[img_assist|nid=74047|title=|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=285|height=198]Channel 58 in Milwaukee tonight followed up earlier reports in other news outlets on the decision of most state public employee unions to decline participation in the state's new annual "recertification" process -- which requires costly union member elections to decide whether the unions will retain their formal collective bargaining designations.
After quoting various union officials who said that the provision was designed to make it nearly impossible for unions to succeed, and that the annual requirement would be expensive to pursue, the news reporter contacted Gov. Scott Walker's office asking whether the recertification provision was indeed designed to kill collective bargaining. According to the newscast, the entire response from the governor's press office consisted of this: "No. It was designed to balance the budget."
Who knew that represented state workers and their absolutely plutocratic salary demands -- which, of course, wimpy state bargainers agreed to pay in full -- were the cause of the state's multi-billion-dollar structural deficit?! Gee, didn't we already learn that Walker's new corporate tax cuts would be on a scale comparable to the cuts in state employee pay and benefits? But corporate tax cuts apparently have no impact whatsoever on the deficit. Those pesky public employees! They actually expect to make a living!
It's the latest act in the Walker Ballet Company's truthiness dance. Walker continues to spin pirouettes as his administration lies and then lies in reverse through succeeding news days. First, Walker said the state was "broke" and drastic cuts were needed, in part by slashing employee compensation and defrocking their labor unions. Then, Walker was forced to admit in a US House hearing that his union-busting law had nothing to do with saving money. Then, Walker had the Legislature move the union-busting measure into the state budget to by-pass the state Senate quorum issue, making the newly non-budget provision ... a budget provision. And also this week, about the same time his office was saying the anti-union law was enacted to solve the deficit, his campaign sent out a mailer declaring that the state is ... still broke! And that unions ... are still a problem!
The lies just kept on coming, and as of today, they're still coming. But the most egregious story coming from the East Wing of the State Capitol (i.e., Scotty's office) is that unionized worker pay was THE cause of state deficits. This in a state that has spent the past couple of decades cutting corporate taxes and holding down worker compensation.
Reminds me of that old Saturday Night Live parody commercial for "Shimmer, the non-dairy floor wax." The union-busting law is whatever Scotty and his minions need it to be for political marketing purposes, situational ethics be damned.
Scott Walker's Shimmer: It's an anti-union law! No, it's a budget-balancing measure! No, it's a floor wax! No, it's a dessert topping! Wait, it's all four!
The original SNL parody commercial, for all you little nippers, can be seen here: http://www.hulu.com/watch/61320/saturday-night-live-shimmer-floor-wax
The original SNL parody commercial, for all you little nippers, can be seen here: http://www.hulu.com/watch/61320/saturday-night-live-shimmer-floor-wax