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Unions Tag

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 18, 2011 38 Comments

A Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge has issued a Temporary Restraining Order preventing the publication (i.e. implementation) of the budget repair bill.I have not seen the opinion yet -- it is unclear whether there is a written opinion or this was issued orally from the bench...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 18, 2011 8 Comments

Jim Nolte at Big Goverment has a 20-day account of the threats and intimidation in Wisconsin.It truly is amazing how little mainstream media coverage this has received.An old lady raises her voice at a health care town hall, and it is an excuse for hand...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 17, 2011 13 Comments

It is not surprising that there would be an enthusiasm gap in Wisconsin, with the national unions pouring substantial funds and efforts into recalling Republican Senators and eventually Gov. Scott Walker.  The efforts are not only monetary, but also through physical and other intimidation, such...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 16, 2011 1 Comment

That statement about public employee union attitudes towards government fiscal health resulted in a county board chairman in Wisconsin being forced to step down (via JSOnline):Charles Rayala's resignation as Vilas County board chairman was made official at Tuesday's monthly board meeting - a decision he made as...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 16, 2011 12 Comments

GUEST POST by Matthew Knee:Professor Jacobson asked me to comment on the DKos/PPP poll regarding big labor's recall efforts in Wisconsin. The questions are mostly fine, but I have a few thoughts on the results that might be helpful.Wisconsin recalls do not work like the...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 15, 2011 36 Comments

Thanks to a reader in Wisconsin for sending me this link to a press release from the Recall Jim Holperin Committee and video posted at the website of conservative talk show host Charlie Sykes, regarding intimidation efforts directed against Republicans seeking signatures on recall petitions against one...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 14, 2011 7 Comments

Ann Althouse posted a video about Ronald Reagan's criticism of the Berkeley protests in the 1960s, which includes this comment by Michael Rossman (at 1:22 of the clip):"He won by pandering to a citizenry that is outraged by what these terrible insolent ungrateful children were doing on the...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 13, 2011 37 Comments

From some of the reports, one would think Wisconsin farmers had turned out en masse with their tractors to side with public sector employee unions against Gov. Scott Walker and the Republicans who control the legislature.The New York Times reported that "Farmers descended on the Capitol...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 12, 2011 7 Comments

I'll be in meetings most of the day, so I will not be able to follow the planned return of the Fleebagger14 to Madison, and the protests planned.I'm sure they will be "massive."Comments will be put through, so please feel free to keep each other...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 12, 2011 6 Comments

I have written about PolitiFact before, includine the clear bias shown by The Providence Journal in its application of ratings during the campaign by former Democratic Mayor David Cicilline against Republican John Loughlin in my home RI-01 District. I also have noted an analysis of...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 11, 2011 17 Comments

The failure of Democrats in Wisconsin to stop passage of a budget repair bill, including a scaling back of public sector collective bargaining as to benefits, is being portrayed as a "gift" to Democrats and public sector unions.  The usual suspects are describing Gov. Scott...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 10, 2011 10 Comments

There will be a vote in Wisconsin which will shake the political landscape of the nation.That vote is not today in the Wisconsin Assembly on the bill passed last night in the Senate restricting public employee union collective bargaining.That vote will not be in April, when there are...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 10, 2011 26 Comments

Regardless of who emerges as the political winner or loser in Madison, Wisconsin, one thing is clear, law enforcement -- from the Madison police, to the Dane County Sheriff's office, to the Capitol and State police -- have lost credibility as neutral players in this political standoff.Time...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 10, 2011 0 Comments

This is the fourth in a series of GUEST POSTS by Matthew Knee, a Ph.D. candidate at Yale University specializing in campaigns and elections, ethnic voting patterns, public opinion, and quantitative and experimental approaches to political science.___________________Today I will provide an overview of the polling situation...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 09, 2011 8 Comments

Republicans in the Wisconsin legislature do not need a 3/5ths quorum to pass non-budgetary legislation.Gov. Scott Walker previously rejected calls to pass the collective bargaining provisions of the budget bill separately.  Walker's reasoning was that while the collective bargaining provisions in isolation may not be budgetary, they...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 08, 2011 2 Comments

If you read this blog, you have heard many tales of woe regarding my home State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.  The state's economy is sinking under the weight of public employee pensions and high taxes.  That's not me talking, that's The NY Times'...

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