२६ जून, २०११

Gov. Walker signed the budget bill today, applying his powerful veto pen to 50 items.

What did he veto?
... Walker struck out dozens of budget provisions, including one that would have allowed bail bondsmen in Wisconsin. He also used his veto pen to bar public employees from collecting pensions unless they work for a state or local government for five years or more.

As previously announced, the GOP governor also vetoed a provision that would have allowed most fired Milwaukee police officers to continue to receive pay while they appealed their dismissals. Walker has the broadest veto powers of any governor in the country, allowing him to strike out entire provisions of the budget or rewrite sections by selectively crossing out words.
Yes, think about what that means and what he might have done with it if he were the arrogant dictator the protesters have been making him out to be.
Wearing khakis, a blue shirt and no tie, Walker signed the budget Sunday afternoon at Fox Valley Metal-Tech in Green Bay before a crowd of about 100 people. The governor originally planned to hold the event at the nearby Badger Sheet Metal Works, but changed those plans Friday after the Journal Sentinel reported the company was headed by someone convicted of tax evasion. A few hundred protesters gathered outside the manufacturer, chanting "Shame!" as those invited to the speech entered the parking lot. They held signs decrying budget cuts and chanted, "Recall Walker!"
Was Meade there to get it on video? We shall see!

२३ टिप्पण्या:

AllenS म्हणाले...

If Meade has video, I hope there isn't too much time spent on the protesters. I'm really getting sick of them.

James म्हणाले...

That's a long way to drive to get video; I'm guessing its at least 2 1/2 hours.

Meade should have a mobile hotspot to upload video while en route.

Alex म्हणाले...

Shame! on garage mahal for opposing anything good.

Alex म्हणाले...

Teenage gang charged under lynching law after 'savage attack on 18-year-old student' | Mail Online http://bit.ly/lxeBXj

Brutal assault: Carter Strange was left so badly beaten his mother almost didn't recognise him when she saw him lying on the hospital bed

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2008252/Teenage-gang-charged-lynching-law-savage-attack-18-year-old-student.html#ixzz1QQFkCXZl

Alex म्हणाले...

The perp is black, the victim white. But of course it's NOT a hate crime....

Carol_Herman म्हणाले...

As if the left wasn't batshit crazy, enough. Now there's Walker's signature on the Budget Bill.

Walker SCORES !!!

Or should we just say "throttles the opposition."

Bill म्हणाले...

Walker has the broadest veto powers of any governor in the country, allowing him to strike out entire provisions of the budget or rewrite sections by selectively crossing out words.

So given a sufficiently long text to work with, you could write a ransom-note-style bill that says whatever you want? Cool.

James म्हणाले...

So given a sufficiently long text to work with, you could write a ransom-note-style bill that says whatever you want? Cool.



Yes; and its rather funny that there was no squealing when Jim Doyle did it.

अनामित म्हणाले...

God this is most slanted fucking news article.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "The budget - it is Walker's first since taking office in January - closes a $3 billion shortfall over the next two years largely without relying on tax increases. It raises spending by $1.1 billion, or 1.8% over two years, and leaves the state with an estimated $300 million surplus in its main account two years from now."

So, let me get this straight. Walker increased the size of Wisconsin government and closed a budget shortfall by raising taxes $1.1 billion?

Wisconsin's last state budget was $57.7 billion and Walker's is $66 billion. That's not a budget cut. That's a LARGER budget with MORE SPENDING.

And they call this fucking asshole a Republican?

Walker is GROWING Wisconsin's budget to $33 billion per year by raising taxes $1.1 billion a year. By what whackjob theory has he done this "largely without relying on tax increases?"

He has INCREASED the state budget specifically with TAX INCREASES.

Jesus Christ ... the fucking facts in the same sentence with this sentiment totally belie this premise. Do they think we are complete fucking morons?

Scott Walker needs to be recalled all right but its Tea Party Republicans who should be leading the lynch mob.

AllenS म्हणाले...

From the article:
The budget - it is Walker's first since taking office in January - closes a $3 billion shortfall over the next two years largely without relying on tax increases.

bob, I'm not sure where you are getting the Walker is GROWING Wisconsin's budget to $33 billion per year by raising taxes $1.1 billion a year. from.

Sprezzatura म्हणाले...

The pen is mightier than the chokehold.

Michael म्हणाले...

Nevadabob: Read what you quoted. Your commentary appears unrelated to the quote, way unrelated.

