Sunday, February 1, 2015

Wisconsin's Race To The Bottom Not Fast Enough For Scott Fitzgerald

A few days ago, I pointed out how state Republicans thought that they had reached a compromise between Scott Walker's presidential aspirations and the greedy wants of their corporate masters by deciding to introduce a plantation economy in piecemeal fashion instead of one fell swoop.

Now, State Senator Scott Fitzgerald is again pushing to have a Rob The Workers bill passed in its entirety - at least when they are able to fill Glenn Grothman's seat.  I find it interesting that even though the Republicans hold the majority in the state senate, Fitzy isn't comfortable trying for it.  Obviously there is some dissension in the ranks.

Walker, who tried to delay any such bill, calling it a distraction, is now again voicing support for it.  Make no mistake about it, Walker has been for it all along, but he is worried about how the inevitable protests are going to hurt his image as he runs for president.

So why this revived push to send the state's economy completely over the cliff?

Aw, c'mon! We're talking Republicans so the answer is an easy one.

That's right! Money!
Fitzgerald’s latest comments came only hours after Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the state’s largest business organization and a powerful influence on state spending and policy, released results of a poll it conducted that showed 69 percent of respondents supported a right-to-work law.

WMC’s steady drumbeat for passage of a right-to-work law is backed up by the group’s big spending to support Republican candidates in legislative and statewide elections. WMC has spent an estimated $18.4 million over the years mostly on negative ads to smear Democrats and support Republican candidates, including $700,000 to back Senate Republican incumbents and candidates in the 2011 and 2012 recall elections.

In addition to outside electioneering activities, WMC boasts a membership of 4,000 businesses from a wide range of special interest groups. Manufacturers and businesses contributed about $137,000 to Fitzgerald’s campaign between 2011 and July 2014.

During that time, Fitzgerald’s top individual contributors were Jere Fabick, Oconomowoc, owner of Fabco Engineering, $15,000; Paul Schierl, Green Bay, a retired paper industry executive and president of the Cornerstone Foundation, $6,000; and Daniel McKeithan, River Hills, chairman of Tamarack Petroleum, $5,250.
Well, the gentle reader knows that the Republicans' motivation is not to stimulate the economy or to help the citizens - and definitely not the workers, otherwise they wouldn't be pushing so hard for something that is known to be so detrimental:
However'[Dr. Robert] Bruno [a professor of labor and employment relations at the University of Illinois] said those who do have jobs under a “right-to-work” system typically are paid less, and that hurts the economy.
“There is a significant loss in income to the state – in the billions of dollars – as a result of right-to-work laws lowering wages,” he said. “Of course, when those workers, those citizens, have less money to spend, then it becomes a drag on the overall economy.

Bruno said “right-to-work” laws also make people more reliant on services from the government, which has less money, because workers are paying lower income taxes.

Emily Twarog, an assistant professor of labor and employment relations at the U of I, said the evidence is clear from studies the university has done that “right-to-work” laws are not beneficial to workers.
“There’s really been no evidence in any other state where there’s right-to-work that demonstrates that right-to-work is beneficial to workers,” she said.

Bruno said “right-to-work” laws are good at weakening labor unions, and their ability to negotiate better wages and benefits for workers, as such laws lead to lower unionization rates.
Ironically, Scott Walker and the Republicans might end up biting the hand that feeds them if they pursue their folly of plantation economics.

A group called the Wisconsin Contractor Coalition has formed. The Coalition already has nearly 400 contractor companies from around the state in it and it continues to grow rapidly.  The Coalition opposes the Republican push for plantation economics.


Besides using Walker's argument that it is a distraction and that the results of such laws are not good at all, the Coalition also argues that it is an example of big government interfering with a private contract between a company and the unions.

They also point out that it will cost taxpayers much more because they would have to foot the bill for training and certification that the unions currently cover themselves without any government assistance.

In other words, when and if the Republicans pass this piece of offal, it will take money out of our wallets twice.  Once through the lower wages and again with the higher taxes.

With so much negative aspects to it, one has to wonder about those that would support such a maleficent piece of legislation.

6 comments:

  1. Here is yet another good read all about the fallacies of to rob the worker!

    http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/02/01/1361572/-Right-To-Work-A-Farce-in-One-Long-Act

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  2. Why have I never seen a post on here about the union thugs who badger and harass workers and owners of non-union companies? Yes, it does happen. I have seen it many times with my own eyes. Or how about the unions protesting outside of new construction sites. Intimidation doesn't seem very democratic...

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    1. Corey, you just seem so clueless. I have read enough of your posts to say that you are not an owner of a company. You are very angry because you work hard but your company doesn't pay you well, and you get by knowing that you are never going to get ahead. See Corey, the union didn't screw you over. The union is there to negotiate on your behalf with your corporate overlords. It is like a "buyers agency" when you buy a home. The union negotiates in YOUR interests, while the corporation negotiates in THEIR interests, which means less pay and or benefits for you. Now, if you like the model you currently work under, then live with it and put a cork in it. But if you are tired of being taken advantage of, time to do a little due diligence and discover that your Governor Walker dislikes people like you and wants you to feel grateful to earn whatever your corporate Daddy feels like giving you. It may not be a living wage, but too bad. Your corporate Daddy might be living large, but that doesn't mean he has to give you a respectable income. You are a commodity - replaceable, just like anything else. It is hard to believe you could be so clueless about all of this, but if you take the time to educate yourself without Rupert Murdoch or Jeff Bezos influenced media, you may just figure out that Walker doesn't care about you.

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  3. Protests are horrible...like that tea party thing in Boston harbor. Very intimidating stuff, almost as bad as all those black people in Selma making Bull Connor's police hurt their fists back in 1964. Are you saying that your "prolife" friends" who protest at women's health clinics, or sometimes blow up the clinics aren't thugs? How exactly does protesting a non union construction site compare with Cliven Bundy and his friends pointing weapons at BLM employees? Please share.

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    1. Nice comparisons. Almost on par with each other.

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    2. You can't rationalize with Corey. He has bought into the tea party beliefs. He has no clue that he is a serf and his political party of choice wants his vote but doesn't respect his contribution to the labor force. Corey thinks everyone else is keeping him from rising on the corporate pay scale. Truth is, if Corey was worth more, his employer would pay him more. It wouldn't matter that the pesky union guys are protesting. Corey is a valued member of the team, and he can just filter out the noise. The protestors are the replaceable ones, even though it takes more courage to take a stand than to let your corporate master dictate your worth to you. Welcome to corporate serfdom Corey. Any questions can be directed to your local HR professional, who may or may not use your questions against you.

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