Wisconsin 14 missing senator photos: Have you seen these politicians?

•  Typical liberal: promoting violence. 

• It started with the WI 14, thank u for fighting for the 99%

• Thank God for the "14" for sticking to their beliefs and standing up for Wisconsin's middle class! If walker get's his way we will become extinct !!!

• The only way a country can be a democracy is if there is a balance between ideologies. Thank you all for taking a stand against reducing communication from workers even further. Now we have corporations who are people and workers who are silenced. Where do the American people think this will lead? Do you really want to destroy the entire infrastructure of democracy? And then we will be fighting in the streets for our rights as they are in the middle east. Democracy means communication, no autocracy.

• 'i earned it', bullshit entitlement you're harping on others about. One point to be made is that there are flaws on both sides, and while you might think union bosses are doing their own uber-capilalist agenda to milk money for themselves too (same philosophy as you seem to have) - it's a step in the right direction towards a healthy balance that won't cripple the many for the few who gained their wealth as much by their own sweat as by their luck. Are you really a self-made man or woman as much as you think? No, definitely not. No manifesto here, but unions do not have the mentality of 'give me more' JUST for the sake of having more. The auto industry trying to make money where there aren't revenues to support it and then what's the magic number for corporate greed - how much should they have to pay in taxes or what should their salary have a cap at. Incentive still exists for the richest 400, or say the upper 1%, even if their wealth was cut in half - it's that runaway entitlement from YOUR END that pits people against each other because your view is that money is always available to the hard working. It's not, and you're and idiot.

• They're running head-long towards a greater responsibility. Can't argue it's a rock and a hard place, but they (and I) really believe this quorum is one of the final nails in the coffin.

• Karen the state is broke, the counties are broke, the towns and cities are broke, the federal government is broke. Which part of broke don't you understand? As to these 14 cowardly mopes, they are utterly clueless. They ought to be put in prison for dereliction of duty. www.usdebtclock.org

• 14 IDIOTS!

• 1. If America were a democracy, 50.1% of the population could decide policy. This is not possible, since we are not "ruled by the people". We are, in fact, ruled by representatives which are elected through an electoral college. 2. I was replying to lk2010's post which states, "Wisconsin 14, the country stands with you". I was merely stating that this blanket statement was not so. It says I was replying to him in the title. Please learn to read. Why would I be mad that I'm not the only one paying taxes? Please make some sense in the future.

• Why doesent the Federal Government have to have a budget? Just take and spend. Look at all the money that we give out all over the world. 2 Billion to Egypt, money to Saudi Arabia, ect.. What then is the real cost of our fuel?? And at the same time we cant pay our teachers, have sufficient drivable roads and pay for services like we have done in the past{even with more people, more people = more money} We should reduce aid to other countries in the amount were short. All the politicians do , is what they've always done,,Their making us believe that this is a people problem, its not,

• Wisconsinites produce much of America's cheese and are fiercely proud of it.

• Cosigned by a more distant neighbor in CO.

• Two things: 1. The US is both a democracy and a republic, the two aren't mutually exclusive. The word 'democracy' comes from demokratia, Greek for 'rule of the people,' and 'republic' comes from res publica, Latin for 'thing of the people.' 2. Guess what, I pay taxes too, most of the people posting to this board pay taxes, the public servants in Wisconsin and the rest of the states pay taxes, and the fourteen Senators pay taxes. We are all firmly a part of this country. You are not special in that regard, and if you don't like that, YOU get the fuck out!

• Instead of simply voting 'no,' they have gone above and beyond the call of duty to represent their constituents by sacrificing their comfort and their livelihoods to draw a line in the sand to stop Walker's affront to the rights of decent working taxpayers and his attempts to cheaply sell the public resources of the state to the crooks who paid to get him elected.

• They are doing exactly what they are paid to do!!! Go Wiscoinsin 14!!!!!

