Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Fascism Comes To Illinois

Bruce Rauner ran for governor of Illinois on the platform of being another Scott Walker. Despite this warning, he was still able to use his millions to buy the election. And now Illinois is going to pay for it:
Gov. Bruce Rauner stepped up his campaign against government employee unions by eliminating so-called “fair share” dues paid by workers who don’t join a union.

The Republican said Monday he has signed an executive order erasing what he says is a “critical cog in the corrupt bargain crushing taxpayers.” He says forcing non-union employees to pay union dues requires them to fund political activity they don’t agree with.

He says he took action after a U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last year that found the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act violated the First Amendment by mandating involuntary union dues.

Rauner has called for ending political contributions by unions.

Rauner’s executive order has no effect on those who wish to remain in unions.
Never mind the fact that workers always had the federally protected right to opt out of union membership. Never mind the fact that any political contributions come from money voluntarily paid from the workers above and beyond their dues.

This is nothing but pure union busting so that Rauner and his country club chums can further profiteer off of the taxpayers.

The unions have responded sharply. From AFSCME Council 31:
“Child protection workers, caregivers for veterans and the disabled, correctional officers and everyone else employed by state government has a right to a voice at work and in the democratic process through their union.

“Bruce Rauner’s scheme to strip the rights of state workers and weaken their unions by executive order is a blatantly illegal abuse of power.

“Perhaps as a private equity CEO Rauner was accustomed to ignoring legal and ethical standards, but Illinois is still a democracy and its laws have meaning.

“It is crystal clear by this action that the governor’s supposed concern for balancing the state budget is a paper-thin excuse that can’t hide his real agenda: Silencing working people and their unions who stand up for the middle class.

“Our union and all organized labor will stand together with those who believe in democracy to overturn Bruce Rauner’s illegal action and restore the integrity of the rule of law.”
I hope that the union members in Illinois have their marching boots at hand. A strong and direct action is the only thing that fools like Rauner - and Walker - understand.

22 comments:

  1. I'd love to put the conversation in perspective...Scott Walker, Bruce Rauner and all these other fascists, are using taxpayer money, putting big legal debts on their citizens, as Governor to fight legal battles they've been wanting to fight but didn't want to waste their own money because the laws that were put in place to protect workers, from the Oligarchs of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. They are framing the conversation against the very people the states are supposed to represent.

    Republicans again prove they only serve their corporate masters.

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    1. Republicans only serve their corporate special interests. Walker has the special interest pitch down because he is 100% beholden to his big corporate special interests.

      And yes Blaska - WALKER IS A FASCIST. Get ready nation to commit Walkercide in 2016!! Yeehaw!!!

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  2. "Fascism!" LOL!
    "I hope that the union members in Illinois have their marching boots at hand; ... direct action is the only thing that fools like Rauner - and Walker - understand."
    Are you really going to make Bruce Rauner a national figure, too? Can't you understand how the intifada of 2011 propelled Scot Walker onto the national stage?
    The definition of insanity is ... Oh, never mind!

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    1. In retrospect now I agree that large public and angry demonstrations played into their hands. Ive been advocating working to create better relations with ordinary working class people by trying to communicate the truth by personal contact, in particular in rural and small town areas. I think there are opportunities there now especially with the truth about Walker's debt and spending. as in the above post "framing" is everything.

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    2. Blaska - why bother? No one agrees with you on here. You are a hypocrite about entitlements. Your hatred for progressives is concerning. You are the type of person that enjoys polarization and fighting. You encourage it. You think it is productive to hate people with progressive views and encourage others to hate them too. That is not honorable or courageous. It is the typical behavior of a cowardly Stand with Walker supporter. If people don't agree, bully them, which goes against democracy and free speech. You and people like you are bringing America down and keeping us down.

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    3. Disagreement with policy and philosophy is not hate. But just look over to the right-hand column. This blog brags about being "king of the hate left." Calling people with whom you disagree "fascist" — that's hate.

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    4. Blaska - Walker operates as a fascist. I think you are unclear what a fascist looks like. You will get crushed on this; give it your best shot. Your talking points are just that. We deal in facts Blaska.

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    5. Search Results
      fas·cism
      ˈfaSHˌizəm/Submit
      noun
      an authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization.
      synonyms: authoritarianism, totalitarianism, dictatorship, despotism, autocracy; More (in general use) extreme right-wing, authoritarian, or intolerant views or practice.

