Cops and Teachers? THEY Don't Pay Taxes!

[paft.livejournal.com]

Wisconsin State Assemblyman Robin Vos lets us all know what he thinks of those taxpaying Wisconsin citizens who work in the public sector:

The reality is they haven’t had to pay for these things, they’re upset about doing it now, and the taxpayers are the ones who definitely understand this because they get it, they’ve been doing this in the private sector for years, it’s time we had the same thing happen in the public sector…The fact that my Democratic colleagues want to go back to the taxpayer and have them pay higher taxes because someone shouldn’t pay 12% towards their healthcare….We are standing with the taxpayers all across Wisconsin. It’s amazing the outpouring of support that we’ve been getting from the people outside the Capitol Square, the people who are in the reality of the world, not the place that we’re sitting.

Howard Dean does a very good job of refuting Kudlow and Vos’ fiction that the demonstrations are all about the cuts in benefits and not about the elimination of collective bargaining. The capper to this exchange, however, comes near the end of the segment, when a sign appears just over Vos’ shoulder on the right. Not the kind of thing Kudlow could choreograph.

It beautifully highlights the idiocy of Vos' fiction that the demonstrators are, in some fundamental way, less American than other Americans. Does he really think cops and teachers don't pay taxes, or “live in the reality of the world?”

Crossposted from Thoughtcrimes
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Comments

[whoasksfinds.livejournal.com]

because public sector unions are the foundation of workers rights. OMG were gonna have to go back to 10 hour work days because of scott walker!

[paft.livejournal.com]

If Scott Walker and others like him succeed in eliminating unions, yeah, that's quite possible.

[whoasksfinds.livejournal.com]

lol, okay fearmonger.

[paft.livejournal.com]

Who do you imagine is responsible for making 8 hour workdays the norm?

[whoasksfinds.livejournal.com]

why are you fearmongering?

[paft.livejournal.com]

I'm not fearmongering.

Again. Who do you think is responsible for making the 8 hour day the norm?

[whoasksfinds.livejournal.com]

limiting collective bargaining for public unions to salary negotiations in wisconsin is not going to bring back a 10 hour work day. suggesting as much is nothing short of fearmongering. nice work.

[kinvore.livejournal.com]

Afraid to answer her question? Who gave us weekends, and 8 hour work days, and overtime? It wasn't the market.

[whoasksfinds.livejournal.com]

its not even relevant. the bill being discussed does not eliminate unions. its just a diversion for the fearmongers.

[paft.livejournal.com]

The bill being discussed is an attempt to make unions irrelevant.

[whoasksfinds.livejournal.com]

because limiting collective bargaining for public sector unions to salary negotiations is definitely going to make unions irrelevant, and its definitely going to bring back child labor, 10 hour work days, and sweat shops too! OMG scott walker is hitler!

[paft.livejournal.com]

Yes, limiting collective bargaining in that manner does make unions irrelevant. And yes, without the stick of unions over their heads employers HAVE been known do demand 10 hour workdays from their employees.

[whoasksfinds.livejournal.com]

limiting collective bargaining in that manner does make unions irrelevant

because public sector unions negotiating for salaries is irrelevant. and private sector unions are irrelevant. nice logic paft.

without the stick of unions over their heads employers HAVE been known do demand 10 hour workdays from their employees.

thats funny, because ive never worked a union job, and ive never had to work a 10 hour day in the private sector. and those evil governments, always demanding their employees work overtime without pay!

[geezer-also.livejournal.com]

At least they get paid for it, lower management and salaried employees don't as a rule. It happens to be state law (not union) that most employers cannot work their employees more than 8 hours in a day without payiung them over time.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

its definitely going to bring back child labor

Yeah, no one wants that (http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2011/02/leno_mocks_missouri_child_labo.php)!

[kinvore.livejournal.com]

It doesn't eliminate unions outright, just cripples the unions of Wisconsin's public employees. If it succeeds, what will stop Republicans from doing the same elsewhere?

It's not fearmongering if the fears are plausible.

[whoasksfinds.livejournal.com]

just cripples the unions of Wisconsin's public employees.

"All Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service. It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations when applied to public personnel management. The very nature and purposes of Government make it impossible for administrative officials to represent fully or to bind the employer in mutual discussions with Government employee organizations."

FDR

It's not fearmongering if the fears are plausible.

suggesting a return to a 10 hour workday because of this bill in wisconsin is fearmongering.

[kinvore.livejournal.com]

Like I said, it's not fearmongering if it's plausible (and it is). All the quotes from FDR won't change that.

[geezer-also.livejournal.com]

"what will stop Republicans from doing the same elsewhere?"

Nothing, hopefully :P

[paft.livejournal.com]

For the third time -- Who do you think is responsible for making the 8 hour workday the norm?

[whoasksfinds.livejournal.com]

why is the sky blue paft?

[paft.livejournal.com]

WAF: why is the sky blue?

Because Earth's atmosphere scatters short-wavelength light and blue light is at the short wavelength end of the visible spectrum.

Your turn.

Who do you think is responsible for making the 8 hour workday the norm?

If we get another evasion from you, I'll just assume you know the correct answer would force you to concede a point.

[whoasksfinds.livejournal.com]

the point is irrelevant. were not talking about private sector unions. were talking about teachers, who are employees of the state, and not at any risk of having to work in sweatshops.

[paft.livejournal.com]

You obviously don't know much about the conditions under which many public school teachers work.

[debergerac.livejournal.com]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight-hour_day