More Wisconsin Political Shenanigans!

As I sit and wait for election results to come in from the various elections taking place across the state, I figured now would be a good time to continue my narrative of all the political happenings here in Madtown. I am not entirely sure where I left off, but I know a lot more has happened since my last post.

And it’s been pretty intense; so much so that everything that has happened in the past couple of months has had a profound effect on today’s election. The biggest issue on people’s mind is the collective bargaining debate, and the actions of politicians from both sides of aisle in dealing with the budget repair bill. Many a race has become a referendum on the policies of Gov. Scott Walker. Turnout looks record breaking. Though most elections are just for local officials, it appears at least 70% of voters in the Madison area have headed to the polls. A number of towns had to keep polls open longer than 8pm to accommodate the crowds; some even ran out of ballots.

So as the waiting game begins, I’ll fill you in all the happenings. Then maybe I’ll give you my take on the races today, if I haven’t rambled on for too long.

Ok. Well. In case you didn’t know, the budget repair bill, with a ban on collective bargaining for all public workers in Wisconsin, passed the Senate, and the Assembly, and was signed by the Governor. But it isn’t law yet.

Confused? Weren’t the Senate Dems awol in Illinois, thus prohibiting a vote?

Well yes. But that didn’t stop those Republicans. They tried everything, short of actually negotiating in good faith, to get the Senate Dems back to Madison: police, threats, withholding pay, fines, even “shock horror”- taking away the photocopying codes of Democratic staffers. With all that failing, and still refusing to negotiate, Republicans came up with a crafty solution.

In order to understand their move, I should clarify why they couldn’t initially pass the bill. The ban on collective bargaining formed part of the Budget Repair Bill- a plan by Gov. Walker to balance the current budget in the state untill the end of the fiscal year. So it was a budgetary bill (with lots of right wing policy in it) which largely consisted of cost saving and cutting measures. Any bill that is fiscal in nature, must have a quorum of two thirds of the Senate present. Without the Dems, the Senate did not have that quorum, and so couldn’t pass any fiscal bill.

But they could pass regular bills. Can you guess where this is going? Senate Republicans took out the “budget” aspects from the budget repair bill, and passed the ban on collective bargaining, and other policy, in a regular bill. What was supposed to be “of sound fiscal importance”, necessary to save the state budget,  turned out to be tripe. If it was really about the money, and not taking away collective bargaining rights, then this bill would never have seen the light of day. Turns out it was an attack on unions after all.

In true Republican style, the passage of this bill was done on the sly. A committee was called to move the bill forward to passage, and my boss was the only Dem able to attend. He was then denied the chance to question what this bill actually was, and what it contained, had his opposition ignored, and was practically a ghost in the room, despite his vocal attempts to prove otherwise.

This Daily Show clip, though it mocks my boss in a very humorous way, perfectly sums up what happened:

http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:mvideo:comedycentral.com:377245 

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Tags: The Daily Show: Crisis in Dairyland – Apocalypse Cow, COMEDYCENTRAL

(For regular link click here, in case the embedded video doesn’t work)

The bill was then rushed through the Senate, and the Assembly voted on it again.

And in the Assembly, Republicans again stifled debate, despite specifically saying they would allow Dems to debate until 3.30pm: They pushed a vote through at 3.10pm, with many still waiting to speak.

Meanwhile, despite the Capitol remaining in lock down mode, as word of the rushed vote in the Senate spread to those outside, protesters stormed the building- in a somewhat peaceful manner; they banged on the doors, and police-fearing violence- opened the doors and let them in. A number then camped overnight in the foyer of the Assembly parlour, with the intention to stop a vote on the new bill by the Assembly, literally blocking the way. I got to witness about 40 protesters dragged from the Speaker’s hallway (they went limp and were carried/dragged by state troopers), as police opened up the way for a vote. Thankfully this was all still peaceful (though there was some very loud chanting going on), with no-one arrested.

With the way clear, the Assembly voted on the bill, as I already mentioned. That was that then, or so we thought.

With the legislature having passed the bill, and the Governor’s pen signed it, it surely became law?

Well, no.

Because for a law to go into effect in Wisconsin, it must be published by the Secretary of State, affixed with his seal. Sec. of State La Follette, a Democrat, decided to take the full 10 days to publish the bill, having no power himself to actually stop it. However, this delay allowed for another player to take action. While the legislative and executive branches of government conspired to restrict workers rights, the judicial branch was not so sure.

I suppose the whole legal side of things can get rather boring, but I have found it fascinating. I will try and be as succinct as possible in my details of what is currently happening.

There are currently multiple different challenges to the bill: a number are from a civil liberties argument, concerning whether collective bargaining is a natural right; another concerns whether the bill was still fiscal in nature and shouldn’t have been brought to the floor; another is in regards to various “illegal actions” by Republicans; still another is about the restricted access to the Capitol.

