I have a few questions. How did the mine project go from creating 800 "long-term" jobs to 2,800? I also note the change in terminology from permanent to "long-term." Interesting.

Also, how can we have a surplus if the debt was restructured and the state has taken on millions of dollars in interest charges over 20 years? Borrowed money is not income.

We all want, for ourselves, family members, friends, and neighbors, good paying jobs and financial security. I don't think we're going to get there without honesty and forthrightness, empathy, and above all, respect. Attributes this governor lacks.

Because there is no such thing as a permanent job, unless you work for the Government.

Jobs creation:
WI = 35381;
IL = 78,040

Population:

WI = 5,711,767
IL = 12,869,257

Job creation ranking:

WI= 42nd
IL= 38th

if your job creation numbers are correct, Illinois has a higher job creation ranking while producing a slightly lower percentage of new jobs for the given population.

Unemployment Rate:

WI 6.7%
IL 8.7%

Job % change:
WI= +1.5%
IL= +1.6%

So overall we're in better shape than Illinois. Good to know.

If you call going from 22nd to 42nd in one year good.

Did I say good? I said we were in better shape than Illinois and that's good to know.

When you look at the absolute numbers and percentage of the population that's unemployed in each state, we'e in better shape than they are. If you derive some perverted pleasure from looking at rating systems that make things look worse than they actually are when comparing the two states, you're certainly entitled to do so.

And it has nothing to do with Walker turning down federal funds for unemployment assistance knocking 10,000 people off the unemployed numbers does it?

Adding back that 10,000 to the number of unemployed in WI as of Nov 2012 (203,766) increases the unemployment rate to 7.04 percent, approximately (I rounded up). That's still better than Illinois' 8.7%.

Why is anyone comparing Wisconsin to Illinois - a PROVEN LOSER with an unfunded pension plan that will end with State bankruptcy and begging Obama for hundreds of billions in bail outs?

Can't Wisconsin strive to be first - and not held down by the corrupt State of Chicago- er, illinois?

Some of you are just programmed LOSERS!

Because, apparently, some folks think we're worse off than they are. If you're going to strive to be the best, you should at least be able to properly identify your position within the pack.

►
Illinois Debt: $145,230,540,999 and growing, fast
http://www.usdebtclock.org/state-debt-clocks/state-of-illinois-debt-clock.html

145 BILLION !!!!!!!!!

Liberalism, it fails hard

Bob..I think we ARE identified in the pack. 42 worst record. That sucks Bob. You are right though....we could be 43rd. I was amazed that, with a straight face walker proceeded to dredge the reasons why he is a bit behind on his wild prediction relative to job creation, the recalls the protests etc....then says that in Wisconsin we don't blame things for our problems...we just act. My god...what balls or how obtuse...

Missed my point completely, Brian.

Hey Walker: http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/20601722/1-in-3-illinoisans-lives-in-or-near-poverty-level-report

Compared by percentages, not by comparison to overall unemployment and population Brian.

Last year the democrats decided not to start the process of opening a mine, creating thousands of jobs.

They also wanted to hold the state hostage and pounce around the capitol and hold a recall. Business leaders are not going to move here, or expand if they think an anti business party is about to take over.

Now that the recall is over we can get back to work. But to blame any stall in job progress on Walker is silly at best.

Steve, even people in the mining industry say the proposed mining would have not brought jobs for seven years. Was that his big move.... People are hurting now. Light rail, on the other hand, would have brought jobs soon.

We already have unemployment paid by Obama. Light rail is the same thing. Paying people to do nothing productive.

A mine can open much faster than that. And in the mean time there are many exploration holes drilled, by private companies, paid for by the investors. Manufacturing companies start producing the equipment, paid by the mine. A town starts to grow to handle the new demand, private money. Consumable companies gear up for the increased demand, private money. Offices are built onsite, buildings are built on site, private money.

Use your head. Not your public government head but the one that goes out and engages in private business. So you delayed the process by another year, great job, something to be proud of. Yippie no jobs let's keep blaming Walker!

