[Updated at 12:00 p.m. from 11:31 a.m.] Waukesha County accountant and extremely-conservative GOP State Rep. Chris Kapenga has said he will introduce a bill to make Wisconsin a so-called "right-to-work" state.
Now GOP Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald suddenly flips and says he will take up the issue quickly - - the political strategy is to move assertively ahead of probable protests and get the mess off the front pages and TV screens before our divide-and-conquer Governor announces his presidential run.
[Update, Friday, 10 a.m.] And it seems Fitzgerald and Walker might have exemptions in mind for friendly unions, so shelve all that hi-falutin' prose about small government and workers right-to-choose and bring in pay to play, divide-and-conquer 2.0.
Walker, feigning concern and masking his support, calls the bill "a distraction" - - but note that he isn't against it. Master of me-first coordination that he is, I'm sure he and his acolytes can work out the scheduling so that Walker's needs are covered.
He's been using state government as a presidential campaign selfie for some time.
And the rest of us can go pound sand.
Right-to-work laws - - dreamed up decades ago with a clever title in old-timey chamber-of-commerce anti-union states to further empower bosses while depressing wages - - provide that private sector workers in union shops are not required to pay union dues as a condition of their employment.
Act 10 essentially did that for public workers in Wisconsin, and Walker opposes any increase in the state's mandated $7.25/hr. minimum wage, so the stage is set to lock Wisconsin in as a low-wage, brain-drained state.
Kapanga, 42, and first elected to the Assembly in 2010, is not the best-known Wisconsin state legislator - - though obviously he's working on that - - so here are a few links about him for your edification:
* His bio.
* Office and related information.
* His PolitiFact "False" rating for saying that interest paid on the federal debt exceeded tax revenues collected:
* His call to have federal officials arrested for implementing Obamacare - - which was even too much for Charlie Sykes to hear.
Now GOP Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald suddenly flips and says he will take up the issue quickly - - the political strategy is to move assertively ahead of probable protests and get the mess off the front pages and TV screens before our divide-and-conquer Governor announces his presidential run.
[Update, Friday, 10 a.m.] And it seems Fitzgerald and Walker might have exemptions in mind for friendly unions, so shelve all that hi-falutin' prose about small government and workers right-to-choose and bring in pay to play, divide-and-conquer 2.0.
Walker, feigning concern and masking his support, calls the bill "a distraction" - - but note that he isn't against it. Master of me-first coordination that he is, I'm sure he and his acolytes can work out the scheduling so that Walker's needs are covered.
He's been using state government as a presidential campaign selfie for some time.
And the rest of us can go pound sand.
Right-to-work laws - - dreamed up decades ago with a clever title in old-timey chamber-of-commerce anti-union states to further empower bosses while depressing wages - - provide that private sector workers in union shops are not required to pay union dues as a condition of their employment.
Act 10 essentially did that for public workers in Wisconsin, and Walker opposes any increase in the state's mandated $7.25/hr. minimum wage, so the stage is set to lock Wisconsin in as a low-wage, brain-drained state.
Kapanga, 42, and first elected to the Assembly in 2010, is not the best-known Wisconsin state legislator - - though obviously he's working on that - - so here are a few links about him for your edification:
* His bio.
* Office and related information.
* His PolitiFact "False" rating for saying that interest paid on the federal debt exceeded tax revenues collected:
Federal tax revenue in 2012 was $2.45 trillion. That’s 11 times higher than the $220 billion in net interest payments on the debt and about seven times higher than the $360 billion in total interest payments.* A list of donors who have given his campaign committee $100 or more.
* His call to have federal officials arrested for implementing Obamacare - - which was even too much for Charlie Sykes to hear.
Kapenga's also the guy who sponsored the bill to override local living wage ordinances, because of....freedom and stuff.
ReplyDeleteWhat angers me is not only that Delafield Dumbass Kapenga get basic economic reality wrong, but that his damage isn't limited to the dead-end mediocre trash in the 262 that he represents. No, they have to wreck the good parts of the state as well.
AND FOR WHAT???
For money Jake. Campaign money, bribes, gifts and political capitol.
ReplyDeleteOh, I know that's what the politicians get out of it. But I'm talking about the average Wisconsinite- what do they get out of it, other than getting screwed out of good wages at work?
DeleteWe are in for a deluge of this kind of legislation over the next two years. This is all set up with Vos and Fitzgerald to bring forth anything and everything that will enhance Walker's credentials with the conservative and Tea party base of the national Republican party. Walker will feign that he is really not supportive of this type of legislation but will sign it late on a Friday afternoon only to campaign on it when he leaves the state. Walker and his legislators have this scripted so he can play "good cop" while they play "bad cop" but he will sign everything that comes across his desk that gives "cred" to his conservative stature! We better get used to seeing Wisconsin in the rear view mirror because these guys don't care a lick about Wisconsin or its people.
ReplyDelete"...exemptions in mind for friendly unions..."
ReplyDeleteWha? The Guv creating the have's and have not's?
Say it ain't so.