Democrat Senators in Wisconsin are still in hiding, "doing the business of the people." I have to smile as I write that line. It is true, of course . . . . . . . . . . the part about "in hiding." As for the "business of the people," well, why are they in hiding? I have made this point before, but it bears repeating: Wisconsin voters totally rejected the Democrat agenda for that state in the November 2 elections. No one can effectively deny that the midterm election in Wisconsin was a referendum on state and national liberal policies (and we are talking about liberal finance policy, only). "The people" want their state to function with financial responsibility.
Understand that Obama won Wisconsin (2008) by 15 to 17 points, depending on who is doing the reporting. Whatever the final percentage of victory, the 2008 election was a landslide victory for Obama and Company. Two years later, those same voters, the very same voters, kicked Russ Feingold out of the Senate (I am still shocked by this event), and the governorship along with both state houses of congress "flipped" from Democrat control to Republican.
There are two reasons for this "reversal of fortunes" as I see it. One is the national opinion of Obama and his administration of the presidential office. The second is the general and increasingly "popular" opinion that spending at all levels of governance, needs to be brought under control. I am 65 and live in the extremely liberal state of California . . . born and raised. I have often wondered how long this state could survive, spending the way it does with no regard for a balanced budget. By extension, I have had the same questions about our national spending habits.
I now have the answer. What is great about my personal epiphany with regards to governmental spending is the fact that it is a collective experience. We are united and determined to change the destructive financial course we are on.
Look at Illinois. A new Democrat Governor who has no answers but to raise taxes -- up 66% on the individual level; up 45% on corporations -- all without any serous plans to make real cuts.
Here in California, our "new" governor, Jerry Brown, is, at least, trying to make serious cuts while leaving the public union legacy programs alone. His problem is an age old problem: liberal special interest groups in the state are gathering to oppose their own governor. While I think he could offer more in terms of cuts, the Democrat majority in this state will not allow any of his efforts.
They are not objecting to Brown; they are objecting to reality. That is their "epiphany" and it has not yet happened. Understand that if one is out of money, surviving only because of borrowed money, well, when the ability to borrow is gone, you move from the mansion to the mission, from the steak house to the soup line. That is what happens if you wait 'til the bitter end to deal with your problems.
Wisconsin voters have said, "Let's not wait until we have to move into the local mission." Good for them. I was in the building trades for 30 years. There were times when I worked for minimum wage. There were times when I worked for $37 dollars per hours. All of my work time was secured by me. Wages were paid because I learned the trade and was reasonably good at what I did. Public union folks do not want to be a part of that circumstance.
There are unions and, then, there is the rest of humanity . . . . . . and the union wants the rest of humanity to fund its retirement programs, pay its wages and give them 20, 30, 40 years of fully paid retirement. Never forget that it is the taxpayer who funds the unions. What makes it almost unbearable is the fact that unions take some of this taxpayer supplied money and use it to buy political power which, in turns, forces the taxpayer to pay more and more and more. Therein is the center of the current political war.
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