Steve, It is hard to explain to a Democrat that private companies use most of their own money to start businesses thereby creating revenue, gorwth and wealth whereas the government uses our money to fund projects that private companies won't and then when they start to fail they just tax us more to get them profitable again. If a private company could make money with light rail they would be all over it.

China's money, they spent all of ours before we even have a chance to give it to Obama.

It's especially hard to explain when they are the recipient of private tax payers funds. Money grows on trees to these types of voters. And they get to blast the hand that feeds them.

Unemployment Rates for States: (Wisconsin is tied for #20)

Nov. 2012
Rank State Rate
1 NORTH DAKOTA 3.1
2 NEBRASKA 3.7
3 SOUTH DAKOTA 4.4
4 IOWA 4.9
5 UTAH 5.1
5 WYOMING 5.1
7 OKLAHOMA 5.2
7 VERMONT 5.2
9 HAWAII 5.3
10 KANSAS 5.4
11 NEW HAMPSHIRE 5.6
11 VIRGINIA 5.6
13 MINNESOTA 5.7
14 LOUISIANA 5.8
14 MONTANA 5.8
16 NEW MEXICO 6.2
16 TEXAS 6.2
18 MARYLAND 6.6
18 MASSACHUSETTS 6.6
20 DELAWARE 6.7
20 MISSOURI 6.7
20 WISCONSIN 6.7
23 ALASKA 6.8
23 IDAHO 6.8
23 OHIO 6.8
26 ARKANSAS 7.0
27 MAINE 7.2
28 WEST VIRGINIA 7.3
29 ALABAMA 7.5
30 TENNESSEE 7.6
31 COLORADO 7.7
32 ARIZONA 7.8
32 PENNSYLVANIA 7.8
32 WASHINGTON 7.8
35 INDIANA 8.0
36 FLORIDA 8.1
37 KENTUCKY 8.2
38 NEW YORK 8.3
38 SOUTH CAROLINA 8.3
40 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 8.4
40 OREGON 8.4
42 GEORGIA 8.5
42 MISSISSIPPI 8.5
44 ILLINOIS 8.7
45 CONNECTICUT 8.8
46 MICHIGAN 8.9
47 NORTH CAROLINA 9.1
48 NEW JERSEY 9.6
49 CALIFORNIA 9.8
50 RHODE ISLAND 10.4
51 NEVADA 10.8

Welcome to Illinois!

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/17597167-418/1-in-3-illinoisans-lives-in-or-near-poverty-level-report.html

I credit him with an abysmal jobs record. I am not a dem but certainly not tap republican. I credit him with a working with a bevy of since criminally prosecuted people. I credit him with draining education of vital funding when our schools, particularly urban schools are already suffering. I credit him with blowing away light rail immediately when our state desparately needs jobs and also needs to get into the twenty-first century in transportation. I credit him for what he has done.

Yes, you are a Democrat or at the very least anti-conservative. No reason to be shy about who and what you are Brian.

None of what you list creates jobs. They create more tax payer debt and use borrowed funds. A real job is the private sector investing in themselves and expanding, creating, and production. Like a mine. Like a manufacturing plant. Not light rail where there is not net gain but a burden of taxpayer funds forever.

Spoken like a true Democrat. The only way to "create" a job is for the government to employe, borrow, pillage, pick winners and losers, redistribute and expand.

Now Brian, Let's talk about how he drained money from education. You call having teachers actually pay for part of their insurance and retirement draining education? Especially when the union used their own high priced insurance company.

Light rail? For what? So that taxpayers could pick up most of the tab for a ride on it? Most transportation is subsidized by the government which means you and I foot the bill. That light rail was a pipe dream to keep the left happy. Where was the light rail going to go and just who would ride it? How inconvenient was it going to be to step off it and get to where you wanted to go? I bet you think the little trolley is a great idea also. Who the heck would ride that other than as a novelty?

Oh Brian... where to begin. At the beginning I guess

"I credit him with an abysmal jobs record."
Actually, Governor Walker and staff are working hard to create a business friendly environment, despite the effort of the Democrats, the Blue Fisters AND Barack Hussein Obama. But if you prefer the 121,000 jobs LOST under Jim Doyle over the 86,000 gained under Walker, just put Diamond Jim back on the ballot in 2014.