Perhaps the most important one, and one which has actually resulted in the publication of the law being halted- with a temporary restraining order issued, is in regards to the meeting which you hopefully just saw a clip of. By Wisconsin law, any new bills that are brought to committee must have previously given 24hrs notice about the meeting, to allow the public to attend. This is known as the Open Meetings Law, and is meant to encourage transparency of government. In special, exceptional, “emergency” circumstances, 2 hrs notice is required, instead of 24. Well this wasn’t an emergency, and even if it was, even a 2 hr notice was not given. No-one had any idea what the “new bill” was about, when my boss headed into that meeting.

So, a suit was filed in response to the abuse of the open meetings law, and a TRO on publishing the bill imposed.

But then last Friday evening, at 4.30pm, the Legislative Reference Bureau, pushed into it by Republicans, published the bill on their website, based on orders in the State Statute, despite the restraining order. However, staff at this non-partisan agency then insisted to both sides and the media that this DID NOT mean the law was effective, that other action was required, and only that they had to do this. Ignoring this, Republicans began acting like the bill was law, even beginning to cut the pay of public workers. It took multiple comments from the judge before Repubs finally agreed to listen to the current law and stop acting like the bill had been published.

That all these suits were filed, and with all the shady, rude, disgusting tactics by Republicans really only suggests one thing. This bill is WRONG. So wrong. It is blatantly obvious to anyone even slightly involved.

The Judge in the case agreed, but is not sure what authority the court has in the matter.  While she issued the TRO, to provide more time to figure things out, more must still be done. The case has been moved up to the Wisconsin Supreme Court for a decision regarding authority…. which brings me right back to election night!

Like how I did that?

I have rambled for too long, a new post is in order, hopefully tomorrow. But one of the major elections tonight concerns a seat on the Supreme Court, and could affect how this case is handled when it is taken up. The right leaning incumbent is currently in a dead heat with a liberal challenger. Before the collective bargaining crisis, he was a shoo in for re-election.

What fun times we live in. More tomorrow.

Down in Capitol City

Home of the Wisconsin protesters. For those who have made the Capitol their literal home for the past few weeks, they prefer to not think of themselves as protesters. Or the hippies. Or the pains in the ***. They prefer it if police call them “the rotunda community”. At least, that’s what I overheard the police talking about.

I have already blogged about the protesters indirectly, but I wanted to take the time to focus directly on them. Because quite frankly, I think they are incredible. Even if they do smell a little bad at times.

Because, they have shown such incredible dedication. I was all for turning up and chanting a little, holding a sign high up in the air, pumping my fists in the air etc. for a couple of hours. But for over 3 weeks? When this all began, we were experiencing an incredibly mild week in February. Everyone put the large crowds down to the weather. “It’s just because it isn’t freezing out here.” “They’ll be gone when the weather turns.”

Well the snow came, and the crowds grew. As the weather got colder, more and more people turned out to support the cause. It really does blow my mind how people just kept on turning up, giving up all their spare time to come and fight for something they so passionately believe in.

It’s truly inspirational.

And perhaps a little stupid too, when people started sleeping overnight OUTSIDE of the Capitol, in a small camp dubbed “Walkerville.”

Teachers and public workers have all taken their precious personal days, or given up vacation time in order to come out here. Students from across the state volunteered to help out, many often sleeping overnight on hard marble floors in the Capitol. People have driven or taken buses from right across the whole state- some even further afield than that. And the crowd is so varied, with personalities from all walks of life, young and old, male, female, public and private workers, Democrats and Republicans. Entire families have turned up, sacrificing a weekend when they should perhaps be relaxing together, just to defend the modest way of life they are accustomed to.

But it’s fun for the kids. And its educational. It’s a true lesson in democracy, and the value of peaceful non-violent action. Mr. King would be very proud indeed. I certainly am.

Because the countless rallies and gatherings have been completely peaceful. Perhaps at little rowdy at times, and undoubtedly very vocal. I’d be the first to admit that the endless drum circles gets a little tiresome. But there hasn’t been a single hint of violence. Even when tea partiers threw an opposing rally, protesters simply carried on as normal, carrying signs reminding people to remain peaceful. Sure some words were exchanged, but largely, when the two different sides met, they logically discussed their points of view.

Not only have the protests been peaceful, but they have been incredibly well organized. Unbelievably so. And I don’t just mean getting people to meet at the same time for a mass march to the Capitol, or organizing stages and speaker systems so celebrities like Bradley Whitford (Josh from the West Wing), Jesse Jackson, and just this weekend Michael Moore, can speak and be heard. Those are no simple feats in themselves. I mean the kind of organization that has ensured people have beds and pillows to sleep on, continuous food to eat (cold and hot!), and remain healthy and fired up.

Whether that requires a dose of medicine or some first aid, some group yoga exercises, or even a 10 minute turn in the massage chair. I kid you not; all of this could be found at the Capitol.

