pay, and automatic pay progressions. The bill also removes collective bargaining rights for state employees in future negotiations. Additionally, state workers will be asked to shoulder a greater than 100% increase in the cost of their health care plan. After announcing this radical re-structuring of long-standing agreements between the state and its employees, three days of debate were allowed before the final ratification vote was scheduled. This probably did not help the public mood any.

Critics charge that the republican governor and legislature are more concerned about busting unions than correcting the state budget. Those critics point to the two tax cut bills signed by Gov. Walker since he took office in Jan., that will reduce state revenue by $117 million over next two years. And interestingly, the new proposed law would not apply to the police and fire departments, and the state police, unionized those those workers are. That might be because the police and fire unions came out in support of Gov. Walker last fall, while the teachers' union did not. Or maybe because Gov. Walker and the legislature wanted to count on the continued protection of the police.

Or maybe the protestors are upset about tax cuts for the wealthy and pay cuts for everyone else. Maybe the protesters don't want to pay for schools in Iraq and Afghanistan while teachers lose their jobs here in America. Maybe what really pisses off the crowds are privatizing profits for banks while socializing the losses from the irresponsible gambling of banking executives. Maybe those dominoes in the middle east have fallen towards the west, landing with a bang right in Madison, WI. It turns out Americans have not forgotten how to protest, and have not been ignoring the theft from the middle class and from workers. Gone is my chagrin, replaced by pride as I watch democracy in action in America..

[Mboxmaja]

THEY WANT TO CONNECT YOUR PATHETIC LITTLE TEETER TO THE TUCKER TELEPHONE AND "RING YOU UP" HUGHIE.

[Oriesssedleli419]

...MAYBE, MAYBE, MAYBE.... MAYBE YOU JUST SUCK, HUGHIE.