"I am not a dem but certainly not tap republican."
Bren almost wet her pants on that one.

"I credit him with a working with a bevy of since criminally prosecuted people."
Lets take a look at the "bevy" of people under B.O. that he turned in. That would be none, including Kathleen Sebelius, Tim Geithner, Hilda Solis, and some 38 others.

"I credit him with draining education of vital funding when our schools, particularly urban schools are already suffering."
Those Urban school boards ran out to extend teacher's contracts while Doug La Follette, then Maryann Sumi, stalled Act 10 from being enacted. Those school districts, like mine here in Muskego, waited and were able to use the tools Governor Walker gave them.

"I credit him with blowing away light rail immediately when our state desparately needs jobs and also needs to get into the twenty-first century in transportation."
Dude, light rail is passe. Why ram a rail into the ground when you can just reroute a bus???

RC...shy people hide behind names. There actually are more than two sorts of people in the US... I know this is challenging for you... But you really don't have to align with one or the other of these two parties.

@Brian Carlson
You always seem to be on the side of failure. Congrats.

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/187030161.html

No, but I did read on the Patch that Starbucks is getting another table and six chairs outside.

Yes Lyle, you hippies have been saying that for a few decades now.

They have said a lot of things while banging drums and blowing horns. You never know what kind of "progressive" you are going to encounter; be it defecating on a police squad car, or taunting and threatening attendees to a disabled recognition banquet.
They change hats more than they change underwear.

There's a quiet movement to change the way our state's electoral votes are apportioned, from winner take all to votes per Congressional district. The gerrymandered districts. This would result in a potential candidate losing the popular vote in the state yet taking enough electoral votes to tip the Presidency in his/her favor.

We need to do away with the Electoral College on a national level.

Much ado about nothing there, Lyle.

However, nice rhetoric. Don't worry - the productive that make the State actually work will take the lead.

Next year when socialized Obamacare kicks in, and everyone gets dropped off their employers health care coverage for an exchange. They have to pay 100% of the cost, and when that cost keeps rising because of Obama. Every major employer files in line to compete and the low informed voter is given the biggest dose of reality in their life.....

Low informed voters will never vote "progressive" for decades. That is if we are not already in a civil war from his other monarchy executive controls.

@Randy... Have you seen any analysis on how a change to apportioned electoral college votes (based on congressional districts) would change the national outcome of any of our presidential elections?

If Wisconsin allocated electoral college votes, do you know what the allocation would have been for the recent Obama/Romney race in both pre and post redistricting?

I would expect that Bush/Gore is the only presidential race in recent history that could have seen a change in the outcome. But maybe it would have been even more favorable to Bush.

Lyle,

You talk of restriction on social legislation. I am quite sure you mean something along the lines of inner-city welfare. Here is something to ponder Lyle since you seem to think that we should be taxed to the gills and just freely give that money away. Inner-cities have been voting primarliy Democrat since the 60's. In that time they have elected officials that have spent countless dollars on reform and welfare in the light of helping them get out of their situation and give them a better life. If that was the case and that is what those politicians did - why are the inner-cities still screaming for reform and welfare?

Lyle,

Now to you "Republicans are like a run-way-horse" comment. Let's look at several trillion dollars that was approved to help "jump start" the economy through "shovel ready" jobs. Those are not my words, those are the words of President Obama. Talk about a runaway horse situation. Where is that money? I could list the places that it went but you and I already know where countless millions and billions went. It went to jump start some green energy companies that failed miserably along with quite a bit of other "pork". So don't preach about one side when the other is just as bad if not worse when it comes to wasting tax dollars.

@Ruble's Conscience....Have you ever given serious consideration what the state of the state and the nation would be like today if we hadn't made the investments in the impoverished. It seems that you and others fail to recognize the cost of maintaining social order a complete collapse of society.

