In the movies, the righteous “little guy” usually prevails over the moneyed forces seeking to enrich themselves further at the expense of the public. In real life, not so much.
Today is the Wisconsin recall election. As the media has endlessly intoned, this is only the third time in American history that a sitting Governor has been subject to a recall. (The last time was in California, where we expect such shenanigans.)
Whatever else is at stake in Wisconsin, today’s election is first and foremost about the power of money. Scott Walker, the Governor, is so obviously a pawn of the plutocrats who own him body and–if he has one–soul that he barely matters. For those who’ve been hiding out on another planet (actually, a wise decision) the facts are simple: Walker narrowly won the Governor’s race, and immediately began bargaining with Wisconsin’s public-sector unions for “givebacks,” citing the state’s fiscal woes. The unions largely acceded, agreeing to wage and benefit cuts. After getting what they wanted, Walker and the GOP legislature nevertheless proceeded to strip the unions of their bargaining rights.
In the ensuing furor, it became pretty clear that this had been Walker’s game plan all along, despite the fact that his anti-bargaining position never surfaced during his campaign for office.
Walker’s hard-right ideology–fueled by huge donations by the infamous Koch brothers and other wealthy backers–hasn’t been limited to union-busting. He also signed a bill repealing Wisconsin’s equal pay law, rolling back the principle that men and women doing the same job should be paid the same wage.
In the wake of Walker’s betrayal of the unions that had bargained with him in good faith, there were weeks of demonstrations. Working women were furious at his assault on the principle of equal pay. His closest advisors are under investigation for criminal activities. A former college girlfriend has gone public with a story about how the “pro life” Walker deserted her when she got pregnant and refused to have an abortion. Wisconsin’s job numbers are dismal–dead last, according to one report.
With all this, you’d think this recall would be a slam-dunk. You’d be wrong.
I am not a fan of recalls as a policy matter, but Wisconsin law allows them, and this Governor has been a disaster for Wisconsin. Nevertheless, polls show him slightly ahead going into today’s election, and that shouldn’t surprise anyone who has followed the money trail. The wealthy backers who have actually been deciding Wisconsin’s policies have poured millions of dollars into the campaign, burying Tom Barrett, his opponent, in a blizzard of radio, television and internet ads. Campaign contributions are running 8-1 in Walker’s favor, and in our post Citizens United world, Wisconsin voters have little idea where that money is coming from.
The real question Wisconsin voters will answer today is: can money buy democracy?
This isn’t a movie, and I’m very much afraid the answer will be yes.
Well money may buy it, but it won’t be democracy.
Government for sale or rent.
You can even buy a presedent,
No rules you have to pass,
Just send tons of cash.
And if your cash can’t get it done
Lie like hell to everyone,
I said the same thing yesterday that Government for, of, and by the people is at stake. Do people realize that have orchestrated Citizens United from James Bopps law offices in Terre Haute, are the same people that are incessantly attacking labor rights wherever they think there is a chance for success.
The Opportunity Fund was organized as a charity under our new arcane Citizens United rules, allowing the richest among us to fund anti-union campaigns, all the while taking tax deductions for themselves as they buy off the government in order to consolidate power for themselves. In other words the person that filed the Citizens United case with the Supreme Court of the United States is the same primary officer in the group that anonymously funded Mitch Daniels television campaign to pass Right-To_Work in Indiana. These same people have the temerity to claim that Citizens United has allowed unions and corporations expanded free speech rights and a new level playing field. Its the most deceptive and calculated fraud ever allowed to fester in our democracy’s history.
I said the same thing yesterday that Government for, of, and by the people is at stake. Do people not realize that the same people that orchestrated Citizens United from James Bopps law offices in Terre Haute, are the same people that are incessantly attacking labor rights wherever they think there is a chance for success?
The Opportunity Fund was organized as a charity under our new arcane Citizens United rules, allowing the richest among us to fund anti-union campaigns, all the while taking tax deductions for themselves as they buy off the government in order to consolidate power for themselves. In other words, the person that filed the Citizens United case with the Supreme Court of the United States is the same and is primary officer listed for the group that anonymously funded Mitch Daniels television campaign to pass Right-To-Work in Indiana. These same people have the temerity to claim that Citizens United has allowed unions and corporations expanded free speech rights and a new level playing field. Its the most deceptive and calculated fraud ever allowed to fester in our democracy’s history. — this has been cleaned up
The story of money-powered governor control has been the same in Indiana – with no recall demanded. People in this state don’t have the balls to stand up for themselves and for what is fair, right, needed, legal and paid for with our tax dollars. We do have footballs, basketballs, golfballs and any and all other shaped and colored balls except those that we need for protection and to preserve the rights of all. Sheila wondered in her “Telos” article what she would leave behind. She will leave words; words of information, words of what is going on around us at all levels of government, words of encouragement and words to urge us to action. She will leave behind knowledge and truth and evidence of her strength and her continuing love of government, with all its warts, and she will leave us with hope.
The spending disparity is a result of the DNC pulling out after they realized that the game is over and Walker is going to win.
JoAnn, Thank you for the kind words.
I have family in Wisconsin. The idea that only one side of this equation has lots of big outside money flowing in is absolutely NOT true. Initially it was all Union funding that was pushing for the recall. Once a runoff became clear the funding levelled out.
Many of the measures instituted have, as expected, been overturned in court as being far-reaching. What many of the pro-Union people refuse to acknowledge is that the Unions successfully negotiated many employees being able to acquire health insurance without having to contribute anything.
Then, this is where it gets dastardly, they successfully negotiated THEIR exchanges as being the only way to acquire insurance, essentially soaking up tax money off the top and lending credence to the idea that nobody will ever be as good a steward of somebody else’s money.
You had small to medium size school districts like Manitowoc, Appleton, etc. saving MILLIONS of dollars right out of the gate without any change at all whatsoever to coverage, only because Walker had the audacity to tell the Unions they weren’t going to get free money anymore.
Sheila – You understand the situation correctly.
After the unions made concessions, the Governor attacked bargaining anyway. One of the Koch brothers can contribute more money to the Super PACs and Scott Walker than the entire budgets of all the public sector unions COMBINED.
Public sector employment has traditionally been more open to women and minorities. Attacking them seems to be part of the hidden agenda in Wisconsin, and few mention it.
Every teacher in Wisconsin has taken a cut in pay to pay more toward their pension and insurance, but the Governor still attacks educator bargaining rights and their organizations. He is not dealing in good faith with the unions or the public.
Other countries treat educators as saints,
pay them well, provide full state-paid health insurance, give them professional autonomy to be innovative, and provide the schools materials, labs, training, and collegial time to replicate success nation-wide.
Attacking educators is driving school-based problem solvers out of the profession. The corporations and hedge fund managers whose profits are enhanced with low paid, barely trained, short term ‘educators’ who depend on impersonal technology to educate are only too anxious to replace highly qualified teachers with a robotic version of education that maximizes profits but does not serve children’s education, value systems, or grow their interpersonal skills.
Educaton is more than job training, but not according to corporate profiteers. Putting profits first and children last is not a formula for future success.
According to the news reports I’ve read, voter turn out has been huge. And that’s always a positive for the Dems.
On Wisconsin!
119% in some places Can you say “Chicago style”? And they still lost.
I’m so sad today about this. How can it be?
Wisconsin was busted. Walker’s actions helped change a cush deal for a few to greater fiscal solvency for many state taxpayers. If Democrats want to acknowledge that skydiving without the chute is not a bright idea in economics, I think they’d find plenty or crossover voters. It’s not as if Republicans don’t have a tendency to get too full of themselves on social issues.