Was that meant to be a serious question, when you asked that earlier? I wasn't sure...
Alright, I'll play along and act like the third-grader you apparently think I am. I'll even start by allowing you to read what I write slowly and in big letters, just so you get used to my juvenile, unsophisticated style and interpretation of what's going on.
There's... a... budget... crisis... in... Wisconsin. Walker... inherited... a... deficit... from... Doyle... despite... claims... that... there... is... a... surplus.
Following?
Walker campaigned on the benefit and pension concessions being required. That's no secret, and the proposal for such should not have caught anybody by surprise. Wisconsin's state and local taxes are higher than the national average, and jobs have been fleeing the state. You can't raise taxes. Any credible comparison measure will show that the public employees have it much better than the private counterparts. I heard on CNN last week that WI taxpayers pay $20billion for the public's pensions and benefits. Those in the unions pay just $500million. As far as the collective bargaining being dismantled, it's just for salaries; bargaining for benefits remains in tact. FDR, of all people, knew the dangers of unions. I need to look no further that here in IL. Unions have taken this state down the drain for decades. If not for the hell-hole that is Chicago, we'd be a reliably red (and prosperous) state. If you're unaware, IL is 5th in the country in unmet pensions. Of course, to alleviate this, rather than actually address the real issue, our income taxes rose 66% this year and businesses are getting out of here as fast as possible. I think it's pretty straightforward, and most national polls are, I'm sorry to say, not siding with you on this, Irvine. That's just my good ol' Tea Partyin' view on the basics of the matter, though.
To the Democratic Senators, they are cowards. They aren't patriots for hiding, or brave, or representing the people, or to be admired. They are cowards. We had an election, and in the words of Obama, "I won."
I'm equally as interested in the utter hypocrisy about the protests themselves. During the height of the Tea Party, all you guys could talk about were the signs, the supposed violent rhetoric, the stupidity, the backwardsness of the people at the rallies, the potential danger, the irresponsibility, the ignorance proudly on display, and- don't forget- Koch Brothers! Go into the Tea Party thread and look. Yet when I do the same- pointing out the Hitler signs, the trash EVERYWHERE, the busing in of people from other states and the OFA efforts there (astroturf, no?), the lying doctors, the lying teachers, the lack of a central message- I get "Whatever, both sides do it, move along, blah blah, shrug smiley" Where's the same level of lambasting? Where's the same level of mockery? Believe me, I don't mind it. I think such a complete-180 is amazingly entertaining to watch here.
Anyway, so what do YOU think? Is there a budget problem, or was there a fantastic surplus left by Doyle? Are Paul Krugman and Larry O'Donnell wrong? Or are Rachel Maddow and Ed Schultz wrong? Along the same lines, how would you cut the debt- and I mean REALLY cut the debt? Saying "cut defense and raise taxes on the rich" isn't an answer, so don't bother. Do you have a plan?