The preamble

I saw this pic pop up on the twitters yesterday. Perfect example of the union thugs that are storming the Capitol in Madison

It was taken by Bill Schwulst. You can follow his twitter feed at BillSchwulst.

The Inspiration

“Legislator’s doors should be accessible to every constituent’s opinion, not just those they find common ground with,” said Carpenter. “I find it sad that this year, many of my Republican colleagues initially made a big show of leaving the doors of their offices open with signs stating they were ‘open for business.’ Now those same doors are closed, the signs are gone, and the public kept out.”

I took that from here.

The Goods

So I’ve acquired a few republican friends over the years. Some are friends who I’ve grown up with all my life, others I stumbled upon at various other points. And then I’ve got those friends who have become republican. And for all of them I have always made the excuse “They aren’t jesus republicans, they’re just fiscally conservative.”

But those days have too end. No longer can I sit by and pretend that your support of that party is about fiscal conservatism. You need to see it for what it is. This is a class war.

Part Une: Telephone for Governor Walker

We’ll start with the fearless Governor of Wisconsin. In case you’ve missed it, Scotty was pranked into taking a call from someone he thought to be one of his billionaire supporters. And what do the prankster and Scotty talk about? Check this, He admits that they considered planting troublemakers in the crowds in Madison to make the protesters and union marchers look like an angry mob. The Governor, the man most of my republican friends voted for, is a saboteur. He was willing to put the safety of a crowd of people, police offices and public safety workers at risk, just to make himself look better.

But lets break it down further. This has been a super peaceful protest. And it’s working. Nonviolence works. And Governor Walker considered introducing violence into this scene. His final reason for not doing it was that it might appear like he didn’t have control. For the religious types out there, tell me when the sin occurs, is it when you consider it, or when you act on it.

Actually disregard that, I don’t have time for your religion.

Furthermore in Walker’s phone call he tells his pseudo-backer that he thinks the republicans that support this bill are going to need some serious media support—My friends he just called you stupid. He thinks you are simpletons and brainwash-able. Run some TV ads, make them feel better about how their lives are about to start sucking Koch cocks.

Dos!: How is this saving/earning money?

Here’s one part of the bill that I love: the governor can sell the state’s powerplants to whomever he wants through no-bid contracts. How the fuck you gonna get a fair market price if you aren’t allowing bids. What this says is if the people of Wisconsin raise 500 BILLION dollars and wanted to buy their powerplants from the state they wouldn’t have the option. Because Koch Industries, who just happens to be in the energy game, can get it for whatever price they want. Well, consider it whatever price they want plus the few million they donated to Walker’s campaign and spent on brainwashing the stupid Wisconsin public.

Also Scotty gave back $810 million dollars already. Sure it was rail money and trains are socialist and it was going to cost a couple million dollars every year in up keep. But let’s also hit this one with the Maths:

The American people have already paid for this $810 million dollars. It was tax dollars we’ve all paid. Then it was given to Wisconsin. Using a very high estimate, we’ll say $5M annually is what the rail upkeep would be. So in 162 years the trains would start costing the citizens of Wisconsin money. In reality the expected train upkeep costs were closer to $2 million. Governor Walker blobviously looked at his 165-year plan and said “Fuck this, I’m a conservative. Besides trains are for socialists, like Rumorator,” and he sent back the money. But did you get your part of the $810 refunded? I know I’m still waiting by the mailbox for my check.

Tell me how this guy is saving for the average joe?

Part C: Where did tax money go?

In Wisconsin, our finest educational systems are all land-grant, public universities. They are to be funded through taxpayer money and in turn provide an exceptional value for the residents. Yet know it cost a small fortune to send a child to one of these schools. Certainly it’s because the TAs and Professors are all making so much more, right? Or is it because the amount of funding they get from the state has dropped from 50% to roughly 18%, leaving students and their families to pick up these tabs.

Now please tell me it’s because the state is broke, and we can’t afford to fund these institutions like we used to. But we can afford to hand out no-bid contacts and appoint good, strong, family men like Stephen Fitzgerald to head the state patrol.

Stephen’s a great guy he’s raised two sons. One of them is the state senate majority leader and the other is the state assembly leader. Both of them are backing Walker. So Steven is earning a modest $106,000 and getting a fat ass pension boost as he nears retirement (Fun fact: Stephen lost election to Dodge Country Sheriff by a 2-to-1 margin, so you know he’s a people person). And these same guys are telling you the teachers and unions are the ones practicing entitlement?

Coda:

I hate paying taxes as much as anyone. I wish I could take home more of my pay. But what really irks me is where this money is spent. We are sponsoring a NASCAR team rather than women’s reproductive rights; We are handing out vouchers to send kids to average-at-best charter schools; rather than spending that same amount of money to improve our own schools; we are rewarding the family members of powerful people; giving away state jobs and state property; giving tax breaks to corporations that can afford to pay more. These are the reasons we can’t have nice things.

The working class will shoulder the brunt of these costs and if you think the republicans are there fighting for good ol’ average Americans you are tragically mistaken.

The best you can hope is to be fiscally conservative in your own life. Both parties will continue to spend out money on some things we don’t agree with, and many things that I doubt anyone would agree with.

To my republican friends, please open your eyes.