My comments were directed to the State of Wisconsin and not the national situation. Our social conservatives, personified by the likes of Glenn Grothman and Mary Lazich, want to legislate morality divide the population of the state on issues of little or no consequence. Taking legislative time on restricting women's healthcare, restricting voting rights, sex education, worker's rights, etc; are violating the rights of social liberty.

You and others seem incapable of looking with the kind of depth necessary to fully understand what's at stake; your freedom.

Proud of being #42 in the nation! Proud your gov comes up with such a paucity of jobs relative to the number that everyone wanted to hear?

Actually, we're #20

http://www.bls.gov/web/laus/laumstrk.htm

hold another recall Brian, see how fast the jobs fade.

Look a chicken! Stay on subject steve.

http://beta.bls.gov/maps/cew/US?period=2012-Q2&industry=10&pos_color=blue&neg_color=orange&Update=Update&chartData=3&ownerType=5&distribution=Quantiles

Walker:

Why don't you think that Wisconsin's unemployment rate is 'on the subject'?

The number 42 ranking really means nothing. In a recovery the % of job creation would need to include numbers of jobs lost in the recession and other factors. Wisconsin has always had a stable job market. We don't drop like other states, therefore we don't gain like those states.
It is similar in real estate. A 2 bed, 2 bath in Phoenix has increased in value 220% in the last year, is that a good thing? No, because it is still only selling for $80K, the same house was selling for $325K in '08. But, but, but, Phoenix is ranked #X in home value increase, BFD their home values still suck and I'll live in Wisconsin where my home value is stable.

Isn't that part of their culture anyway? Like co-sleeping?

Full circle WPN?

Come on Brian - rise above that.

I'll sink to the same level:

"They Were White and They Were Slaves is a thoroughly researched challenge to the conventional historiography of colonial and industrial labor, a stunning journey into a hidden epoch, the slave trade of Whites, hundreds of thousands of whom were kidnapped, chained, whipped and worked to death in the American colonies and during the Industrial Revolution."

http://www.amazon.com/They-Were-White-Slaves-Enslavement/dp/0929903056

Excuse me, but isn't the Governor elected according to total number of votes statewide? How can any one county be to blame?

I say this as a resident of Waukesha County who voted for Tom Barrett in both the 2010 Gubernatorial election and the Recall.

Jenna,

Residents are fleeing because Walker is making sure that fewer and fewer get a free ride on the government. If that is the kind of fleeing you are talking about then I am all for it. Governement cannot solve every problem. Unfortunately that is what you liberals think. As far as Waukesha County? You are so far off base on that one it isn't even funny. First, our Governor is elected based on individual votes. Second, Dane and Milwaukee Counties (both liberal hotbeds) hold about 1.5 million of the state population and Waukesha only has somewhere just over 388K. So if you want to complain you better start talking to some of your lefty buddies in Dane and Milwaukee.

Maybe some of Walker’s success will trickle down to Illinois. They need the help.

If trickle down ever worked, maybe. Too bad Trickle down is as big a fantasy as Gov. Walker’s success.

I never was employed by a poor person

/your stupid talking point

Steve – I would be careful about accusations of talking points. Those are your only arguments. Of course, hypocrisy seems to be the bread and butter of most conservatives these days.

Checkmate

Debatable and disputable. Say what you want about Gov. Doyle. Compared to Walker, he is FDR.

FDR didnt borrow money from Minnesota and illegally raid trust funds/? FDR didnt pass the largest tax in state history after saying he wouldnt raise taxes, But thanks for your clueless Babble .
I dont think FDR was a great President as economically speaking he made some awful choices as well. But he was dead on when prescribed that public unions were a complete conflict of interest to the citizens they serve.I cant think of one smart thing Doyle did in 2 terms .

Like stealing gov. funds earmarked to help WI homeowners to pad the budget – ignoring what the funds were intended for? Yeah – that was Walker. Like violating campaign laws to fundraise while on the State’s Time? Walker – too. Like presiding over an Act (10) that violated the Open Meeting Law? This is the party to claim moral superiority?

