you've got to try

I was challenged recently to list the reasons why I support the recall of Governor Walker. It’s a huge list or reasons, really, so I started to collect them and find a source or two. Mostly it boils down to Walker’s rejection of Wisconsin’s progressive bipartisan tradition and the Wisconsin Idea. It’s become an emotional fight. The state just doesn’t “feel” right this past year and half. But you can’t go on emotion alone, so I want to list some of the facts. The following is not the entire list of reasons, but a good sample of the types of things worth fighting for.

Prior to Act 10, Teacher’s Union leaders spoke out, offering concessions to help balance the budget by negotiating in good faith for cost-sharing of health plans and pensions, as well as reform for teacher evaluations and school district management.

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/115555889.html#!page=19&pageSize=10&sort=newestfirst

Walker’s administration did not take up the offer to negotiate, chosing instead to try to bust the union through the removal of collective bargaining for teachers and all state employees except fire and police.

After the introduction of Act 10, Assembly Republicans attempt to convene an unscheduled floor session to bypass the amendment process before Democrats could respond. The forceful response of the Assembly Democrats backed by the power of the protestors prevented this move.

Rather than admit the unpopularity of their actions, Walker and other Republicans continued to claim that most of the protestors and complaints received come from “out-of-state” and are not legitimate.

http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2011/feb/23/scott-walker/wisconsin-gov-scott-walker-says-out-staters-accoun/

My own State Senator Glen Grothman says he has received no legitimate comments of protest, just those “ginned-up” by the unions, a claim he can’t possibly verify and I can counter with at least two instances. He also calls the protesters “slobs” and “hangers-on”.

On March 9, with the Senate Democrats still holding out, Majority Leader Fitzgerald calls a conference committee without proper warning to strip the monetary clauses from Act 10 so that it no longer requires a quorum in the Senate. Republicans then voted on the new bill and it passes 18-1. The conference committee meeting appears to be in violation of the open meetings law. At the very least, it violates the spirit of the law and the spirit of democratic governing.

http://www.slate.com/content/slate/blogs/weigel/2011/03/09/wisconsin_senate_gop_tries_nuclear_option_for_passing_anti_union_bill.html

Walker promised to create jobs. Yet he cancelled a high-speed rail line plan and refused federal funds for it, and cancelled a train maintenance contract, likely leading to the corporation pulling it’s Wisconsin facilities.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/111602539.html

In March, despite lack of evidence of wide-spread voter fraud, Republicans pass a Voter ID law that makes it harder for citizens to exercise their right to vote. Same-day registration was also eliminated, and “early voting” was pushed back to stop the Friday before the election. I personally know of individuals affected by these changes who have not voted in one or more elections because they were misinformed of the changes to these rules.

http://host.madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_ceaa2760-822c-11e0-887b-001cc4c03286.html

In 2012, as the public brought up more legitimate concerns over a proposed iron mine, Senator Fitzgerald cancelled the select mining committee set up to refine the legislation and forced the issue to the Joint Finance Committee to limit debate and set up a vote. Both sides participating in the select committee said they were working on bi-partisan solutions to streamline mining regulations while still safe-guarding the environment. Instead, the Senate failed to pass the legislation authored primarily by the mining company’s lobbyists.

http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/news/video/Wisconsins-Select-Senate-Mining-Committee-Cancled—139401288.html

Despite repeatedly saying there was no grand scheme beyond balancing the budget, the recently released video of Walker with a billionaire donor shows that Walker is right in-line with the movement to eliminate worker’s rights and destroy unions. Unions are not universally good, but neither are they universally bad, and history has shown that they are often necessary.

That’s all I have time for right now. But this article is also a great summary of the events that have led us here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/27/magazine/how-did-wisconsin-become-the-most-politically-divisive-place-in-america.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all

Before today, I’ve only donated a few times to political campaigns. One was a former college acquaintance who was running for Mayor. The second was a friend I’ve known since Jr. High who was running against a recalled WI state senator this past summer

Today I made another donation. And it wasn’t even to a candidate. I donated to the Committee to Recall Scott Fitzgerald who is the Majority Leader in the WI State Senate. Yesterday, in another high-handed, undemocratic move (which has become the hallmark of his tenure), Senator Fitzgerald disbanded the Senate Committee on Mining that was trying to write legislation to reform Wisconsin’s mining laws and instead sent a mining-company-written bill into the Joint Finance Committee.

The pretense was the need to get more jobs for the state before the end of the session next month. Of course, the mine was already permitted, it’s just that the mining company didn’t like the regulatory hoops they would have to go through, which, both sides admit, were somewhat antiquated. But instead of seeking a compromise bill to reform the laws to balance the short-term economic interests of the area with the long-term affects to the environment, as well as the historic rights of the local tribes and infrastructure and economic concerns of the local municipalities, it appears that the majority party is willing to go along with pretty much whatever the corporation wants.

Because of this, and Fitzgerald’s previous heavy-handedness (budget repair bill and  redistricting plan, especially), I sought out the recall committee’s website and made a modest donation even though there is no declared opponent yet.

Even after Bush’s re-election, I was not a huge Democrat. I see the tarnish on both sides and have longed for an ideal third-party challenge to the system. But the longer this crop of Republicans in Wisconsin is in charge and using their power to hurt my state and the democratic process, the more I’m willing to throw what support I can to whoever opposes them.

It’s the little things that get you. I made through recent news of impending surgery for the kid with relative high spirits and a positive outlook. I made it through recent teacher reports that point to how we need to work harder on his homework and studying. I made it through countless arguments and tantrums this week. But I really felt like a failure today when I realized I forgot about the kid’s meaningless “Dress Like a Twin Day”. I had pushed him all week to talk to his friend to arrange a plan so he wouldn’t feel left out. He finally came home yesterday and said they made their plan.

And then I forgot about it this morning.

Now I’m sitting here worrying that he’s having a terrible day at school because of this dumb little thing.