The Wisconsin Cheese Showdown

[Ban my account ffs!]

http://www.startribune.com/local/116399599.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUCDEaLDyE7DyaU

Excellent news!  Also, the protests keep growing in Madison with an estimated 25,000 people today.  I hope it keeps growing and growing.  That should give the MN GOP pause as well when they try to force their extremist agenda through.  Luckily we have Dayton with plenty of veto pens at the ready.

[Ban my account ffs!]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

No, I didn't say that at all.

Reading comprehension is fundamental...you must have gone to Madison public schools.

Actually, he's from Belgium, speaks Dutch as his mother tongue, and is discussing this issue in English, which is not his first language.  And I dare say his comprehension of English is every bit as good as yours.  How many languages do you speak, Krazen?  Or is learning another language soshullist?

[Ban my account ffs!]

What sheer nonsense. The most valuable people of society are the private sector who pay taxes into the government, not the people who take money out.

No, you've got that backwards - the rich exact their privileges from a gencide upon the poor.  Even if one prefers to be an exploiter (who wouldn't?), the whole system rests upon the back of the tortured worker, so he is absolutely necessary, and hence 'valuable'.  Happily 'poor people spring up out of the ground like mushrooms', as the old Thai saying goes, and so there are always more to use.  But there's the rub - they are useful, something a rich person by definition cannot be.

Your over-the-top socialist propaganda makes no sense.  There is no genocide on the poor.  That is, unless in socialist doublespeak, genocide means ever-increasing life expectancy and living standards.

And how can you see no difference between a government that takes money from its citizens at gunpoint and a the private sector, which only takes money from those willing to spend it?

The day of reckoning has arrived.  Those who pay the bloated salaries and pensions of public sector employees are sick and tired of it.  That's what Wisconsin voters said in 2010.  The governor is doing the work of the people who voted for him.

That argument is so tired and bloated.  You can easily go without paying taxes.  Just don't work or buy anything or own property!

The same could be said about the private sector.... where purchasing food from a grocery store is "voluntary"... but if you didn't do it.. like not working, owning property, or buying anything at all... would make life much harder.

So just because you get to choose which grocery store you go to... doesn't make it any more voluntary.

[Ban my account ffs!]

you can probably merge this with the other thread.

Ummm... and what, exactly, does this have to do with "desperate teachers' unions force Madison schools to cancel classes"?

[Ban my account ffs!]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I am kind of hurt Opebo that you think I am just making things up, but if you would like me to email you the City of Glendale, California payroll list of those making over 100K per year of more (it is in the hundreds), and how much exclusive of pensions and benefits for which you tack on another 75%, let me know.

I don't know what kind of super firefighters you people have in California... but ours do all the same work for the low price of $54,999.99 per year. (Taxes not included)...

[Ban my account ffs!]

GAME OVER

http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet/item/wisconsin-democrats-to-end-exile/game-over/

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/03/wisconsin-dems-deny-wsj-report-of-imminent-return.php?ref=fpblg

The game isn't over until collective bargaining is off the table.  The senate minority leader was simply saying that they would return when that happened, and he believed that will be sooner rather than later because of growing public opposition to Walker's plan.

[Ban my account ffs!]

All 20 of the 20 largest industries donated more to Democrats in 2010 than Republicans.

Give us a link, so we can tear apart whatever bogus assumptions underlie that argument.

I'm going to guess that oil and natural gas now aren't among the 20 largest industries in America, despite Exxon breaking profit records for any corporation, past or present—or that they donated to Dems in 2010?

Employees in 18 of the 20 industries that gave the most money to political candidates in 2010 contributed more to Democrats than Republicans.  The only exceptions were commercial banks (barely) and oil and gas (by a wider margin). 

http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/mems.php

I didn't know "Retired", "Leadership PACs", "Democratic/Liberal", or "Public Sector Unions" were considered industries. Also, some of these are not industries themselves but individuals that happen to be in the industry (and there's going to be a big difference between, say for example, how Ford employees vote and who their company supports).

Even then, a cursory glance shows that a lot of the partisan breakdowns are skewed because many companies would be heavily Republican if you discount the huge donations they gave to Reid, Schumer, and the Democratic chairman of the committee that regulates whatever industry they're in.

Even if you remove "Retired", "Leadership PACs" and "Democratic/Liberal", employees in 18 of the 20 top industries still contributed more to Democrats than Republicans.  Public Sector Unions are an industry - they represent government workers.

People contribute to those who run subject committees?  Money goes to those in power, regardless of which party is in power?  Who knew!  But I've been told by some with red avatars that evil big business and millionaires ONLY give to Republicans...

All this shows is that people who work support Democrats.. while those who don't and business interests (like CEOs, lobbyists, and since 2010, the companies themselves) donate to Republicans.

[Ban my account ffs!]

All this shows is that people who work support Democrats.. while those who don't and business interests (like CEOs, lobbyists, and since 2010, the companies themselves) donate to Republicans.

Nice spin.  Do you have any actual evidence of that or are you repeating yet another MSNBC or Talking Points Memo talking point?

The fact at the link I provided is that lobbyists themselves funneled about 69% of their contributions to DEMOCRATS in 2010.  And lobbying groups gave DEMOCRATS double what they gave to Republicans in 2009, the last year for which the Center for Responsive Politics has data. 

Politicians are like whores.  The most corporate money usually goes to the most attractive ones - those closest to the levers of power.  Always has.  Always will.

Of course lobbyists gave to the Democrats in 2010.  They give to the party in power.  They know both parties will pretty much bend to their will.  Who did lobbyists give most to in 2004?

[Ban my account ffs!]

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/05/wis-dems-alleging-gop-fraud-in-recalls.php?ref=fpblg

Sorry again for Talkingpointsmemo, but this was just too good.

So, Wisconsin Republicans... desperate to recall Democrats, pay people from out of state on a per signature basis in order to beef up the petitions... and at least one name rung some bells... of a man, whose widow assures us has been dead for 20 years, that showed up on the petition.  How'd that happen?  His name still appears in the phone book.

This opens up a whole can of worms since it's very very very very unlikely that whoever put his name in there only got his name from the phone book.

This is honestly just too good.