Wisconsin
Governor Scott Walker's autocratic attempt to abrogate the democratic right of
public employees to bargain with their governmental bosses is not wearing well
with the public. Recent polls show that a mere one-third of Wisconsinites favor
his blatantly-political power play, and that if he had told voters in the last
year's election that he intended to do this, he would've lost. After only one
month in office, Walker's approval rating has plummeted, and he's become a
national poster boy for right-wing anti-union extremism – indeed, he's so out of
step that he's even being jeered by democracy fighters in
Egypt!
Yet, Walker is
but one of a flock of far-right, corporate-crested Republican governors and
congress critters who're waging an all-out class war on unionized workers. It's
a shameful effort to bust the wage structure and legal protections that support
America's already-endangered middle
class.
In Washington,
for example, loopy GOP leaders are out to abolish the legal mechanism through
which workers can form a union and have their bargaining rights protected.
Meanwhile, war-whooping Republican governors in Ohio, New Jersey, Indiana, and
elsewhere are slashing the health care and pension benefits owed to public
employees, blaming these middle-class workers for their states' fiscal messes.
But state budgets have been depleted by the economic crash caused by Wall Street
greed and massive tax giveaways to wealthy elites – not by a firefighter's
pension or a teacher's health
plan.
And check out
Nevada, where the Chamber of Commerce is even pushing to eliminate the minimum
wage. This corporate-funded Republican assault is not about fiscal
responsibility. The corporate powers intend nothing less than to dismantle the
entire framework of America's economic democracy and return us to the dark days
of Robber Baron plutocracy.
To the
barricades, people!
Sources:
"Wisconsin
Gov. Scott Walker's standing in eroding, opponents say, citing poll," http://www.chicagotribune.com/la-pn-wisconsin-union-20110223,0,7367439.story,
February 22, 2011.
"Wisconsin
Power Play," The New York Times, February 21, 2011.
"Big Budget
Cuts Add Up to Rage in Wisconsin," The New York Times, February 17,
2011.
"Republicans
bent on getting rid of unions," Austin American Statesman, February 25,
2011.
"Christie
Declares 'New Normal' in Proposing Tight Budget," February 23, 2011.
"Bill seeks
repeal of Nevada's $8.25 minimum wage," http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/feb/16/bill-seeks-repeal-nevadas-825-minimum-wage/,
February 16, 2011.