• It's not about money, union rights or anything else. These 'punks' laid it on thick to get elected to represent the people of Wisconsin. That is there job, representation. If they are doing their job then they need to be fired so people who have integrity can stay and fight rather than run away. If they didn't like the bill then they can always vote NO. I say release them and let them find another job.

• Then you can pay the union benefits as well. I would like the freedom to not contribute to a small segment of the population getting "fair" benefits, while the rest of us have to do without. The national average number of union workers? 12.1%

• They are fighting to stay on the Union's payroll.

• You're right. I should be watching Comedy Central to get my real news instead.

• Please have some sense. The cost of hiring the lawyer/accountant that actually wrote the tax in the first place to find a loophole is usually cheaper than the actual tax. You are deluding yourself if you think the upper 1% will EVER their fair share of taxes, regardless of what law gets passed. With that said, I'm quite sure the upper 1% would happily take money from the hands of anyone regardless of what income bracket they happen to be in. Actually, it'd be smarter of them to skim money from the poor since there are so many more of them. I highly doubt the upper class care to waste their time on stamping out the middle class. What would be the point? Unless it had direct impact on whether they stayed on top, I fail to see why they should care. Why would they want to get rid of their management class? So they can do more hands on work?

• Technically he has only one spelling error, namely "nuttin"; which could be seen as merely vernacular or an idiomic expression. I do, however, conceed that his grammar could use some work, along with the lack of punctuation. Finally, I would like to point out, nice fragment Carol!

• Please be reasonable. They are ALL bought and paid for; republicans and democrats alike.

• Could you please explain this "great cost to themselves" to me please? I personally don't complain much during my paid vacations.

• How could you possibly know what his friends and family do for a living? Starting an argument based entirely on fantasy is usually a poor way to begin.

• I am firmly a part of this country and I certainly do not support them. Please don't put words in other people's mouths. And America is a REPUBLIC, so those like you that "like America because it's a "democracy" can leave.

• Why do people who live in Wisconsin get called "cheeseheads"?

• Absolutely!! Would all of you who support the Wisconsin 14 also support Republicans if they did the same thing to block a bill that the Democrats supported? Would you support Republicans if they left the state and insisted they would not come back until the majority caved and changed the bill to their liking? How can you not see this as blackmail? The Wisconsin 14 have chosen to shut down the legislative process, the democratic process, so that they can get their way. Are you willing to put in writing here that you believe either side has that right? Perhaps you think that only the Democrats are patriots for leaving the state. Wouldn't you vilify the Republicans if they did the same thing? Do you support a double standard? If this were a dictatorship, as some have claimed, then Governor Walker would impose the rule instead of introducing a bill to be voted on by all of the elected officials of our state. Are you so ignorant that you don't know the difference between a dictatorship and a democracy? Is it only a democracy if you agree with the bill and get your way? What about those of us who disagree with you? Are we less important than you are? Should our voices not be heard because you disagree? Instead of empty rhetoric, why don't you tell us what you are afraid of if you lose collective bargaining? You will still be able to bargain for wages and benefits. What is it that you will lose? This does not affect private unions. Please tell me why public workers need a union? Police and firefighters will retain their collective bargaining rights. Aren't these the people you refer to who put their lives on the line for us every day? Tell me how a clerk at the DMV or an employee at the Department of Revenue put their lives on the line every day and need collective bargaining rights. Stand tough Governor Walker and Senate Republicans! Do not allow the blackmail tactics of the Wisconsin 14 to win! If you do, that will mean that they can do it again and again any time they disagree.

