What's so evil about Scott Walkers reforms?

[dickens93]

Back in 1959, Wisconsin became the first state to let public employees unionize. The unions spent the next half-century productively, generating lavish benefits for their members. By the time Walker took office in 2011, the overwhelming majority of state and local government workers paid nothing toward the annual contributions to their pension accounts, which equaled roughly 10 percent of their salaries per year. The average employee also used just 6.2 percent of his salary on his health-insurance premium. Among Walker’s reforms, therefore, was requiring employees to start paying 5.8 percent of their salaries, on average, toward their pensions and to double their health-insurance payments to 12.4 percent of their salaries. These two changes, Walker estimated, would save local governments $724 million annually, letting him cut state aid to localities and reduce Wisconsin’s $3.6 billion biennial deficit.

These measures angered unions, but Walker’s other moves were even more controversial. One was to allow government employees to bargain collectively only when negotiating wages; in other areas, collective bargaining would no longer be part of the contract-making process. The unions screamed bloody murder, decrying the loss of what they called their “right” to collective bargaining.
http://www.city-journal.org/2012/22_1_scott-walker.html

Even many Democrats around the country are admitting that Union government pensions are a problem, and many Democrats are wanting to do what Walker did. Democrats in San Diego proposed a 401K pension plan for city employees, and it passed last night.

Why are non Union Democrats so willing to bend over backwards for unions? The California unions have been wanting to raise my property taxes. The unions benefit, but I don't since I don't belong to one. So what's in it for me? What's in it for non-union Democrats who are homeowners, and who do have to make sacrifices within their private-sector, non-union jobs?

[salvadore94]

I heard a teacher in my school district talking about how unhappy she was that she would only get a 3% increase this year in salary because the effort to raise property taxes failed. She said, "what's the big deal? the taxes only go up a little."

The teachers sent home flyers with all the elementary children asking for $400 donations from parents so there would be no cuts in the school district. Some of the parents went up and down the street encouraging the neighbors to donate.

The local Orange County Register newspaper did an investigation of salaries of the school teachers. About half of the teachers in our local elementary school were making over $100K per year. And, they will get a full retirement for life with great benefits.

I have no retirement. I have to work until I die. And, they want me to donate money? LOLROFL. People at my work did not get raises this year, and 20% of the workers in our office have been laid off this year. It's impossible to get rid of teachers, even the child molesting teachers stay on the payroll.

We recently finished up with "teacher appreciation week". OMG, we have to appreciate the teachers for a full week. Not one day, but an entire week. The children are expected to bring a gift each day of the week.

This is sickening.

[ned]

Yeah. Wasn't the excuse for CEO bonuses the fact that the good ones wouldn't work for less? Doesn't apply to teachers, huh? And how far do you think idealism will go at the grocery store?

[siuaghan]

Scott walker does what ever other republican does..

1. get in office
2. cut taxes on the rich
3. point to the budget deficit you just created and blame unions for it

[condan]

The question I JUST answered before yours was from an idiot who asked why "working people" would vote for someone who admitted he only worked for the "1%"… when they're THAT stupid all you can do is shake your head in sadness and move on

[naseem]

Because when he was running for Governor, he never campaigned on getting rid of the public Unions and collective bargaining in the State.

That's what Fascists do once they get in power....

[hjortur]

They're anti middle class policies

[aescby]

They're anti middle class policies

You do realize that one of the things Walker did was cut state funding for education and then refuse to allow the cities to raise taxes to make up for it? Now, what do you think the results were for the teachers who are still working today? Experienced teachers are retiring or leaving in droves. Now, you are getting stuck with the kind of teachers who will accept the lower pay and lower take home Walker has created.

Meanwhile, the schools and students are suffering, as teacher/student ratios rise, and Walker uses the savings to give more tax cuts to corporations.