Volunteers set up in a whole wing of the building, turning it into a one stop shop for all protester essentials. Food, drink and funds were donated from across the country; New York, Florida, California, Texas, even from other countries. Hand warmers- check. Painkillers-check. Toothpaste-check. Tampons-check. Ian’s pizza, a phenomenal pizza place here in Madison took so many donations, it closed it’s regular business, and just shuttled endless numbers of continuous pizza boxes to the Capitol. Protesting is hungry work.

If they didn’t have what you wanted, you could add suggestions to a wish list, and on the next donated shopping run, requested items would be purchased.

Perhaps most absurdly, a family centre was set up, to provide day care and other services many parents protesting in Madison were in need of!

Walking around the second floor one night at 4am was certainly an enlightening experience. All the alcoves were filled with groups of people all huddled up together. Some had huge air mattresses and actually looked surprisingly comfy (the 3 guys soundly spooning in their sleep on one mattress did make me laugh). While most dreamt their protesting dreams, some dedicated volunteers walked around “checking” on everyone. Some protesters had taken it upon themselves to be marshals, helping to control the crowd and providing help and advice. Some walked around carrying earplugs for anyone that wanted them. Two others carted bottles of water and breakfast bars for anyone that was waking up. Others used donated cleaning items to help try and keep the Capitol in great shape.

And they did a surprisingly good job.

And it has helped their cause no end- to be so peaceful, and so responsible. It really focuses all the media’s attention on what they are protesting about, and not silly little incidents that take over the argument. Their peaceful (largely quiet) persistence has been their greatest asset, and they have even showed up legislators, who have got into vocal arguments and shouting matches, while protesters remained calm and collected.

I am so glad I got to witness this incredible public outburst. It really has shown to me what can be accomplished if people care deeply about something. In England, student protesters lasted a day when tuition fees rose, and a large amount of media coverage was about the  violence and vandalism which resulted from those marches. They oughta to take a lesson from everyone here in Wisconsin.

If he were here today, MLK would undoubtedly be amongst them.

Even more craziness

As I said earlier, everyday just brings a new surprise here at work. I particularly love the guessing game I have to play every morning as I approach the Capitol, deciding which door I am going to be let in through today. It varies depending on the current policies, which again, change every day.

Then there’s always the fun task of seeing how many times you are going to get stopped by police officers before you can get to the office. For example, they’ll want to see your badge at the top of the stairs, even though they know the bottom of the stairs is blocked off, and you need to have ID just to access the staircase. Alas, it isn’t their fault- they’re just told what to do.

The problem lies with Governor Walker and the DOA, who insisted on a huge crackdown on protests and the public in the Capitol, practically (literally at times) shutting the entire building down, despite it being legally required to be open to every Wisconsin citizen. I understand it was necessary to close the Capitol overnight after it had been open 24hours a day for over two weeks, with people sleeping in. Lord knows it needed a clean. But to then fail to reopen it to the public; that was out of line, and just another example of the underhand tactics employed by the Walker administration.

Last week, protesters who refused to leave were locked into the building. Initially, no-one else was allowed in. Finally caving to pressure, law enforcement began to slowly-painfully slowly- let some people into the building, but only those with legitimate reasons. And they had to come through just one entrance, via a metal detector screening. Those attending a public hearing, had to wait in line to get a hearing badge, and then wait for either a page like myself or a police officer to escort them to the hearing room, and then back to the exit. There was only a limited number of badges available, based on the number of seats in the hearing room. For constituents who wanted to visit an office, they had to wait for the office to be contacted, wait in line to get in, and then wait for a staff member to come down and collect them. They then also had to be escorted by a police officer. Only 8 constituent badges per district.

This continued all week. People even had to be escorted to the bathroom.

Now if there had been two whole weeks of riots, and multiple incidents of people in the wrong places causing damage and being violent, then I could understand the enhanced security procedures. But there have been zero arrests, and only a tiny number of citations- less than the average football game at Camp Randall. Yet still, the Republican administration, perhaps unable to cope with the large show of democracy any longer, chose to implement these new procedures.

In response to having their constituents locked outside, Democrats took their offices to them. Literally. Desks were carried outside, chairs rolled up. Signs were made and hung from windows. Office hours were held on the ground of the Capitol for any citizen from any district, Democrat or Republican. A stunt? of course. Made a serious point? Absolutely.

Of course, once they were outside holding office hours, there was no guarantee the Representatives would be able to get back inside. Just ask Rep. Nick Milroy, who in trying to get back to his office after having a meal outside, found himself denied, despite having his leggie ID badge on him. When another officer let him through, the first yelled that he wasn’t allowed, and the Representative promptly found himself tackled to the ground. Fun times.

Watch the video here.

This video also shows the difficulty involved in getting into the Capitol. The man trying to get in is former US Representative Dave Obey, a veteran Wisconsin politician.

