Issue of the Week: Financial Martial Law?
Plus Hero of the Week
We're not buying his denial, since Walker has a major credibility problem on his hands anyway (including his whopper that his tax-the-poor budget is "progressive"). And he's consolidated power in the executive branch like no other Wisconsin governor has previously.
So we believe that Walker wants to follow the lead of Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, a fellow conservative Republican, and be allowed to take over local governmental entities that don't pass a financial "stress test." The "policy ideas" that these recently elected ultraconservative governors have adopted come from a few right-wing policy groups like ALEC and the Heritage Foundation.
Madison attorney Ed Garvey has been all over this story, and says that according to a hand-delivered packet of materials he received, Walker's secret plan is being prepared by Foley & Lardner for the Greater Milwaukee Committee (GMC), the Bradley Foundation and other Walker supporters. Former state Sen. Mary Panzer is providing the legislative strategy, the materials claim, which will be pushed through the Legislature in May.
Garvey is pointing to the GMC's "Make It Your Milwaukee County" PR effort as part of the state takeover, even though the GMC's fingerprints aren't easily found on the spin-filled website. The GMC, which has put out a package of policy proposals including "blowing up" Milwaukee County, is currently chaired by Michael Grebe, head of the right-wing, anti-government Bradley Foundation and chair of Walker's gubernatorial campaign.Grebe had been a partner in Foley & Lardner before retiring in 2002.
The financial martial law story got so hot that GMC President Julia Taylor was forced to issue a statement explaining that while the organization supports "fiscal stress tests" for municipalities, it does not support "providing the state with the ability to take over cities and other entities."
So we'll see if Walker's secret plan actually hatches in daylight.
That would be terrible for the state. Nearly as bad, though, is the reality that Walker is so distrusted by the public that Wisconsinites readily believe that the imperial governor would do anything, including playing ideological games with public resources, to raise his political profile.
Heroes of the Week
Kyle's Korner
Volunteers
Losing a loved one is difficult at any age, but
especially so for children. Kyle's Korner (7106 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa)
provides an environment of support for grieving children and their families.
To help children deal with the irreversibility and
finality of death, trained group facilitators provide free support and healing
workshops structured around play and creative expression. The facility combines
the efforts of professionals and volunteers to assist families with the
difficulty of loss, adjustments and moving forward.
Readers who wish to volunteer at Kyle's Korner as
facilitators, greeters or assistants must be willing to make a one-year
commitment and participate in one of the twice-yearly, no-cost training
sessions. Donations of materials and money are also welcome. For more
information, call 414-777-1585 or visit www.kyleskorner.org.
"Financial Stress Test?"
Like what the investment banks were supposed to go through during the recent "Bailout all banks so customers don't know who is struggling"?
In a "bear market" or "correction market", the strong are positioned to buy out and takeover the weak. Much like the gas wars of the 60's, the big oil station with deep pockets could sell at a loss until the ma and pa independent was driven out of business. Also like Las Vegas, where the house's credit line is deeper than any gambler's credit limit.
The common homeowner is feeling like they are also under a stress test, can they keep from losing their equity and down payment. That's why business LIKES rotating unemployment, it's a chance to knock even their good workers back a few notches, never to get caught up again. Walker is doing that by limiting state workers unions so that their collective bargaining can only keep up with cost of living (under whose terms?), no catch up after being forced to drop some on insurance and pension.
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I heard a radio talk program this morning, discussing the 150th anniversary of the War between the States. - They discussed "cause", was it over Slavery or over State's Rights, and are these really the same thing? Was it over "black versus white"? The consensus was no.
An eloquent speaker said it was over how labor is to be treated. As free laborers who can freely decide to leave a "job" and seek a better life or are the laborers stuck with no control over their destiny.
This goes right along with participation in government. If you remember your history, you will remember that the founding fathers left us with only white men who owned property having the right to vote. Women could not vote, nor could the servants of the household, nor the owners wife. It was nothing to do about black and white in the 1700's, it was about being a land owner or not. The owner did not want his own charges to have the power to "cancel his vote".
A corporation (or any business) is not a democracy. The workers do not have a say in how that business is run. Workers can merely "advise" the owner, the owner does not have to take that advice, except in fear of what could happen if the workers decided to leave or revolt against him.
Back in Labor history, once the owner had his "Pinkertons" to enforce against revolt, and if the workers had no place to go, the workers pleas would not need to be listened to anymore. Do you feel like that today?
Is it any wonder that private schools are not supposed to be accountable, so they could not be forced to teach evolution (theory or not) and labor history? Do we really want to raise a generation of future "workers" who are not aware that labor once had organized against management, had strikes, had collective bargaining?
So the business owners think, why can't government be run the same way? Monarchy or dictator ship, not democracies.
The Democratic voice will be silenced when they can no longar afford lobbyists, can no longer afford to get their campaign messages out to the voters. Since Unions and their union dues were a major source of this lobbying and campaign money, the game could be lost.
What is an election worth when one candidate is the corporate Republican pick and the other is the corporate Democrat pick? No matter which wins, their loyalties belong to the corporattions... Never bite the hand that feeds you!
This is why I exagerate in my rants!