• @ Mike.......sorry buddy, I prefer to keep my wealth....I earned it, not you and your lazy liberal, union buddies. So tell me, how do you feel about politicians being in the pockets of your union bosses? You going to tell us that it is okay? So, only people that belong to unions will get special favors? Yup, that is real fair. Ever hear of equal rights? Didn't think so. It is the American taxpayer that pays your wages, don't ever forget that. You people are so completely clueless - the unions are what is bringing America down. Why in God's name do you think our manufacturing jobs are disappearing? Unions have made it unrealistic to do business in the U.S. Logic is most certainly not a trait of liberals. That being said, another thing you may want to think about - you are not differentiating between private company unions and public unions. There should be no such thing as unions for public workers. Period. OMG....@Union_is_Right....your statement shows just how clueless YOU are....the teachers have a choice - they are paid salary you idiot - they can take it split up into 52 weeks or divided by the number of weeks they actually work. Duh. And excuse me, Mr. Clueless, school employees are regular citizens - you are a moron. And all your idiot liberal politicians are also just regular citizens. There are NO Americans that are above or better than the next. As witnessed by the liberals commenting here there definitely is a very big variance on intelligence though....you liberals been smoking too much dope methinks.

• @Union Mule......and do you see Mr. Big Mouth Big Shot Warren Buffett offering to DONATE his precious money to the government - federal or state - to help out with the deficit? Of course not. He is a liberal - they are cheap and donate very little to anything. When he puts his money where his mouth is then maybe we will listen to the likes of him. The unions and the political fools they have in their pockets are the ones that are destroying the middle class. I have never seen so many ignorant people as those that consider themselves liberal. I don't think even one eight of you know what you are talking about here. But, of course, that's our education system at work for you.

• When it all comes down to it, the WI 14 are complete cowards. How many people have to loose their jobs before you come down and do you yours? I'm non-unoion, my hubby is union. Figure it out before you ruin everything. LOSERS.

• At a girl Dianne.Bury the middle class and good bye capatalism. I'LL keep my union money in chicago this year no more water parks,camping,fishing,snowmobiling,music fests and all the great things that bring me to my friends in wisc. Sorry, just think if I could just make less money or min. wage I'll just stay home. Goodbye America hello 1905. As Warren Buffet the Billionaire said it's a shame my secretary has to pay more taxes then me. These people just don't get it.

• Thank God I live in a state where men are men and do the job at hand like it or not . They have taken the oath and deal with it like it or not.

• The issue isn't money. There was no budget crisis until Walker gave huge tax breaks to corporations. Then he demanded that public employees take pay cuts to fund those tax breaks. For some reason I don't understand,they agreed to that. So the issue isn't money-- at least not for Wisconsin residents. The issue is destroying the unions because they support the middle class, and the Republicans want that support to stop. Without the unions, you'll be considered middle class if you work part time at Walmart. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

• Thanks so much to the Wisconsin 14. We welcome you to Illinois and hope you will enjoy your stay here until the recall is completed and we see the glorious day when you are able to take your seats in a Democratically controlled senate. ON WISCONSIN!!!!

• Nice spelling!

• Have you checked the polls? Try Rasmussen

• Teachers are practicing freedom to keep freedom. They are the best example ever to fight for what is right!

• He sees his job as meeting the greater good. He knows that if this repair bill passes, the state will suffer. How about Scott Walker changing the tax breaks he passed in January!

• If anyone is bought and paid for, it is Scott Walker. Anyone studied the Koch brothers?

• Your friends and family are not putting their lives on the line daily for public service. Your friends and family do not face children day to day to form their knowledge. Your friends and famil do not see that this is beyond just Wisconsin. Wake up. The Republicans thought they could break down Wisconsin, and then the rest of the nation! All of the public servents are taxpayers also. I personally was not a part of anyone contributing to our retirement...guess what? I still support unions and especially those in the public sector!

• Thank you Wisconsin 14 for doing your job. You are preventing passing a budget bill that will do anything but "repair" our state's finances. I am very proud of you. You are sacrificing for what is good for the people. Keep up the good work. Stay out of the state and keep ignoring the "threats' against you. I watch you on interviews as often as possible. Again thanks and keep up the great stand you are making, not only for Wisconsin, but for our country!