By the end of the week, access to the Capitol had been restored, after a court case and a Dane County judge ruling that the Capitol had to be open during its regular hours. The court case itself was accompanied with another crazy news story however; supposedly, protesters had caused $7.5 million in damages to the Capitol building. Why? Because of the signs they had stuck up. Apparently tape and marble don’t mix, along with all the other “destruction” protesters have caused. Absurd! New figures released show the actual costs involved could be as low as $347,000.

But the Crazy award of the week goes to the one, the only, FOX news! This week they successful mixed live reporting in Wisconsin with pre-filmed footage of rioting protesters. These protesters however, were not in Madison. They weren’t even in Wisconsin. How do we know? There were palm trees in the background. The footage was actually from an event in Sacramento, but Fox failed to make that distinction, allowing viewers to think protests in Madison were getting violent.

Oh Fox, how we love you. Since then, a number of protesters have taken to carrying inflatable palm trees around with them. Check out Nicole’s blog on the creativity of protesters.

It just gets crazier by the minute

It seems like it’s just one thing after another. You really couldn’t make these kinds of things up. Everyday there is some new development, which if it weren’t so unbelievable and shocking, you’d just want to laugh.

If it’s not the Senate Dems leaving the state, then it’s Governor Walker taking a prank call from a New York blogger and divulging some dirty secrets. That’s right- despite ignoring multiple calls from Democratic leaders wanting to talk about his budget repair bill, Walker found the time to take a call from one of the billionaire Koch brothers- ardent Republicans who helped finance his campaign. Refusing to negotiate with Dems, he still managed to find 20 minutes to talk to a man who helped secure his victory, and is obviously very self interested.

And boy, what a conversation. Thankfully it was recorded and wasn’t actually a Koch brother. In the full transcript, Walker talks about his unwavering will to stand firm and be uncompromising, and his grateful support for his Republican backers, including the desire to have them fly him out to California for a nice break. He also talks about tricking the Senate Democrats into coming back to the Capitol, if they are not able to force them back.

But worst of all, Walker openly admits to thinking about planting troublemakers in amongst the crowd of protesters in order to antagonise them and stir up some violence. He openly thought about trying to start a riot!!! Can you believe that? He decided it could backfire on him, and force his hand, so decided against it. But just the fact that the thought crossed his mind is simply incredible!!

Then there is all the talk and attempted actions on getting the 14 Dem Senators back into the state. It began with locking their paychecks in their desks on the Senate floor. Then there were talks about fines for not showing up to work- $100 a day. That was followed by cutting off Dem staffers photocopying codes, and assigning them Republican bosses to oversee their work. How extremely childish! Most recently, their has been renewed talks of criminal action, and a Senate resolution to arrest the 14 Democrats and forcibly bring them back to the Capitol.

But the Dems have been standing firm. And though they have been starting to receive some negative media coverage from sources other than Fox, I think they still largely have the public support behind them. They are the only thing that is stopping Walker and the Republicans from ramming through this terrible legislation. T-shirts have been made supporting the “Wisconsin 14”. (Just one of the great t-shirts I have seen, including one with the image of the state shattered into pieces, and one which is a play on the “Teach Me How To Bucky” slogan which is popular here, now changed to “Teach Me How To Bargain”)

And they have been having an impact, with the eyes of the world on them. Walker’s actions proved to be somewhat of a test case for Republican governors across the country. I don’t think anyone thought the reaction would be as strong as it has been in Wisconsin, and it has thus resulted in many governors reconsidering their actions, and in fact scaling back their attacks on public workers in the US.

Don’t get me wrong; I think public workers should be contributing to help solving the budget Problem-not Crisis- in the state and the country. But they should only be contributing a little, a small amount that they can afford. Everyone should be chipping in- proportionately. Because that’s the thing about Walker’s new budget- it is simply unfair. It calls for huge cuts in public services, education and Medicaid, as well as reducing the income of those people who also rely on these services. It’s like a double whammy. Meanwhile, those who don’t use or need these services, get tax breaks for their companies, and don’t see any increase in hardships. On the contrary, they actually stand to perhaps make a little more money.

Taking from the poor and giving to the rich is not how it is supposed to work.

To solve the budget problem effectively requires the cutting of spending, and an increase in revenue. That means raising taxes. I think that this tax increase should only fall on those who can afford it- the upper class. That way, everyone is contributing to society- FAIRLY. But Walker has promised that there will be absolutely no tax increases, and has even prohibited local authorities from increasing taxes themselves. That stinks of favouritism to the rich if you ask me.

I never thought I would say this, but comparatively speaking, David Cameron has been doing the right thing in England to address the budget problem- cutting spending and raising taxes.

Enough on this post for now- More craziness and hilarity to follow in the next post. I’ll leave you with this interesting and amusing read, which aptly sums up Walker and his fellow Republicans. Congrats to Rick Horowitz for a witty piece.