Doyle took over a budget from a Republican Predecessor who squandered a surplus.
(a Democrat needing to clean up a financial mess created by Republicans… that sounds familiar) He made some questionable calls. Compared to Walker and his budget decisions, Doyle is Honest Abe (who is rolling over in his grave to see the state of his Republican Party).

Doyle did more to advance Education & Women’s Rights than Walker could ever pipe dream of.

FTT, haven't we been over this again and again. (Sigh) here we go again:

“Like stealing gov. funds earmarked to help WI homeowners to pad the budget…”
FTT, what gov, funds were stolen? The EIC is a tax credit, it is collected from one tax payer to give to another, typically one that has no tax liability. And he didn't destroy it, just cut it like he had to do with everything else.

“Like violating campaign laws to fundraise while on the State’s Time…”
You must be behind on your news FTT. The John Doe that was started on Walker’s request was closed last month. No wrong doing was found on Walker’s part.

“Like presiding over an Act (10) that violated the Open Meeting Law…”
Even the courts (except for Mary Annn Sumi) acknowledge that the Senate makes it’s own rule. If you want open meeting violations go back to 2009 when the Democrats met in secret for budget negotiations.

“Doyle took over a budget from a Republican Predecessor who squandered a surplus…”
And squandered it even more. Leave it to a Democrat to take a bad idea and make it worse!

“Doyle did more to advance Education & Women’s Rights than Walker could ever pipe dream of.”
Doyle’s last budget took a huge hunk out of education, and did not provide ANY tools like Walker did. AND, Doyle eliminated the QEO so there were no wage increase restriction.

Doyle was a nightmare. Next you will be saying Stalin was a great leader!

How did the Senate Democrat's meetings, in Illinois union halls, conform with open meeting laws?

@FreeThoughtTroy
Thanks for proving my point. Doyle was a disaster.Too the point he didnt even seek re election due to 2 terms of EPIC failure. Even he did not want to run on such a embarrassing record. He took a surplus and left a huge deficit after passing the largest tax increases and breaking his own word. THAT IS YOUR IDEA OF LEADING THE STATE ? LOL Now continue your clueless babble as your words only prove how bad Doyle actually was.

“He took a surplus and left a huge deficit”

Nooooooooo – that was Tommy Thompson

Brian, any mining operation still has to pass the DNR, ACE and EPA. The environment is still protected, we are just getting an answer in a couple of years instead of a couple of decades.

Uneducated Brian: why are you not protesting the Indian tribe for massive pollution of the Bad River and having the worst water treatment record in the state?

typical of the rethugs; when all else fails spread lies & try to discredit.

want to go into detail or is slander your cup of tea?

"massive pollution"? The water down stream is safe for human consumption & will not destroy their rice beds. That will change with the acid drainage from a mine. "worst water treatment record in the state"? How much have they been fined for this horric record? Not a penny in fines. Obviously the violations aren't worthy of fines. Nothing but hyperbole; a ploy to undermine the Tribe’s voice and shift focus away from state legislation designed to erode mining regulations at the behest of a single company.

Prove their will be "acid drainage from a mine"

http://projects.nytimes.com/toxic-waters/polluters/wisconsin

$0 fines does not mean pollution is not being presented, look at the fine column.

maybe you should read your own data, "This facility has not been out of compliance in the past 12 quarters."

Got it. Indians polluting OK, mine creating jobs bad.

Got it. Typical rethug spreadin' lies.

I recall Walker. I recall he was a lot better Governor than Diamond Jim Doyle.

A number of seem to be under the illusion that the vote is a testament to wisdom. If so, you can start paying respects to Obama, Clinton ...even Doyle in his day. The fact that nearly half the state tried to recall Walker should not be a banner for pro walkerites. Its pretty sad actually.... No badge of honor for him. As to the mining debacle as you dont live inthe vicinity, you couldnt care less about the implications tothe locals there. THEY ARE VERY CONCERNED. Who knows...if you lived there you might be as well.

Brian,

Trust me, I've never considered a vote a testament to wisdom. But it's still the way we operate around here. I don't spend my days seething over the boob we have in the WH.

You and the rest of the perpetual malcontents in this state gave it your best shot and you lost. Stop whining. Move on. You don't always get your way. You're not always right.