• Umm Oliver, running and hiding is FAR from standing up for anyone...How can someone that won't even stand up for themselves be expected to stand up for others...Seems you should change that 'punch' to others into a 'slap' of sense to yourself and the 25 others that like your post. No..there should be NO union representation in government offices..Unions are there to protect workers from Tyrant bosses...Not guarantee your cushy pay for a cushy job.. ..

• No I haven't seen them and if I do.. I'm going to invite them in and offer them coffee and cheesecake! The patriot's blood is the seed of Freedom's tree.

• Oh, so times are hard so take it out on the teachers. Cushy teacher jobs, yes we have cushy jobs, not like the real work. Not like the real world, where a little second grade girl cries in your arms because her mother is going to jail and she has to go into foster care. Not like the real world, when a former student confides in you he wants to take his own life. No not like the real world, when you teach you entire a class to read on grade level, when you were told it could not be done. Not like the real world, when a family’s home burns down, they have no insurance, and the father is killed running in the burning home to save a baby in the crib. No this is not like the real world at all. I sit back in my cushy chair at by big desk enjoying my cushy teaching job all day long without a care in the world. I am the one you send your child to all day long to teach how to read, write, add, subtract, multiply, divide, and learn algebra. When your child does not understand something, I am the one who sits down and re-teaches the skill. I will do whatever it takes for the child to understand, including giving students my home telephone number for homework help. Yes, it is I, the one with the cushy job giving homework help on my time. So, remember me when you are at Happy Hour, I am most likely on the phone with a student helping him or her with their math homework. Yes, I am also the one who has to give standardize test to disable children because of No Child Left Behind. Yes, it is I who can’t sleep because I am worrying if our school will make AYP this year. Yes, it so fair to verbally beat up on teachers, we only want to provide the best education for our students, we care and love children. We only want to educate children. I am a just a teacher to a few of my students, but to most of my students I am a role model, a missing parent. a nurturing, caring individual in their life. Each day I bring healthily snacks to school for my students, because I know they do not have enough to eat at home. I supply most of the fiction and non-fiction literature, which is a book for those of you who might not know, in my classroom. I want my children to grow a love of reading. Which, I will add I pay for out of my own pocket, and I never complain because it is in the best interests of the students. See my cushy, high paying job allows me all kinds of perks. No, I love each and every one of my students. I want the best for each of them. I want each student to be able to live out their dreams for life! Here is where you are so wrong Miss Cushy Job Person! Being a teacher is not a “job” it is a life choice one makes. You devote life to making the world a better place for children. So, if you think I have a cushy job, think again. I make a challenge to you maybe you should give it a whirl! After all it is a cushy job!

• What a bunch of bullies, 'come back & do your job' so our mouth=breathing, dictator governor can have a quorum, ending collective bargaining. God Bless the Wisconsin 14 Senators!!!

• How true. What part of elected official are we missing. If your not there to do you job then let them go. Im sure that if I didn;t agree with my companies policies and choose to not show up for work, I would be FIRED!! The citizens of WI should demand that their employees return to work and face the responsibilities they have.

• I have never heard of such stupidity. So should one guess that if the democrates in the US Senate do not want legislation to pass they should run to Canada or Mexico. Come on you are state employees and Im sure you are still collecting wages. Get back to work like the rest of us lucky Americans. Or maybe the great state of Wisconsin should lay them off and hire the person who lost in the election to these senators.

• I can donate a bag of dog food so that you con feed them.

• If I see them, I will have them over for dinner!!

• I heard Spencer Coggs cheats on his wife...

• Rick Scott - Scott Walker 2012 Yes! This would mean a Barack Obama landslide. Idiots! .