Democracy’s Ugly!

“It’s the worst form of government… except for all the others” said one Winston Churchill. If the past two weeks in the State Capitol in Madison are anything to go by, this is certainly the case.

I left off over a week ago, when on Friday, Republicans in the State Assembly tried a dirty trick, attempting to pass the budget repair bill and end collective bargaining without any Democrats aware what was going on. Or even present in the chamber. Apparently Republicans did not learn their lesson that evening.

After a weekend of Democrats listening to over 3000 citizens voicing their opinions on the bill, the week began in earnest on Tuesday at 11.45am, when the Assembly convened to debate and vote on this monumental piece of legislation which as made worldwide news.

That day never really ended.

Despite the sun rising and setting on five different occasions, the Assembly continued on debating the bill, without a recess. A marathon 61 hour session. Democrats put forth over one hundred amendments in an attempt to at least make this rushed, ridiculous bill into a nominally legitimate piece of legislation. They attempted to offer better ways to fix the state’s budget deficit, to safeguard those who rely on Medicaid, SeniorCare and BadgerCare, and to protect those prison officers who protect Wisconsin.

Yet the Republicans were having none of it. One by one, after allowing only 10minutes of joint debate on each amendment, the improvements were tabled along party lines, 58-37. It didn’t matter if the amendment was a simple tiny detail, or a way to get free federal money; GOPers were not listening. Dems talked and talked and tried to convince the other side of the aisle of the merits of their argument, but as time wore on, almost no-one was listening. The results were a forgone conclusion, in that you could tell none of  the Republicans would even consider an amendment, because they left for naps, and told their seat mates to vote for them, against all amendments. Democratic huh?

I was with the legislators for at least 40 of these 60 hours. Or at least in the building at work. I came to the Sgt’s office at 8 am Tuesday morning. I left 8am Wednesday. That was an intense 24 hours, helping to set up everything, and then watching things take off. After a few hours sleep at home, I was back in the Capitol at 5pm. Another night, same old routine. Doing what I hear you ask? Well, we have a number of duties on session day, which include setting up the Assembly chamber, manning the doors and the public viewing galleries (ensuring only legislators are allowed onto the floor, and making sure the public are following the rules), and attending to any errands the representatives required- such as getting energy drinks!

I spent a lot of the time last week as gallery coordinator, running between galleries checking everything was ok, counting empty seats, liaising with police officers who were screening any members of the public who wanted to watch the proceedings- no bags, empty pockets, and a metal wanding. I also had to do my tour guide duty again, escorting visitors to one of the three galleries, and explaining the rules of the gallery to them. This is well beyond what normally occurs on session day, where we just let visitors wander into the gallery themselves. All the extra security and attention to rules was to ward off any bad behaviour from the protesters, who were the ones coming to watch.

Thankfully, there were very few, if any incidents, at least during the time I was there. We only had to kick one guy out  of the gallery for booing at the Republicans- understandable yes, but against the rules. A number of State Troopers accompanied us in the gallery, just in case we did have some agitators. They didn’t need to mobilise though.

I don’t know numbers (I’ve never been one for memorising stats) but there has been a huge law enforcement contingent in the Capitol these past few weeks. To ensure the public safety-yes; to safeguard the Capitol-yes; to guard doors- unfortunately yes; to escort paranoid Republican legislators- also sadly true. They’ve been incredible in their jobs-my hats go off to them- all working regular 12 hr shifts, mostly in thankless, boring positions. Capitol and UW police have been there continuously, as have the State Troopers- they rotate in 3 day blocks from across the state, being housed in Madison. Everyday however it seems like there are some new officers there from some town or county in Wisconsin- Milwaukee PD; Dane County Sherrifs; Fond-du-Lac, Bayside, Ashland PD; Dep. of Natural Resources Rangers; etc etc. Some of them are even working during the day, then coming back in plain clothes to protest with everyone else, despite being exempt from the collective bargaining changes.

After all, if you don’t speak up when they come for someone else, there may be no-one left to speak up when they come for you.

One good thing about working the long hours- I now know a lot of policemen and women in the state of Wisconsin. If I ever get caught speeding on a highway, maybe I’ll be lucky and end up reminiscing with someone I met in the Capitol. And I think I know almost everyone on the UW Police Force, so if I’m in trouble on Campus, I’ll know who to turn to.

After the 5pm- 9am shift Wednesday-Thursday, I was back once again at 5.30pm Thursday evening ready for another all-nighter. This night however, was a little more eventful than the previous two- for which I was grateful, as this was the hardest night to stay awake.

As the hour grew late and the debate continued, many of those in the gallery simply got bored, and left. But then suddenly we hear cries of anger and shouts of frustration. The public rushes back and we are swamped trying to get everyone in quickly. Turns out that the Republicans cut off debate and pushed the bill to the next stage- Engrossment- which basically means no more amendments. A lot of people watching actually thought the bill had passed, the passions of the Democrats were so strong.

