Eugene Robinson: "This is pure, unadulterated union-busting..."

[babylonsister]

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/02/22/starving_wisconsins_unions_108973.html

Don't Strip Public Worker Rights in Wisconsin
By Eugene Robinson

WASHINGTON -- Let's be clear: The high-stakes standoff in Wisconsin has nothing to do with balancing the state's budget.

It is about money, though -- but only in the sense that money translates into political power. At this point, it's clear for all to see that Gov. Scott Walker's true aim is to bust the public employee unions, thus permanently reshaping the political landscape in the Republican Party's favor.

snip//

Unions have been a reliable source of political support for the Democratic Party, including campaign contributions. Over the past few decades, union membership has declined sharply; according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers who belong to a union declined from 20.1 percent of the work force in 1983 to just 11.9 percent in 2010.

In the private sector, just 6.9 percent of workers belong to a union. But among public sector workers, 36.2 percent are union members -- and if you look only at state and local government workers, 42.3 percent are unionized. So if Republicans wanted to weaken the Democratic Party by destroying its most important source of big-money support, they would try to crush public sector unions at the state and local level.

That's what the Wisconsin fight is really about. That's why Walker won't settle for budget-balancing concessions. He wants to eliminate the greatest benefit that unions can give their members -- collective bargaining -- and also, by the way, make it much harder to collect union dues. He wants to starve the unions to death.

This is pure, unadulterated union-busting -- not with goons and brickbats, but with the stroke of a scheming governor's pen.

[Overseas]

1. K&R! //nt

[bdamomma]

2. of course, Walker is a weasel, and he is getting his

orders from someone, I hope it blows up in his face!!

[elias49]

3. He's everywhere on the 'news' programs today (and yesterday)

and I think he's beginning to lose the PR war. On Morning Joe, CNN and other programs (oh yeah - also last night with Chuck Todd his answers to charges of union busting are not working. Just the fact that someone like Todd would parse it just like that - union busting - I find a very positive development.
I guess we wait and see how deep into their wallets the Koch brothers are willing to go.
But one troubling thing is that the Republicans never take a step backwards. They will defend to the death the ability to defend the indefensible.

[CTyankee]

5. Rich Trumka wiped the floor with Walker's responses.

Barnicle suggested (gingerly) that the union officials from the various WI counties make it clear to Walker what their intentions are, without giving away bargaining points of course.

Walker should not be allowed to get away with his talking point that he has to preserve his objection to the union's collective bargaining position or it will bust the state budget...

[Clio the Leo]

4. yep nt

[polichick]

6. Love Eugene! So sad that Americans are so easily fooled...

Maybe this obvious union busting will wake up a whole lotta folks who have been fooled by right-wing flags and Bibles.

[Bluenorthwest]

7. See., that is a direct statement.

Obama's version, well, it kind of seems, in general, to be more like an attempt to try to perhaps attack unions, possibly.
"This is pure, unadulterated union-busting -- not with goons and brickbats, but with the stroke of a scheming governor's pen." That is how leaders should speak.

[impik]

10. What a shame that Eugene Robinson isn't the president. I'm sure he would talk

exactly like he is as a pundit.

[Fire1]

8. Thanks for speaking out Eugene! n/t

[southernyankeebelle]

9. The democratics in congress and the president don't fight then they deserve to lose our votes.