• Many people commenting on here clearly do not have a very good sense of how certain policies contribute to financial issues in a state. This is not about the budget - this is about busting up unions. It's a political move. Republicans don't like labor unions because they are the last group protecting the lower and middle classes from the richest 1% of people taking advantage of the labor force. Unions don't contribute to budget deficits... if teachers and others get paid so much, why don't more people want to go in those professions? Unions are not just good for public workers, but their presence in society ensures the fair treatment of all workers. It sets up the principles of fair labor practices. Those of you who think labor unions want to "spread the wealth" or that they are "lazy" people who want don't want to work hard for their money, you clearly have a lot of misinformation. Teachers, police officers, firefighters and other have jobs under difficult circumstances. Try teaching a classroom of 50 kids in the inner city where you are simply trying to teach kids the basics that they didn't learn in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade because they have had so many teachers leave halfway during the year because they couldn't handle the low pay and difficult working conditions (i.e., making sure kids don't bring knives in the classroom, don't get into fights, or are eating lunch because they didn't get a meal at home). That point aside, many of these teachers took a 6% pay cut in 2009 whereas Governor Scott Walker's salary increased by $40,000 over what the last governor made. Who's asking him to give up some of his pensions, health care, etc? Or did you all forget that he is a public worker as well? This is how the Republican Party has managed to turn masses of middle-class to lower-middle class Americans from the Democratic party that actually protect their economic interests, and turned them into staunch advocates for Republican economic policies that have been proven to disadvantage them time and time again. How do they do this? By setting up the standard of THE AMERICAN DREAM. It's like a stick they hold out in front of the middle class to say...hey if you work hard enough, you can be rich like us! We give you the opportunity to get there by reducing taxes on the rich (just in case you make it into that tax bracket, you don't want liberals to take your money, right?), by creating corporate loop holes and tax breaks for businesses (because they scare small businesses in thinking that liberals want to increase their taxes, whereas most small businesses don't even make enough money to qualify for these tax breaks), and through deregulation (because we make you think that if businesses are regulated, they won't be able to create jobs!...but in reality, this doesn't create jobs because if a businesses can do whatever it wants to make profits, why does it need more workers? the top guys can make money without having to hire more workers and thus lose more money). They've made the middle class think that protecting the interests of the rich means protecting THEIR OWN interests. In fact, the lower classes and middle class have done better economically under Democrats than under Republicans (Bartels: 2008). Republicans are winning by dividing the middle class and turning them against each other. Meanwhile, they are silently cutting money from education and other services. Why are you voting in people that don't have your best interests at heart? What has the Republican party done for you lately if you make less than $250,000 per year? And yet, people vote them into office year after year. They are good at shouting down opponents, at appearing strong, good at distorting facts (even so much as just putting facts aside and delegitimizing them)...They are good at publicity basically (Fox News, the right arm of the conservative movement has helped that). How do we know their views are distorted? Studies show that Fox News watchers more than PBS/Public news watchers were: A) More likely to think that we found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq (we didn't). B) More likely to think that Iraq had ties to al Qaeda (they didn't) and C) More likely to think Obama is Muslim (he's not)... But I digress... The point is... Wisconsin 14, the country stands with you. At least those of us that like America because it's a "democracy" and not a dictatorship...

• Vote Vinehout out

• Brilliant strategy, leaving the city so that the legislature couldn't vote on this bill! You Wisconsin Senators are doing a great job for the citizens of WIsconsin, and I am proud to have you represent me in this effort. I was a single parent who worked my way through the UW, then gave 35 years of my life to public service employment. As a retired citizen, I now worry: I hear the Wisconsin Retirement Fund is next on the chopping block. Please keep up your efforts in keeping a middle class in the State of Wisconsin. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your sacrifice, your thoughtful strategies, and your solid planning.

• Note to WI 14....you folks make me proud...keep going THE REAL PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY SUPPORT YOU 100%....Just a note from a neighbor in MN.

• Punching, wow, real mature. How about these senators come home and do the job that they were elected to do rather than run like cowards,

• What the senators are doing is avoiding the Republican mobsters who took over in Wisconsin. What else can they do?

• Get real The US is Broke ( china owns us)???????? What part dont you understand Wi. Broke????????????

• The people of Wisconsin are starting to realize the destructive path this governor is headed down. Thank you for your sacrifice and standing up for what is right.