Freeman Hunt म्हणाले...

The Wisconsin version of veto is truly bizarre.

You could take a law that was passed and make it the exact opposite of what was intended.

And yet, it does offer the ability to strike out bad provisions from big bills.

The veto power would seem to make Wisconsin's governor the most powerful in the union.

walter म्हणाले...

Pension benefits in 5 years?

अनामित म्हणाले...

Walter, I was vested in my private-sector defined-benefit pension at 5 years (which was when I quit). Of course, I will get only $270 a month, but it's better than nothing. My next job also required 5 years for vesting. (That company no longer offers defined-benefit plans for new employees - just 401K match.)

What the state really needs to do is get rid of defined benefit pensions.

Dust Bunny Queen म्हणाले...

Pension benefits in 5 years?

Vested pensions scheduling (not the ability to retire and collect pensions in 5 years unless you are already withing 5 years of retirement age). Not a new concept, execpt evidently in liberal la la land.

Most companies with Defined Benefit Plans have a vesting schedule where the employer contributions are either vested over time or in this case it sounds like "cliff vesting".

I have set up both types of plans for companies in my time. The "cliff vesting" is so that you don't have people working for a short period of time, then quiting and moving on to another company...and then you end up accounting for their part of the pension plan and eventually paying for them for the rest of their lives. They also move onto another company and begin stacking pensions on top of pensions.

Cliff Vesting encourages people to stay with the company and to remain loyal and helps to keep the company expenses within reason.

Immediate vesting or step vesting is usually done when you have a family owned business. NOT for a government.

edutcher म्हणाले...

I have a feeling, when this is all over and Walker has covered himself in glory - and he is doing so, the union slugs will still be running after him crying, "Shame! Shame! Come back, Shame!".

(couldn't resist)

Ann Althouse said...

Was Meade there to get it on video?

Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?

Was it over when Custer opened his Last Stand at Valley Forge?

Was it over when the Continental Army had to spend the winter at Lincoln's Gettysburg Address?

walter म्हणाले...

I'm just surprised there's any vesting at all in 5 years. But then, the more I learn about public sector benefits, the more surpriseder I get. I mean..those GB teachers being railroaded into working an 8 hr day? Doesn't everyone know the unions are to thank for the 7.5 hr day? Don't even get me started on tenure. Sorry Ann.

John Burgess म्हणाले...

From the DOL website on ERISA:

Beginning in 2002, there are two basic vesting schedules. Under the three-year schedule, workers are 100% vested after three years of service under the plan. The six-year graduated schedule allows workers to become 20% vested after two years and to vest at a rate of 20% each year thereafter until they are 100% vested after six years of service. Plans may have faster vesting schedules.

So, vesting employees after five years isn't some great treat. It is, more or less, the norm.

While I am not a fan of government programs, this one actually filled a need and prevented companies from screwing over their employees. Read the Wikipedia entry on ERISA to see what brought it about.

walter म्हणाले...

Ah...so ERISA is there to prevent (some forms of)mismanagement when there is a pension. Guess I am out of the loop on that since small businesses tend to offer only a 401k with or without matching. But I'm all for the 7.5 hour day and tenure.

Dust Bunny Queen म्हणाले...

Guess I am out of the loop on that since small businesses tend to offer only a 401k with or without matching. But I'm all for the 7.5 hour day and tenure.


All of the Defined Benefit Plans that I established and maintained were mostly for doctors, lawyers, other types of professionals or closely held family businesses who wanted to give themselves, their families, their long term employees and partners the big payoff in the end (the defined benefit) without having to have all of their temporary or non permanent employees being vested.

401K plans are much less expensive for the company, however there is not the GUARANTEED pay off.

When you are talking about your own money as an employer and you are willing to pony up the shortfall TO YOURSELF, when the market performance is down, it is no big deal. It is your money and your choice: after all you are taking it from your pocket and putting it into your other pocket.

When we are talking about taxpayer's footing the bill and having to pony up the money, UNWILLINGLY, through higher and higher taxes to pay the "big payday", you are taking money from the taxpayer's pockets and lining the pockets of the Unions who have extorted the 'big payday' from us through their bought and paid for legistlators.

george म्हणाले...

So, how is bail handled in WI if there are no bail bondsmen? Thankfully this is a subject about which neither I nor anyone I know has any experience.

Michael K म्हणाले...

Fascism gets ugly when the inner workings are revealed. What we see is fascism vs the traditional American way. We should thank unions for the lesson.