What's Going on in the World?

Wisconsin Union Fight

The problems that have sparked in Wisconsin, Indiana and Ohio have grabbed national attention. The governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker, put out legislation ultimately undercutting collective bargaining and the ability to organize in unions. Governor Walker, being the first Republican governor Wisconsin has had in some time, has upset not only the middle class workers of Wisconsin, but also the Democratic lawmakers who feel he is simply out to get the unions because of their agreement to cut wages and benefits to help balance finances within the state. With the dispute heating up, many Democrats decided to actually flee the state in order to avoid voting on the issue, further postponing the decision and allowing the fight for justice to ultimately continue. The Democratic concern about Mr. Walker's motives were highlighted when a prank call revealed his plans to not only carry out his plan, but also the Republicans plot to trick Democrats back into the Capitol, ultimately trapping them and therefore coming to a conclusion on the issue that has sparked so much controversy. Walker claimed that the phone call was simply a distraction to him, but that his legislation on the issues concerning unions-- which would take away union power to bargain on anything besides pay-- was simply an effort to improve the tough financial situation the state is currently in. He claimed that the legislation overall would save the state 1.44 billion dollars, but as the riots continue it would seem that the state is only losing money after the protests closed down local schools in Wisconsin as well as other businesses and jobs for a few days. Only time will tell if the problem gets resolved or if the Democrats of Wisconsin will simply be hiding in the Chicago area forever.

I became aware of the issues going on through news stories, but I was more aware than ever when I took a trip to the University of Wisconsin and drove through the protesting for a good five minutes. The issue that is being protested is one that I feel is worth fighting for and I respect what teachers as well as other unions are doing to try and stop the legislation from passing. My mom is a teacher so I know how upset she would be about the entire situation and to be perfectly honest, I think the governor is being completely closed-minded about the state's financial situation. I am not in any way trying to play down the severity of their financial problems, but I simply cannot believe that the ONLY way to improve debt is by taking away the rights of unions across the state. While I thought the fleeing of Democrats to Illinois from Wisconsin was somewhat childish in a way, I can understand their outrage and the proposal for this legislation as well because they are firm believers in the rights of unions and the importance of respecting middle-class workers. The most shocking part of the situation to me was probably the prank phone call made by Ian Murphy, a blogger in New York, not just because of the somewhat humorous nature of prank calling a governor; but the simple fact that Mr. Murphy got answers from the governor that are essential to the decision by both Democrats and other Republicans. The idea to "trick" Democrats into voting for the legislation completely disgusted me and I feel that as a governor, the protesting by unions and fleeing of Democrats should be a red flag that maybe your "grand decision" may not be as golden as it was a few weeks ago. People are clearly unhappy, people that voted for Mr. Walker are clearly unhappy, and I for one would be surprised if he makes it through the rest of his term with no problems. Taking away the rights of unions is the exact opposite of what unions are supposed to do. Workers unions as well as teachers unions were put in place to protect the rights of those within the union and tries to cut out the opportunity for lawmakers and business-owners to exploit their work and pay. I think the entire idea of the legislation is single minded and completely ineffective leaving the governor looking more like a stubborn fifth-grader than an established and respected politician.