@ Brian Dey
Great Points. These Liberals are in complete denial when they are blasting Walker who has completely turn around the states misfortunes creating under EPIC failure Jim Doyle.

Amazing how quiet this blog is after I posted this.

BD, you dont know me but feel that your best strategy is to begin with an insult and then expand on it. Why should I respond to that? You are a walker fundamentalist...this is not an insult its just an ID, and are not discussing anything...you are spouting dogma. Fine. Glad you are happy with a man who evidently needs no defense given a sterling record as governor. Everyone is happy, teachers love him, education in Wisconsin is exemplary...the guy walks on water and we have a model state. The fact that millions of Wisconsonites disagree withthis is a testament to the level of ignorance in the state....no doubt to be resolved over time by education. When you get into conversation, discussion, i may be there. The dogma seems to be something you enjoupy paddling around in. Have fun.

Brian Carlson- And yet you still can't discard one thing I stated. BTW- Millions more like what Walker is doing. So much that they voted him twice in the same term and by greater numbers the second time around.

Also, the sky didn't fall in education. I stand by my claim that almost every district sans Milwaukee and Madison, fared better under Act 10 and are now on better finacial stability.

As for healthcare, Wisconsin is in the top 10 states for number of people who have health insurance. His new budget allows for more to join Badgercare. Hardly a record of ignoring healthcare.

As for mining, there is nothing in the recently signed bill other than that a date for an answer is set.

In 2012, over 35,000 businesses started up in Wisconsin, the unemployment rate dropped to 6.6% and since 2010, 39,000 more people moved to Wisconsin. Those are healthy and robust numbers compared to the abysmal federal record.

It's like Jack Nicholson said in a Few Good Men, "The truth? You can't handle the truth." I stand by every statement made and since you can't refute them, you hide behind that I insulted you. If the truth is insulting, you have some serious issues.

Liberals want the poor to remain poor, to use them politically. Conservatives want to eliminate the poor by having them move up to the middle class.

Oh, good lord -- not again. Would you please grow up, whoever you are?

FYI, the above comment was not me.

The point was the deficits Gov. came into office with. Thompson came into office with a surplus. He left with a deficit. His Lt. Gov. couldn’t make thing better. Doyle did not come into office with a surplus.

Funny how Conservatives cherry pick history (or just make it up thanks to Bill O’Reilly “history” books and David Bartons books of fiction/claims to history). How they get to go to a Gov. website and claim success while objective sources say the jury is still out (Act 10 – you call yourself and education reformer… what is your reform other than breaking the union to voucher schools – or maybe stubbornly cling to the charter school formula that leaves the most needy kids in the cold). When Libs call in to question and bring to light their false claims and hypocrisy, they are answered with insults.

You are a little man, Brian Dey. A ridiculous, little man.

FTT- I've never claimed that Tommy Thompson or McCallum didn't leave a $2.7 billion structural deficit. I will claim that Doyle grew that deficit by $1.1 billion and in the process, dried up the transportation fund and the tobacco lawsuit settlement which could have made his deficit easily twice the size of the one left behind by Thompson/McCallum. And I can back up my claim that in a two months in office, Walker erased the entire deficit, lowered the state's portion of property taxes, paid off past debts AND had a surplus.

As far as education reforms, you know nothing of my background. Yes, busting the union's stranglehold on tax dollars was a start. But it is structural reform that I have focused on in my nearly twenty years working on reform. Things such as site-based management, de-centralization of adminstration, aligning curriculum with state and federal expectations, getting parents more active in their child's education, modernizing and streamlining courses to the 21st century, block scheduling, alternative education and raising standards.

As for your assumptions, which in many cases are purely made-up, about voucher and charter schools, yes I support them and am currently the President of a GovernanceBoard that directs the #1 instrumentality charter in the state which far outperforms the district I live in and almost all in the state. I also work with goards on how to better govern. I actually do something. You?

