I just uploaded excerpts of a half hour interview Republican State Senator Dale Schultz gave this morning on WEKZ, which I recorded. Below are some of the highlights:
"It's about dignity" (on his empathy with workers about the potential loss of collective bargaining rights.)
"All I know is that we're not talking, we're wasting valuable time about collective bargaining, which I don't ever remember being a part of last election's discussion what so ever."
"You know, to me, this just looks like the classic overreach."
"That's correct. And you know what? I can tell my colleagues are very good and listening to ... I can't tell you how they're going to vote." (Answering a question related to the Democrats needing three Republicans to join their cause.)
"We have, you know, the governor taking a phone call on a prank... and umm... you know, you wonder why people don't have any faith in the political process."
"We are going to create a situation where we focus all our energy on wars with eachother, rather than building up Wisconsin. And we know what that's like in our families. Do we work together or do we spend all of our energy fighting?"
"That could happen. The problem with that approach is then you'd have to address that this collective bargaining issue really isn't related to the state budget... it would involve an embarassing admission..." (Answering a questiong about why the Senate doesn't call collective bargaining a non-budget issue and pass that part without Democratic senators presents.)
"...given us labor peace for 50 years in this state." (On collective bargaining with public workers)
"Let's tackle this budget, let's not raise taxes, but let's do it in a way that doesn't wind up tearing apart families and communities."