Recalled Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker won the special election against Tom Barrett on Tuesday, his 7 point win an improvement over the 6-point 2010 margin of victory. And as for the $21 million FOX News reported organized labor to have poured into the recall sweepstakes? Call it a crap shoot designed in the hope of recouping some portion of the stunning losses unions have suffered over the past 24 months.
Two Walker-sponsored laws have decimated both the power and bank accounts of government sector unions, the first making Wisconsin a right-to-work state and the next doing away with the dues check-off so prized by organized labor. The check-off privilege means “…government seizes union dues straight from workers’ paychecks. The union hierarchy spends that cash on politicking to elect favored candidates. And then the politicians do the union bosses’ bidding.”
Adding insult to injury, along with the check-off generated, automatic payroll deduction, a “service fee” is charged equal to the amount of an employee’s union dues! All of this money which used to go directly into union coffers is now lost.
And thanks to the right to opt out of union membership, AFSCME (the 2nd largest union in Wisconsin) has seen its membership rolls dwindle from 62,818 in March of 2011 to 28,745 in February of 2012, nearly a 60% decline.
Wisconsin’s public unions have paid dearly in their losing battle against freedom for state workers. In 2011, they spent millions trying to put leftist judge Anne Kloppenburg on the State Supreme Court. Vowing to act as “…a check and balance against overreaching by the executive and legislative branches,” it was obvious Kloppenburg would be the vital liberal vote necessary to swing decisions of the Court to the benefit of labor. She was defeated by incumbent conservative, David Prosser.
Labor also backed Wisconsin Democrat state senators’ flight to Illinois in order to avoid voting on a budget bill that required government employees to pay a portion of their own employee benefits. As the bill also gutted public union bargaining rights, labor was intent upon delaying the vote until Senate Republicans could be intimidated into seeing things their way. In the end, labor bosses succeeded only in spending a fortune and making Democrat Senators look ridiculous.
The largest unions in Wisconsin are teacher’s unions, and the largest of these, the Wisconsin Education Association (WEA) has spent decades running a highly profitable, “non-profit” health insurance scheme. According to state law, collective bargaining rather than price and quality of coverage determined the company that would provide health insurance for union teachers and covered employees. And coincidentally, the WEA invariably chose WEA Trust, an insurance provider that just happened to be “established by and closely associated with the union.”
But upon passage of the Walker-supported law cinching the loss of collective bargaining rights by public sector unions, school districts are now permitted to shop among numerous quality providers. In one example of switching from WEA Trust to another carrier with comparable coverages, the Heartland-Lakeside School District “expects to save $690,000 in the [next] fiscal year.”
Scott Walker not only exposed organized labor as a money-fixated organ of the Democrat Party; he showed quite clearly what can be accomplished by a courageous, conservative politician who will NOT be bullied into compromise with the insatiable forces of the power-hungry left. The question is whether Republicans will learn from his example!
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The left keeps whining about how much the Walker campaign spent and the PACs. Any idea how much that was?
It cost th unions a lot and they are not happy.
Of course my question has been “why did the republicans spend more than the democrats?” Could it be that the democrats thought they’d sail straight to victory? Wasserman-Schultz said it would be a dry run for November. Really??? Walker didn’t call for the re-call. The good thing was Walker won by a larger margin than when he was first elected. People are getting so weary with all of this.
Unions in other states will have to consider the cost of Wisconsin before trying it in their states. Wisconsin unions bet the farm on this election and lost. Now they’re out what they spent with no way to replenish it. Justice tastes so darned good!
hongryhawg: The unions will just FORCE their members to PAY more in dues and other “voluntary” donations to raise more money. The sad thing is, union members just don’t realize that each one of them is FORCED to pay the unions a LOT of money, with a larrge chuck of it going to the top union bosses.
I recall reading, several years ago, that the top dogs of unions in this country are members of the Mafia.
Just think how much money the union members would have if they deposited all of those “forced” dues and donations into a Roth IRA……………….Sad. Very sad.
Hot Damn, ya gotta LOVE IT!!!!
Hot digidy dog. It is about time we American’s woke up and did the right thing. Unions have gone to far-the leaders got greedy and are out for themselves not the members.
John L. Lewis is rolling in his grave. He started the movement to improve working conditions and help the average Joe. These leaders should be ashamed of themselves.
Now it time for the rest of the States to put the hook into the Union.
The unions cost the unions a fortune. Too bad….they were also instrumental in ruining our economy. By their outrageous monetary greedy demands. Their latest greed (and loss!) sent billions to China (again) for the bridge repairs on CA, NY and MI.
When will people learn?
Not only did they lose money once, but twice. This claim of 21 million on this recall, plus how every many millions in the first election. On top of the lost money due to nearly 60% of the members opting out, which I would imagine that number will probably jump higher now that the election is over and is a done deal. Many more have probably been wanting to opt out but wanted to wait to see the results of this recall for fear of retribution if they opted out then had to opt back in, possibly at a higher rate as punishment and so the unions can make up what they have lost over the past 24 months.
There was a time when Unions were needed, but they are a thing of the past, an outdated necessity like the rotary phone. Scary part is that there is still some 46 percent of the voters that want to be enslaved by union bosses. However, I’m sure a large part of that 46% voted simply because of democrat and are not effected by union dues. If that 46% that voted Democrat was subject to union dues enslavement, I’m sure his numbers would be much lower. Easy to vote party line on issues that don’t or will not have immediate effects on that person as they see it.
It wouldn’t surprise me to read in the next few weeks about union mobs placing a bounty on Walker or some kind of assassination attempts. These union thugs when they can’t win fairly will bow down and resort to violence and murder to accomplish their agenda. Walker’s best interest is to have a good team of security until these thugs are wiped out of the States all together.
I’m curious to see if other States will follow suit using Wisconsin as an example to cut some of the debt for their States.
God bless and protect BRAVEST Govenor Scott Walker to stand up against Communist Union bosses & DemocRAT machine. Gov. Walker helped to set FREE Union workers to be forced to join Unions and they have to pay union fee monthly (in CA union fees are $100 monthly for teacher).
I wish CA have Governor like Scott Walker and I wish he will run for president in the future.
Scott Walker deserves a medal of honor. He’s one of the few Republicans who has NEVER caved-in to the radical left or unions. He’s a true American hero the likes of Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan. You noticed he thanked God, first, before he thanked anyone else. He’s ‘presidential material’ in my opinion. The unions lost money because of their own stupidity and greed not because of Walker. They need to blame themselves. All I can say to these greedy, corrupt unions is, “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.” See website: http://www.haasstrep68.com
WE need more peoploe with the guts that Governor Walker has. Now let’s see if Trumka and Hoffa are going to take the sons of bitches out.
Liberals say us conservatives whine!! Well libs, You whine like babies!!!!! I can see it from my house!!! What I can see you ask?? Well, the Double Standerd!!!!!
Liberals say us conservatives whine!! Well libs, You whine like babies!!!!! I can see it from my house!!! What I can see you ask?? Well, the Doubble Standard!!!!!!!!!!!!!