Cheesey

No this isn't Cairo.  As Congressman Ryan cleverly observed, this is "Cairo come to Wisconsin".  He's got that right....and this is "coming to a town near you" pretty soon unless someone tells the republican party that there are limits and there are lies and some people are being pushed close to the limits with the lies.

Scott Walker is the new republican governor of Wisconsin.  A state mascot is the badger - a mean little rodent noted for tenancity and grit. There is a pro football team (not the University team) called the Packers and their followers are called "cheeseheads" after the states famous cheese (don't ask me to explain further because anyone who goes to a football game with a mock block of cheese on his head has it there only to replace the rocks).  Now you know all there is to know about Wisconsin except for why it's capital city now looks like Cairo.

Gov. Walker is being "played" here like a cheap banjo as is the State of Wisconsin.  The banjo picker du jour is the republican party.  In states with new republican governors and majorities in both of their legislative houses, the national powers that be have started a plan to bust unions in the United States. It is nothing less. than that.  For my international readers, public employees have won the right of collective bargaining - that means teachers, police, state workers, etc., - anyone who draws a paycheck from the government, bargains for wages as a group - collectively.  Union members pay dues and in turn these dues are used to pay for union activities, some of which are political contributions. These monies flow mostly to the democratic party by tradition and by philosophy. This irks the republicans  because not only do they see money paid to employess as somehow being their money go awry, unions are also very well organized and they get out and vote and are active.

Wisconsin had a projected surplus in its budget this year - no budget crises whatsoever.  The republicans, in their effort to reward their constituents who elected them into power, have passed some measures that now have created a deficit of some $3.5 billion dollars so it is time to get things back in the black and the governor has proposed that state workers, teachers, etc., take a wage cut, double their out of pocket contributions to retirement and benefits (health care) and forfeit their collective bargaining rights. They aren't too happy about the pay cut when there wasn't much need of it and feel pinched about the benefits thing but they, in the greater interest, have indicated that they will swallow it.  The net savings to the state of Wisconsin is $300 million or 8% of the deficit.  The net effect of doing away with collective bargaining is $0. Nothing. Nada. Zip. But without collective bargaining there are no union rights of sorts and the 'collection of dues' which is part of the union payroll plan, goes away in a wisp of smoke.  Three unions are exempt from this plan - interestingly enough the only three unions that supported the republican party in Wisconsin elections. They get to keep their collective bargaining rights - everyone else doesn't.  Now that really seems fair and it might be one reason that Cairo has descended on Madison.

So here it is in a nutshell. These folks are mad because the Governor of Wisconsin, aside from being played like a cheap banjo by the national party, is also simply a pawn and a willing one at that.  If you play chess, one of the great and only virtues of being a pawn is that one can go to the far end of the board and be exchanged for a piece with greater power.  As Mr. Walker has some higher political ambitions he has accepted his role of being a lowly pawn in all this so that eventually he can have the chance of being a knight in republican shinning armour.  He is willing to screw a whole bunch of people to do it and the party he represents is happy to lie to the people in order to pull it off.

That is what is going on in Wisconsin and don't kid yourself it is coming your way if you have elected some "suit" with no backbone or ethics and has long puppet strings that flap his arms and opens his mouth.  Listen closely as someone else is speaking the words that pour forth as it isn't him. He is just for rent.