But this was nothing. A few hours later the same thing happened, a quick sneaky vote to put the bill past it’s third reading and to a final vote on passage. Dems were outraged, and even called for the removal of the Speaker Pro Tempore (the guy who does the Speaker’s job). That gave them some extra time on the discussion of the bill.

Finally at 1.07am, the unthinkable happened again. Despite the Dems asking how many people were in the queue waiting to speak (15), Republicans had all their legislators file slowly into the chamber, and then suddenly cut off debate, the Speaker rushing a reading of the motion, and then finally voting on the Budget Repair Bill. Democrats didn’t know what hit them, and were screaming in outrage, along with most of the crowd in the gallery. With the roll call open only 17 seconds, the final vote was 51-17 in favour, with over 30 legislators not having the chance to vote.

On this video, (Part 7- skip head to 9.58.00), you can actually see the chief clerk jump for the desk, so unaware that the vote would occur. For an alternate view of the proceedings, you can also check out this video here. (I love how Fox has to say its coverage is “balanced”).

After 61 hours of debate, Republicans stifled free speech. Everyone was tired, tensions had risen, and with this somewhat illegal manoeuvre, the Democrats erupted. Shouts and jeers. Pointing frantically in anger. Pumping fists in shame. Paper was flung into the air; water thrown across the chamber. Things were said, on both sides of the aisle, that perhaps shouldn’t have been said.

At the end of the day, one could argue that even had the Democrats been allowed to continue speaking, sooner or later the vote would have come, and Republicans, given their majority, would have beaten the Dems and passed the bill. However, I think there is certainly an argument to be made that there were a number of Republicans unhappy with this bill, and the more they heard from Dems, the more likely they were to vote against it. 4 indepedent Republicans, who didn’t follow their leadership like sheep voted against the bill. 2 others chose not to vote, as did the one Independent (who used to be Democrat). Had those seven, along with all Democrats, voted against the bill, the result would have been 51-46. Only three more Republicans needed to be convinced of the evils of this bill.

Unfortunately though, the bill passed the assembly. The task of stopping this bill now falls to the power of the protesters, who continue to flock to the Capitol on a daily basis, and to the Senate Democrats, who remain in hiding in Illinois. It was a brave move they took to leave Wisconsin in order to delay a vote on the bill and allow people time to analyse the ramifications of the policy within it. They are starting to come under a large amount of criticism from the media and some citizens in Wisconsin “for not doing their jobs”. I contend that they are doing a far better job out of state than their Republican counterparts in the Senate, and are well within their right to do what they are doing according to Senate rules.

As I said, Democracy is ugly. When a controversial bill such as this forces the events that have occurred- Dems fleeing the state, Republicans walking out of the Assembly with their tails between their legs after a vote they know they shouldn’t have done- then you know something is wrong with the bill itself.

Something has to break. Wisconsin is at an impasse, as two sides face off against each other. Compromise is on the table, but Walker and the Repubs don’t want to negotiate. Sooner or later, something has to give.

Power to the People- Assembly Dems make their stand

I want to urge anyone remotely interested in politics, and especially the events unfolding in Wisconsin, to click on the following link, and take the time to watch Assembly Session Part 4.

It is a video which shows Republicans in the Assembly, cheating the rules and trying to sneak through passage of the budget repair bill- the one about collective bargaining- without healthy debate, and without allowing Democrats to add amendments.

Dems were working on amendments, waiting to be briefed by a non-partisan agency about the contents of the bill, when Republicans called the session to reconvene, denying requests by Dems for extra time. Furthermore, Dems were told 5pm, which usually means about 5.10pm. At 4.50pm, Republicans requested a quorum call. By 4.56pm, as can be seen on the TV clock, Republicans were agreeing to suspend rules, and were seconds away from passing the bill entirely by a voice vote, when Dem Representative Gordon Hintz comes running into the chamber. He is followed by the Democratic minority leader, who proceeds to shout to the whole chamber, demanding the floor, demanding he be recognized by the speaker. They finally give in, and turn his microphone on, where he duly provides a scalding rebuke of Republican actions, and defends democracy in Wisconsin. He is followed by other Dem representatives. It is truly impressive and inspirational.

Watch it!

http://www.wiseye.org/Programming/VideoArchive/EventDetail.aspx?evhdid=3759

 

Session- repubs and dirty trick. feeling of inspiration- back on tuesday- if not over the weekend.

