Wisconsin Unions Fight

(Andy Manis/Associated Press) from the article, "Protestors in Wisconsin Staying Put" in the New York Times.

Wisconsin is a state that has a very progressive history. They were the birthplace of labor unions that gave rights to many citizens and now Gov. Scott Walker wants to take all that away. When the democratic state senators fled the state two weeks ago so that Walker could not pass the bill which would put restrictions on unions they were hoping to negotiate with Walker and find a better resolution for the budget cuts that needed to be made. Since the senators left the state Walker has not given in at all and protestors keep coming to Madison. In the article “Gov. Scott Walker's Secret Weapon: The Wisconsin Veto” in The Atlantic it says that the Madison state capitol has printouts of 10,000 e-mails from Wisconsin citizens to Walker, up and down both sides of the marble staircase, disputing his bill which will strip collective bargaining rights from public workers. The article goes on to talk about the veto power that the governors of Wisconsin hold where they can take out specific words from a bill. The fact that Walker has this power makes it very hard for the Democrats to bargain and negotiate with him. In the Huffington Post article “Wisconsin GOP Leader Targets Democratic Senate Staffers’ Access to Copy Machines” it shows the Walker does not have much power to get the democratic senators back to Madison. He already sent state troopers to their houses, where they did not find them, and he cut off the wire transfer of their pay check so they can only get it if they come into the capitol. Originally Walker set a deadline that state workers would start being laid off if they did not return by Friday, but that deadline passed, and on Sunday he changed the deadline to Tuesday. After Walker’s recorded phone call, with a blogger that was posing as David Koch, Walkers plan was revealed as to how he was going to get the senators back. This got in his way and it does not seem like the democrats have any plans to return to Wisconsin. Now, the Republicans are pressuring their staffers by banning their use of copy machines.  One Democratic staffer commented on this by saying, "I'll guess we'll just have to scan things."

            I think it is very noble what the protestors are doing by standing up for what is right. I don’t understand how Walker can be so close-minded about any negotiations in his bill when there are so many committed Wisconsin citizens. Even if he disagrees with their point of view it is the responsibility of the government to be “for the people, and by the people” by ignoring tens of thousands of his citizens he is not doing his job. It seems like government is losing sight of the reasons it was put in place in America. It was established so that everyones voice was heard an a monarchy or dictatorship did not rise. Democracy is supposed to allow all opinions to be heard and considered. By Walker smily dismissing his citizens views and not even bothering to listen he is not doing his job as the Governor of Wisconsin.