The Wisconsin governor who has his state in an uproar over plans to end collective bargaining for unions, revealed some of his plans today in a phone call with a Buffalo, N.Y. blogger he thought was conservative financial backer David Koch.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott -- who is asking state workers to contribute to their pensions -- came up in the discussion.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Walker said "that Republican governors in other states are employing similar strategies of removing power from unions, noting that he has spoken to Ohio Gov. John Kasich on the subject.
"In Ohio, lawmakers are debating a bill that would abolish collective bargaining rights for state workers. Thousands of protesters have shown up at that state's Capitol.
" 'I talk to Kasich every day. John's going to stand firm in Ohio. I think we do the same thing with Rick Scott in Florida. I think (Rick) Snyder, if he got a little support, could do the same thing in Michigan. I think if you go down the list, a lot of us new governors got elected to something big. "
Ah, the same phone call where Gov. Walker spoke of having a baseball bat to use on the protesters. I just dare some government a-hole in Tallahassee to do that...
Posted by: Randall McMurphy | February 23, 2011 at 07:50 PM
This is just evil. These Governor's want to take away from modest hard working Americans. This is proof that it is a conspiracy among the priveleged republicans to take away from the middle class and poor and give more to the rich. These fascist are pushing this country into chaos. Shame on these evil republican dictators.
Posted by: Evil republicans | February 23, 2011 at 07:57 PM
Rick Scott, and our legislative leaders are scum. They won't be satisfied until the middle class and government workers are crushed to oblivion. They have been deceiving the tea party. We need change before they destroy our state.
Posted by: Shame on the republicans | February 23, 2011 at 08:31 PM
According to David Cay Johnston, the author of "Free Lunch" and a tax expert, there is one TRILLION dollars hidden in corporate tax loopholes now.
Posted by: Murmur55 | February 24, 2011 at 03:10 AM
Murmur55, just in FLORIDA, there is between 9 and 12 BILLION hidden in tax loopholes written into the state sales tax law by the Senators and Legislators that benefit special interest groups--i.e. their lobbyist and business "friends." Florida would not BE in a budget crisis if a flat sales tax were applied to everyone.
Posted by: Randall McMurphy | February 24, 2011 at 06:52 AM
Ah yes, a loophole. That would be a way to structure your business so that government cannot take a private individual's, or a private corporations's, self earned money to give it to someone else. Fact is, most hard working folks don't have the kind of benefits those on the public teat take as their due. This is not about class warfare, this is about simple fairness. pay a fair share of your own benefits, just like the rest of us do.
Posted by: Tired of working for you | February 24, 2011 at 07:02 AM
Tired of working for you...get your facts straight. The average state worker makes $38,000 year. The average retirement payout is about $1,400 a month or less. Family insurance (husband and wife) costs you about $940 a year. Do the math you idiot, nobody for state government is getting rich..thats why we have to continue working.
Posted by: Do the math | February 24, 2011 at 07:31 AM
correction...family insurance is actualy $928 a month. Its worse.
Posted by: Do the math | February 24, 2011 at 07:32 AM
Here you go... the hype over government worker salary is on the federal government, not state and municipal levels.
Doing this from memory, but there was a USA Today article that had a chart...
Average compensation for a fed worker is over $120,000 including salary and benefits.
Average compensation for a state/local government worker was about $65,000.
Average compensation for a private sector worker was about $62,000.
Now if you look to DMS' annual workforce report, the average state worker's total compensation is less than total compensation for a private worker in Florida.
So, just as other state's pension issues have been transposed to Florida, the whole salary issue has been transposed to Florida - why, timing...
Funny thing is, just a few years back, the state was scrambling to find ways to attract quality workers because pay was so low...
What I would like to see a newspaper do is a comparison of similar jobs based on educational requirements. While many out there think of low-skilled workers when thinking about gov't workers... lets look at the breakdown of the number of lawyers, certified public accountants, etc. that work for the state and compare those salaries to the private sector. It would be an eye opener!
Posted by: Que | February 24, 2011 at 09:23 AM
"correction...family insurance is actualy $928 a month."
You have NO business even posting on this blog if you truly believe a state and/or county employee pays $928 a MONTH for health insurance in the State of Florida.
You show that you are ignorant and merely aspire to the pathetic talking points of the average Democrat.
Posted by: Republicans Will Save Florida | February 24, 2011 at 01:24 PM
Screw the unions. I lived in Florida and I will never live there again. Too left wing communist. Cut, cut, cut, their pay and gut, gut, gut, all benefits. They pay if they want health care. Why should the tax payers be burdened by lazy, fat, rude, workers. Go Scott. Scott Walker for President.
Posted by: js | March 04, 2011 at 10:47 PM