Power to the People- News stories and Pictures

First international story! http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/feb/16/wisconsin-republicans

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/us/17wisconsin.html?_r=2&ref=us

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/18/us/18wisconsin.html?hp

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2011/02/16/us/WISCONSIN.html?ref=us

Proud to make the BBC! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12498249

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12510849

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12508071

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/19/us/19wisconsin.html?_r=1&hp

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/19/us/politics/19states.html?bl

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/02/18/the-first-blow-against-public-employees?ref=us

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/18/politics-of-wisconsin-labor-fight-spread-to-washington/?hp

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/18/video-republicans-accuse-liberals-of-hateful-rhetoric-in-wisconsin/?ref=us

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/18/cairo-in-the-midwest/?hp

 

These two sites are local Wisconsin sites, which are great for keeping up to date with political happenings- should you be so inclined! http://budget.wispolitics.com/ http://www.thewheelerreport.com/

 

Power to the People

Rachel Maddow’s national news show on MSNBC began today with the tagline “Thank Wisconsin It’s Friday.” She proceeded to announce that “The center of American Politics right now is Madison, Wisconsin.” Here’s why….

It began one week ago. The newly elected Republican Governor of Wisconsin-Scott Walker- gave a speech announcing the contents of his Budget Repair Bill, a bill designed to plug the shortfall in the current fiscal budget of Wisconsin. There was to be a surplus this year, until the Republicans passed new tax cuts a few weeks ago. This bill calls for a number of controversial measures, including the loss of federal funding, changes to how medicaid eligibility is determined, and provisions making state workers contribute more to their pension and healthcare benefits. But most controversially of all, and the reason for the hubbub in this small Mid-West Capitol, is the measure which strips all public workers in Wisconsin (except those in the police and fire services) of their right to collectively bargain.

Or their voices about their working conditions.

Then and there, we knew this was going to be big. Just how big, I couldn’t even imagine.

Emails immediately began flying across cyber space. Phone lines started to ring off the hook. Media teams got to work getting out the message. This bill was going to end fifty years of organized labour history, the first state in the USA to pass collective bargaining laws, and set the ball rolling on working conditions such as minimum wage and the 40hr work week. By Monday, the office I intern in -the Democratic Minority leaders office- had received over 700 emails about this bill, 99% of which greatly opposed it. Other legislators inboxes were in the same state, as were their voicemails. Around midday, we heard a commotion outside, something that sounded a lot like chanting. Running into the hallways, and looking down from the balcony of the second floor, we saw over a thousand people march through the west entrance and into the centre of the Capitol. For twenty minutes, they chanted “Kill the Bill”, before turning and leaving the building.

Given the current political climate, the media immediately picked up on the “kill” part of “Kill the Bill”. In a case of political correctness gone too far, they construed that it was violent, inflammatory language. Personally, I think its just a nice, short, catchy chant, that rhymes very nicely.

Regardless of this, protesters have continued to chant it throughout the week. On Monday, I thought this march into the Capitol was really cool, and I was really happy I got to witness it. What was to come next paled in comparison, as over the course of three days, a gathering of a few hundred opposed to the bill, turned into a rally of 40,000 protesters.

The bill itself began its journey through the legislative procedure on Tuesday morning, as the Joint Finance Committee held a public hearing to listen to those who wanted to speak in favour or against the measures proposed. Hundreds signed up to have their voices heard, a true testament to free speech. While they waited for their slot, many chose to visit their representatives to personally express their views. Staffers (in Republican offices) were a little nervous about how to deal with these constituents, but they would soon experience baptism by fire. For more and more constituents turned up every hour, desperate to express their opinions to the state government.  During the afternoon mail run, I had to navigate around a number of people in and out of offices.

At 9pm, the Republican chairs of the Finance Committee cut off registration to speak before them. They continued to allow those who had signed in, to testify until 3am. With a huge stack of paper indicating the number of people still waiting to speak, Republican’s adjourned for the night, ready for a vote on whether to advance the bill on Wednesday.

But Democrats continued the listening session, arguing that everyone who came here wanting to speak should be given the right to testify. That is what democracy is. So, they continued to listen to people. From 3am Tuesday. Last I heard, they were still going strong, Saturday morning. Legislators and staffers have been switching on and off throughout the nights to ensure there are always people there to listen to the concerns these citizens of Wisconsin have. It is truly incredible. While Democrats kept listening, Republicans ignored the voices of democracy, refusing to negotiate on the bill, leaving voicemail inboxes full, and locking down their offices. One who decided he should speak to his constituent, ended up arguing and shouting at her!

I was in the hearing on Wednesday, listening to testimonies for about 8 hours. The stories and testimonies I heard were both wonderful and heart-wrenching. Many talked about how inspirational teachers had been to them, or how much they loved teaching themselves, and how amazing this whole experience was. It made be proud to be standing there, proud to see democracy at work, proud to be the son of working-class teachers and union members.

Others poured out their fears and concerns at the microphone, genuinely worried about what the future may hold, and shocked at what this bill proposed to do. I saw grown men cry, devastated about the road this Governor was taking. One in particular, was an ex-marine, who had fought in Iraq, and now worked as a correctional officer. He didn’t know how his family could live if this bill passed.

