Kudos to Governor Scott Walker And The Wisconsin Senate!
They passed governor Walker’s budget repair bill virtually intact!
Here’s how they were able to pass the bill without the three fifths quorum:
The Wisconsin Constitution requires a quorum of three-fifths of the Senate in order to pass a bill that “imposes, continues or renews a tax, or creates a debt or charge, or makes, continues or renews an appropriation of public or trust money, or releases, discharges or commutes a claim or demand of the state.” For weeks, it had been known that Republican senators could separate the fiscal provisions of the bill from the proposed collective-bargaining changes, which were seen as non-fiscal. However, there was speculation that, if a bill was brought to the Senate floor that contained only the collective bargaining changes, it might not have the votes to pass.
On Wednesday night, the bill passed with a number of provisions that could be considered “fiscal,” such as the requirement that many government employees contribute 5.8 percent of their salaries to their pensions and pay 12.6 percent towards their health-insurance premiums.
GOP senators consulted with the Legislative Fiscal Bureau on this point, and were sent a memo indicating that while there were some “fiscal” provisions of the bill, these provisions didn’t technically make an “appropriation,” and therefore were not subject to the three-fifth quorum requirement. This allowed senators to keep the bill virtually intact, which the GOP felt helped bolster their argument that all the collective bargaining changes were, in fact, fiscal in nature.
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The bill now goes to the Assembly, where it is likely Democrats will try to delay its passage by filibustering indefinitely. Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald will likely limit debate, which will lead to accusations that the GOP is “silencing” the minority.
Now since I haven’t posted in a while, let me just say I don’t understand where these union thugs and their leftist minions are coming from. First off, their pay is extremely generous, and they can’t really get fired from their jobs. So what makes them think they have a right to more and more taxpayer money when people in the private sector are suffering? Do people in the private sector get cost of living increases to their salaries? No! Anyone with a basic knowledge of economics knows that your average private sector employee must contribute about three times his/her salary in terms of economic output in order to keep his position. After all, it has to be profitable for the employer too.
All these spoiled brats have to say for themselves is in essence “tax the rich.” What makes these people think they have a right other people’s money? It’s not like the Government produces any goods or services. So any money that comes their way is from us tax payers. I mean, what’s preventing these people from finding other jobs if the big bad Republicans are making their work lives so miserable? People in the private sector get laid off all the time. 99% of them don’t go storming their bosses offices and holding protests. They find other jobs.
Another thing I really want to know is why are public school teachers so sacrosanct? What’s the big deal about them having to pay more for their pensions? Doctors are important professionals as well. But I have yet to hear of any physicians whining about how hard their jobs are and getting in people’s faces about how they’re owed all sorts of tax payer funded goodies.
What all this really shows is that Democrats do NOT accept the results of fair elections when the vote doesn’t go their way. Just wait until this bill goes to the assembly. If this bill is approved, the L.A. riots of 1992 will be like nothing compared to what these hoodlums will unleash on us.
