The Battle Joined

2011_2_22 The Battle Joined

Events in Madison, Wisconsin, last week and continuing this week has made it clear that the Republican party is the captive of its ultra-conservative wing who are hell-bent on this mission: “to take the country back.” That has been the mantra of the Tea Party folks since their inception. Sarah Palin uses the phrase often as well. They want to take it back to the time when WASPs were on the top of the social heap, when business had a freer hand, when regulations were minimal for business, when minorities knew their place, and when government was small and ineffective. The Far Right would also love to roll back the union movement to the dark ages, especially the public-sector unions, who, it should be known, contributed $200 million to Obama camping in 2008. If they could eliminate the opportunity to put that much into the 2012 election that would be a big plus for Republican chances to sweep in 2012, with a THANK-YOU nod toward the Supreme Court for their ruling that Corporations were comparable to persons and therefore could spend as much as they like on their candidates.

Now the newly elected Governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker, 43, steps forward with his “Budget Repair Bill,” a foolproof plan to take the public-sector unions down under the guise of spreading the pain among all middle class taxpayers in regard their pension and benefit plans. I call it foolproof because he knows he has the numbers to win easily in the State Senate. So he launched his plan and when he did 14 Democratic senators walked out in order to stall the vote, which they would have lost. At the same time 5000 union people and sympathizers began to demonstrate in and around the Capitol building. By last Saturday 70,000 were joining the protest movement and Walker said he couldn’t care less: he was doing the right thing and therefore he wasn’t going to negotiate with anybody; it was a done deal and the senators should return to their jobs, as should all the teachers. In his view Unions need to be knocked off their high horse; they needed to be brought down to earth to be as poor as the majority of taxpayers and members of private-sector unions. They must be punished for being such good negotiators. He cleverly exploited the resentment among other taxpayers whose benefit expenses have increased over time. Walker is only leveling the field (in a downward fashion) while the rich get richer (in an upward fashion) as their taxes keep getting cut (all for the sake of the economy, of course.)

What’s really galling is when the Union agrees to accept an increase in costs he won’t sit down and talk to union leaders about the worse aspect of his so-called Repair Bill: he has outlawed collective bargaining for benefits, vacations and work conditions. So there are the bare knuckles, the full outrage of this bill, what can not stand in the eyes of union members of whatever stripe because it is business trying to, finally, having a good chance to eliminate a major countervailing power, something business has dreamed about since the inception of the union movement. Walker is trying to get across the idea that unions aren’t necessary, they are the bane of business and progress, and they should be outlawed. This attack is the reason this is such a BIG DEAL and why the demonstrators have to not give up, for the very existence of the idea of unions seems to be at risk. Collective Bargaining means having a seat at the table; it is the cornerstone of Unionism; it is what it’s all about. No individual can fight for justice and rights like an organized group can. Walker is now talking out of both sides of his mouth. He keeps say the senators should come back and let’s talk about what’s not negotiable. Dear Sir, that makes no sense whatsoever. So the standoff continues.

Going on at the same time in the House was more evidence of right wing attack dogs.
The Republicans, now lean and mean, purged of all moderates and newly aggressive after their triumph at the polls last November, have begun a blitzkrieg on the federal front while Walker and others of his ilk begin on the State level. And it has already proved viral, having spread to Ohio, Indiana and Iowa. The ultra-conservatives leading the charge have read their taking control of the House as a mandate to go after spending—programs they don’t like, for ideological reasons—with a meat ax. They slashed $61 billion from the budget. Cuts included domestic program and foreign aid (always a favorite to get rid of), school programs, nutrition programs, environmental protection, and heating and housing subsides for the poor. They defunded Planned Parenthood, sections of the Health Care Bill, and the Public Media,
NPR and PBS. (These most likely won’t make it through the senate.)

The Far Right would love to bury the union movement, which they have hated for many decades; they feel the moment is right to attack with 16-inch guns. No doubt Governor Walker is making a big play, desiring to get out front early, establishing himself as fresh and capable candidate for president next year. It’s quite a gamble and the endgame is yet in sight. If he does indeed start the ball rolling on a systematic dismantling of union power, it certainly would be a leg up for the Republican who could manage that.

Happily I can report that there are mass demonstrations in those other states trying to do what Walker has started. The battle is joined and far from over.