As more and more teachers, nurses and other state workers testified, so too did children and students, eager to express their support for their own education. And they were serious; they weren’t just there to be a part of the crowd. They knew what they were doing, what they believed in, what they were fighting for. You had be to serious, to spend hours and hours in the hot Capitol building, with many choosing to camp overnight inside.

With so many teachers present at the protests, schools across the state have been forced to close. Many teachers were torn between turning up for a work, or joining the rally, but most decided they needed to protect education for the long term, and will undoubtedly be teaching students about the week’s events upon their return to the classroom. Crowds grew from 10,000 on Tuesday, to 25,000 on Wednesday, 30,000 on Thursday, and over 40,000 on Friday, when the Rev. Jesse Jackson turned up in Madison to help rally the crowds.

On Thursday, things took a turn for the intriguing. The State Senate was due to vote on the bill first, and when they took a quorum call (requiring 20 out of 33 Senators present to vote), they found that the Democratic Senators-14 of them- had disappeared. They decided not to come to the floor. After a call of the house- where Capitol police and State troopers can search for the Senators and bring them to floor yielded no results, the Senate was forced to postpone it’s vote.

Turns out that the 14 Democratic Senators had all left the state, leaving just 19 Republicans- one short of the number needed to vote. By actively hiding away, the Democrats were allowing themselves, their staffers, and everyone in the state much more time to digest the ramifications of this bill. It was a bold move, but has proved to be smart, and extremely popular, as many across the country have congratulated their motives and their moves. They have become affectionately know as the Wisconsin 14.

Assembly Democrats meanwhile have been rallying the crowds in the Capitol, donning bright Orange shirts proclaiming their support for Wisconsin families. It’s now their job to fight the bill in the Assembly, which will vote on it before the Senate. They are another symbol of hope for everyone here protesting in Madison, as they try to stop this bill being implemented. When they left the Assembly chamber to go to caucus, they needed no police escort; crowds parted to let them through, cheering and clapping, smiling and shaking hands. It was like walking down a tunnel lined with people, as if I was a Green Bay Packer who had just won the Superbowl!

The protests have remained incredibly peaceful; though a large security force has been present at the Capitol this past week, including Madison, UW and local area police, along with county sheriffs and state patrollers, there have been almost no confrontational incidents. I have only heard of 9 arrests this entire week. I actually saw one of them; a man somehow managed to get through the barriers to the chamber, but was tripped by a fellow page and then jumped on by police before being escorted away. You always get one idiot.

What’s almost as remarkable as the continued peace-even with the Tea Party Rally which occurred today- is the organization of the protesters: There has been a continuous stream of them, with new people arriving all the time to reinvigorate the chants and cheers; hand made information signs have been posted all around the Capitol, and information stations have been set out, handing out flyers with info on what is happened, providing free food and drink for people, and even setting up a lost and found station. It has been incredibly powerful just to see the diverse groups of people here, and particularly moving when police and firefighter groups- who are exempt from this bill and have been working in the Capitol during the day, to come back at night in plain clothes and support their fellow state workers. The Madison fire department actually marched through the building in full dress uniform, accompanied by bagpipes and a marching band.

And then there are the signs- so imaginative, so clever. There is one man walking around dressed entirely in those candy necklaces, made like a dress, with a sign that reads “Even I don’t look as ridiculous as Scott Walker”. I saw a Walkerzilla sign, eating up the proposed train line, and a sign that read “Dumbledore wouldn’t have let this happen”!!! Someone had created a mannequin Walker bent over with his backside pointing in the air hovering over his famous “brown bag”. One man was simply representing America, stood on a plinth with a dog by his side, waving a huge American flag over his head.

More signs can be found here: http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-best-protest-signs-at-the-wisconsin-capitol

There were various signs and comments comparing Walker to Hitler and Mubarak in Egypt. Hyperbole to the max. I also heard a number of quotes meant to inspire all the protesters, including references to Martin Luther King, who was on his way to Memphis to support unions and collective bargaining when he was assassinated. My favourite quote is this one, courtesy of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1937 “The right to bargain collectively is at the bottom of social justice for the worker, as well as the sensible conduct of business affairs. The denial or observance of this right means the difference between despotism and democracy.”

The following post will have links to various sites with more info on the Wisconsin saga, many of which have lots of pictures on there too- Check them out!

The nation’s media attention will remain focused on Wisconsin for the coming week, as the fight over collective bargaining continues to unfold. As it was the first to give rights to unions in the fifties, so it is one of the first in the current climate to try and take them away. Many other states have a keen eye on Wisconsin, waiting to see what will unfold, as Governors across the US plans similar moves.

What is going to happen here remains a mystery. I know one thing for sure- these people will not give up. And they won’t go home quietly.

I still here their chant in my head….”This is what democracy looks like”