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    6. I'd say that Walker's governorship and approach to bills & policies is the definition of fascism.

      14th Amendment denied to unionized worker's by Walker - NO negotiation.
      Seniors cut off of Senior care without warning or negotiation?
      UW cuts - extreme and right-wing, done with Walker's repugnant authoritanism.
      UW change in mission statement - that was a brilliant fascist move!
      I have tons more...trust me I won't stop here.

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    7. Blaska - if you dare, please answer the following:

      HOW DO CORPORATE BIG SPECIAL INTERESTS DIFFER FROM UNION BIG SPECIAL INTERESTS?

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    8. I'll answer that- because corporate big interests pay for WHAAAA-ska's wingnut welfare job.

      "Our rules don't apply to us" - 21st Century GOP motto

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    9. Not true. You are in no position to answer or you would know better.

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    10. So ANSWER Blaska. Or are you like Walker, who avoids answering because A. Walker does not want to tell the truth, which might go against his platform or B. You don't know how to answer it.

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  3. I'm truly enjoying watching Fat Boy Liebenthal and the rest of his band of losers get the vapors, screaming fascism and acting like spoiled little boys and girls.

    Please don't let me stop you, though. Your antics are the best way to ensure union goons never again get power, not just in Wisconsin, but anywhere in the Nation.

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    1. I hope if you lose your job you have to take a job that barely pays you a living wage. Then let's talk. Until then, you have no RIGHT to impede the income of those in your community. You want less government but you want to stick your nose in my income potential, my professional affiliations. STAY OUT! I have rights too and if you don't like the union, DON'T JOIN ONE!!! Back down and calm yourself down. My union membership doesn't COST you ANYTHING!!

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    2. Sadly, it is trolls like Anon 12:19 that are so busy cutting their own throats in spite that they will be unable to recognize that they caused their own pain.

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    3. Agreed. I cannot understand how the folks like Anon 12:19 or Blaska can defend freedom of their speech and not ours. How can they defend their 2nd Amendment to arm themselves but deny us our 14th amendment right to freely associate with a union. This is the hypocrisy. The Republicans are so focused on taking away civil liberties and clauses of the Constitution that don't serve their political needs, but fail to comprehend that this will shift and if they take me 14th amendment rights away, I'm coming to take your guns. This is war. Progressives, Independents and Centrists MUST stand up against these repressive republican constituents. You muscle us, we will fight back and hard. We will not let you abuse our rights or remove our rights because your ideology trumps our Constitutional Rights. Time for progressives to get their hands dirty and push back hard!

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  4. The republicans are so happy they got rid of my union, hooray these guys can finally start running the place without union interference. Things will finally run Right, just like a fancy watch.

    Ok, four years out and it's running like a trainwreck. If the Right way is so good at managing, then I'd like a guy like Blaska to explain why there is a shortage of about 90 correctional officers between CCI. GBCI, and the WCI prison alone. Why is the DOC having such a terrible time retaining correctional officers, and why are new hires hitting the exit at a pace that will not allow the DOC to fill the vacancies; which are
    backfillled with overtime?

    Now, the DOC correctional officers are on the verge of another (unimaginable with a union) change, and it will send another round of CO's heading for new jobs. This leaves the observer to wonder if this is being done intentionally, to wreck the DOC correctional officer position into one it will be impossible to fill.

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  5. Remember the days when Republicans understood the relationship between the economy and labor, and actually distinguished themselves from neoconservatives and libertarians? Ike Eisenhower described these fools decades ago: “Only a handful of reactionaries harbor the ugly thought of breaking unions and depriving working men and women of the right to join the union of their choice. I have no use for those -- regardless of their political party -- who hold some vain and foolish dream of spinning the clock back to days when organized labor was huddled, almost as a hapless mass. Only a fool would try to deprive working men and women of the right to join the union of their choice.”

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    1. That was when the Republican party wasn't overrun by rednecks and Ayn Rand sympathizers. The GOP of today is run by extremists who are beholden to CORPORATE BIG SPECIAL INTERESTS vs Union special interests.

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  6. In his lifetime, Eisenhower was exposed to the face of fascism and was a world leader to overcome its human ugliness. Not so sure about the two trolls dropping in on this thread and their hero Walker (and now evidently Rauner too) .

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  7. I think there is a good chance that the abusive troll on this site is Corey, now posting as Anonomous.

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