The Sound of Silence in Trenton

by: jeffpickens

Fri Feb 18, 2011 at 08:38:23 AM EST

A Republican governor is elected in a traditionally "blue" state on the platform of restoring fiscal sanity. Upon taking office, he declares war on the public unions, including the teachers' union, firefighters, police. He scapegoats public sector workers and attempts to turn public opinion against the state workers, because, after all, their outrageously bloated salaries, benefits, and pensions are to blame for the state's fiscal woes.

Outraged, teachers, police, firefighters, and other public workers storm the State Capital by the tens of thousands, protesting the governor's attempts to balance the state budget on the backs of public sector workers.

The whole world is watching! Why is the Liberal Media not in Trenton covering this?

Because it's not happening in Trenton, it's happening in Madison, WI. Unlike their brothers and sisters in NJ, the state unions in Wisconsin decided not to wait. Perhaps they looked east and saw what happens when you have a governor run amok, storming the state, and now the country, ramrodding his anti middle class agenda and getting fawning coverage by the press while he's at it, and the people do nothing. The story in Wisconsin is fluid and it remains to be seen how this will play out. However, I'm certain there will be no "Scott Walker for President" movements anytime soon.

Barbara Keshishian, are you listening?
Hetty Rosenstein, are you listening?

The people of Wisconsin took a lesson from the complacency in New Jersey and decided to fight back now.

It's time the people of New Jersey take a lesson from Wisconsin

jeffpickens :: The Sound of Silence in Trenton

Tags: barbara keshishian, Chris Christie, CWA, Hetty Rosenstein, NJ, NJEA, Scott Walker, (All Tags)

Print Friendly View

Send As Email

The Sound of Silence in Trenton | 6 comments

I Couldn't Agree More (0.00 / 0)

Very well said - there is much to be learned from Wisconsin. I wonder what it will take to get us storming the beaches in New Jersey?

by: Aurora @ Fri Feb 18, 2011 at 17:02:33 PM UTC

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

NJ Dem's are pathetic (0.00 / 0)

to me the most glaring difference between WI and NJ is that apparently, Democrats have spines in WI. I have never seen more pathetic people then the majority of the dems in the NJ legislature. They have a complete lack of conviction for democratic values, are paralyzed in fear of Christie, and even worse; many have even conspired with Christie to push his trickle down ideology. The only conclusion I can draw is that Dems in the NJ legislature are either ignorant and incompetent, or spineless. Either fault is embarassing. If they had conviction (or at least brains) they should be humiliated by the Dems in the WI legislature, but I suspect they aren't even phased.

"Only a fool would follow a bully"

by: brendanod @ Sat Feb 19, 2011 at 13:39:40 PM UTC

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

Sweeney will fight Wisc. rollback here (0.00 / 0)

This was a press release yesterday:

SWEENEY ON CHRISTIE ENDORSEMENT OF WISCONSIN GOVERNOR'S UNION-BUSTING

TRENTON - Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney today released the following statement after learning of Governor Christie's endorsement of attempts by Wisconsin's Republican Governor to end collective bargaining for public employees:

"Perhaps the governor is just a little tired from all his travel this week and misspoke, in which case he should apologize. Or perhaps he actually let slip how he really feels, in which case he needs to explain himself.

"What Gov. Walker is trying to do in Wisconsin isn't reform, it's just plain wrong.

"Any attempt by Gov. Christie to mirror Gov. Walker will die at the doorway of his office. I have worked with the Governor on reforms to public employee pensions and benefits, and I will continue to do so. But collective bargaining is an essential right of labor, and I will not let New Jersey follow the dangerous trail being blazed in Wisconsin, where workers rights can be tossed aside in the name of right-wing, tea party politics."

by: firstamend07 @ Sat Feb 19, 2011 at 15:49:39 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I will believe it... (0.00 / 0)

...when I see it. As long as Sweeney can get PLAs for his Building and Construction Trades cronies, when push comes to shove, he will have no problem taking down the public employees unions.

by: Bertin Lefkovic @ Sat Feb 19, 2011 at 18:20:34 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

What Correlation? (0.00 / 0)

What does getting PLA's have to do with public sector benefits?

Where do you get the idea that Sweeney is "taking down" public employee unions?

Sweeney has fought ,first the dinosaurs who run the public sector unions who thought nothing should ever change, and then Chrisite himself, in order to keep the government unions solvent.

Sweeney would never turn on the unions. Never! But he will continue to demand that they be part of the solution to some very serious financial problems.

by: firstamend07 @ Sat Feb 19, 2011 at 19:40:21 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

PE unions are not... (0.00 / 0)

...part of the problem, so why should they be part of the solution? Why should the budget be balanced on their backs?

What concessions are the B&CTs making on their school construction PLAs? They were one of the primary reasons that last decade's school construction effort became such a debacle. They were at the core of the shady backroom deals that made what should have been good public policy the poster child for what is wrong with NJ politics.

The PE unions have never been a cash cow for any political machine. For a very long time, they have been the standard for the best ideals of organized labor without any of the corrupt ugliness that can usually be found on the fringes.

The key to their success in the past has been their ability to have allies on both sides of the aisle. Now, they have only enemies and everything that they have worked so hard towards for so long is history and with it the heart and soul of our state.

by: Bertin Lefkovic @ Sat Feb 19, 2011 at 23:08:36 PM UTC

[ Parent ]