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Thursday, February 09, 2012

Walker's Act Takes Away Basic Freedoms From Public Employees

Most of us knew that Walker's class war Act 10 budget bill banned labor unions from member's VOLUNTARILY paying their dues through the system. But unless you were a public employee, how many knew that employees can voluntarily earmark amounts from their paychecks for hundreds of organizations of their choosing ...EXCEPT their union?

Since I'm not a public employee, I did not know this.
H/T Uppity Wisconsin

Uppity Wisconsin Excerpt:
That's right, the union-busting Act 10, specifically (and unconstitutionally) said that of all the hundreds you can give-to with automatic withdrawal, you can't give to your union.

Seriously. Even if you hate labor unions or the concept of public employee unions …I mean literally hate something that others want to participate in, you've at least got to stand up for one of our most basic fundamental rights. To be a true American who believes in free will and choice, how could anyone support legislation designed specifically to discriminate against and disable one group?

They’re saying, "because we don’t think that organization can be of much value to you, we’ll make the decision for you and ban the use of the automatic-withdrawal utility that previously enabled you to voluntarily support them."

Rep. Dennis Kucinich nailed Walker about this policy in the video below. Walker said taking away employees right to voluntarily pay dues is, "to give workers the right to choose." Not only did Walker steal their right of choice away, but the state did not save one penny either.

Watch it:

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Do you understand the difference between a right and a privledge?

Anonymous said...

That post on Uppity was a joke. The state has absolutely NO obligation to provide a vehicle for contributions to be made to ANY organization. They do so as service and a convenience, but it's not a service that anyone has a right to. If I start a neighborhood association, the state is under no obligation to allow public employees to contribute to it via payroll deduction.

If people don't like the fact that unions are excluded, fine. Claiming that it is unconstitutional for them to be excluded, though, is simply a display of ignorance.

Lou Kaye said...

Do you understand what discrimination is?

So what you are saying is if a legislator or the governor feels that "National Right to Life" offers no real value to public employees, they are justified, for no other reason but their own prejudice, to remove them from the auto-withdrawal system. That's not ignorance. That's bigotry and hate.

Anonymous said...

To answer your question, I DO understand what discrimination is.

The rest of your answer attempts to put words in my mouth that I did not say and are not correct. Your representation of my viewpoint is simply wrong. It is indecent, improper, and terribly unfair to make such mischaracterizations of anyone.

Lastly you did not answer my question, but completely avoided it. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A RIGHT AND A PRIVLEDGE? If so, why are failing to apply the correct term to the situation at hand?

Lou Kaye said...

Anonymous, YOU are merely words typed in a blog comment section. There is nothing indecent here, nor am I mischaracterizing a single individual. I can't put words in your mouth. To answer your question though, I do know the difference between a right and privilege. However, it is your representation of this issue that is misguided. When privileges or rights are terminated with prejudice - it is discrimination.

Lou Kaye said...

I see what the problem is once I put my special Tea Party glasses on. The words "rights" and "choice" are highlighted as being incompatible with "employees" and "union." Okay, that explains it. For instance, what Tea Party folks see as a privilege for Americans granted through a school voucher for instance, is really a God given right to freedom of choice. Although a voucher is a privilege, by not granting it infringes or hinders the right for parents to send their kids to schools of their free will. I used patriotic Tea Party lingo and code words such as “rights” and “choice” in the same broad terms to defend an employees right to voluntarily support an evil organization such as an employee union through a privilege granted by the state, and that is simply unforgivable.

Anonymous said...

Wrong, Wrong, and wrong yet again. You just proved that you do not understand. Once again you attempted to mischaracterize my position in order to justify yours. You completely missed the mark with a shockingly narrow train of thought.

Lou Kaye said...

You're right anon, I do not understand what argument you are trying to make. Start making sense.

Richard Costerisan said...

Remember the old adage about getting into a pissing match with a skunk, Lou! Hell will freeze over and this guy still won't get it. These people just can't be wrong. You are wasting your time and they are ruining our state and country with their half-witted ignorance.

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