Brian – I applaud you for your work in your district. In a moment of snip, I brought your views on education into a discussion on the Gov. State of the State. There is no place for that discussion here. I am sorry for that. I am obviously pro union, pro teacher (was raised by a teacher and coach) and seriously doubt the results in your district could stretch state wide. My older brother is at a voucher school and there are major storms on his horizon.

I would just like to remind you the teachers union had no issue giving financial concessions when Gov. Walker came into office. It was the collective bargaining they wanted keep & the Gov. wouldn’t even talk to them about it. The same results could have happened with out all the strife had the Gov. just negotiated to begin with.

I digress. I again apologize for bringing your education reform credentials into this blog. It was out of line and I hope you can forgive me.

FTT- No problem. It happens to us all. I understand that the teachers were willing to make concessions. One of the things I found while negotiating with not just the teachers, but the support unions as well while I was on the school board is that concessions usually last through one contract. The two thirds formula for school funding has been a stretch for many years. It hurt the Doyle administration because it was a promise he had to keep for political reasons. But it was not sustainable and hadn't been for quite some time. To make a structural change, certain items had to be taken out of the collective bargaining process. No one likes to see pay cuts or benefit cuts. But most of the world has already gone through it.

I truly do respect teachers, especially after teaching in the classrooms for several years as a J.A. elementary and secondary instructor. I have tried to make it clear that the issue is not with the teachers, but the union leadership. My father was the national treasurer for the United Steelworkers Union so I don't even have a problem with unions, but I don't believe they have any place in the public sector. Of course, my opinion.

I may not agree with the way it went down, but I do agree it had to be done. The truth is, no matter how it was handled, the reulting turmoil would have happened anyway.

FTT- There will be growing pains with the voucher program and hopefully the wake-up call has already occured for public education. I know it has in my district as they are already looking at ways to offer more programs like the one I represent.

The way I see it is if a voucher school doesn't perform, parents won't send their kids there. They go out of business. The ones that perform well will succeed. That is the free market approach. They also offer somethings that would be too costly for standard public education like small class sizes, more intimate settings, etc... They are also a good test ground for new and innovative teaching methods. There is a place for them. But I also see that it is starting to get the public school districts in a competition mode. They can't just sit back anymore and make excuses. And that, at least in my district, is already happening.

Brian:
I don’t know (or can’t remember) if you have done this before. As there was a court decision about Act 10, I think it timely to have further discussion about these issues that go beyond this blog.

I have a request. I know you have blogged for Patch before. If you could put your thoughts on the necessity of Act 10 beyond just the budget (expand on your reasons in your prior post) in your own article, I think that could be a good forum to expand all of our thoughts beyond the State of the State address.

These are good points you make. I have some questions on them, but fear the digression from this article. Either that (a blog article may be a commitment you just can’t make right now) or some sort of more private contact info. (email or whatnot, I don’t want to sound or be creepy about it) and we could get into a constructive dialogue, then?

FTT-I will try to get something up tomorrow. The thing I was disappointed with in the process of enacting Act 10, was the lack of depth in explaining why it needed to be done. In the three budget cycles I was a part of during my duration on the board, these were some of the same complaints I had while trying to balance the budgets. Look for it. I will get it up but it may take a few days. Busy time of the season for my company.

yommamy actually makes a point to consider here. Just think if the recall had not happened, would the Gov. have stayed in the state to work instead of cris-crossing the country at four-figure a plate fund raisers (all while putting out ads against Barret’s out of state influences… yup that happened, too)?

Where was Gov. Walker last week again? Oh, yeah – in FL at a four figure a plate fund raiser. Was he getting points from Gov. Scott on best practices to suppress the vote?

There is a reason this no talent ass clown is called No Thought Troy. Get back to your star wars lego set Troy.

Wow… a personal insult playing around with my screen name.

That’s never happened to me before. I am so intimidated right now….

FTT- You mean when the unions threw a hissy fit? Yes, imagine if they just would have taken the cuts that even private union workers took over the years and didn't have to act like children. Imagine not going through a ridiculous recall. Imagine if teachers would put as much effort into their classrooms instead of the recall...

Imagine if the FIB 14 had stayed in Madison and did their job, instead of running away like a child having a temper tantrum.