• I am so proud of Walker. He is withstanding the falsehoods and rhetoric. My friends, my family.... we are having to contribute to our own retirement. In some cases have not been able to. We pay our own health insurance, in some cases it is better than others. To hear that workers in this state feel that I and my family and friends should pay more so they have to pay little.... and then that they are holding the state hostage and our elected officials are creating an increasing hostile environment.... Please stay strong Walker!

• Stop using the liberal card anytime you disagree. These senators are a fine example of sticking up to what they believe in and you might say they are running away but by not showing up they are making their vote at great cost to themselves for the greater good. Courageous acts like these are what has made America so free. Thank You.

• Thank you WI Senators ,you have taken a powerful stand and I appreciate it! I have been at the Capitol almost everyday and it has been so impressive and there are so many sings thanking the Fab 14 for your courage. Keep it up! Lia

• All you hear is what about the kids. Ya, senators what about the kids, way to set the example. Kids any time you don't like something run, run,run. What are your parents and teachers going to do, the senators get away with it. Dry your tears and get back to work!

• The unions protect the old and the Lazy. Wisconsin needs unions like a whole in the head. If you would pull your head out of your BA'S BUTT you would see you end up with more rights under the bill. Like the abilty to keep more of your own money, and more importantly the right to not be union. I am sick and tired of paying the way for you people. Suck it up! Welcome to the real world.

• Why does it take 50 union workers to fix a bus. 1 to hold the wrench and 49 to turn the bus.

• I do hope you are making a difference and I give many teachers credit. BUT I do think the collective bargaining doesn't recognize the good teachers any different than the bad teachers. I have one child with a slight LD issue and have dealt with some teachers that definitely need to leave the profession and move on. I think they hang on for the benefits rec'd., they have the protection of the WEAC union. I think people should have the option to join or not join the union, any union. I don't know if you are from the Wisconsin area or not. Too many items are decided on by the union and smaller rural schools have no where they can cut their budgets due to many of these collective bargaining items. Sadly not enough people take the time to get so involved in the business end of their local school. No one goes to these meetings which is extremely saddening. Parents and residents of the area need to get more involved locally. I think that giving more control to each school district is an answer to so much of this.

• Maybe if they don't return within a certain time frame, it just shows that they're not needed for their districts to run. I guess it shows they can easily be replaced. Hopefully sooner than later. They were elected to do a job and running away is not doing it. I've written to Dave Hansen the sen. for my area - - - still no reply. And they say they are getting their work done while in Illinois - - - - really? Many states are in this same situation - - - it's time to get some control over spending. Our dollar is devalued and these deficits are not helping the economy at all. Time for the state and federal gov'ts to get this under control. I think we'd all benefit from working together to get this accomplished.

• Very socialist of you.

• To bob: If Erpenbach Is so great, why isn't he in Madison doing his job?????????

• wanted: dead or alive posters should be made- 100,000 dollar rewards each, should be offered. Stupid, slimy, duplicitous vermin is the kindest thing to say about the traitors. And what is with the who re trying to look like lard a ess ess clinton?

• What kind of workers are they protecting? From the feed back on the news they seem to be cussing, yelling racial slurs, threatening violence and generally have a pretty entitled nasty attitude. Not to mention there is no accountiblility on their performance. Aren't there a plethora of drop outs in Wisconsin? If you can't answer for your work performance why should you be "protected"? I don't get protected at the hospital I work at. I have to pay my own health benefits and pension and I heal people. Why do these people feel they are so special they can rake the taxpayers over the coals? Why don't they take responsibility for their own money? This is breaking every state and isn't only happening in Wisconsin. Why just use the Democratic run state of CA as an example of corrupt union rule and bullying for 30 years. We have a drop out rate of 50%, the teachers are the HIGHEST PAID IN THE NATION. I can't even send my own child there because of SUB STANDARD TEACHING. Do I ask the unions to send my child to private? I should because I think they own it to me as a tax payer for raping me on my property taxes to contribute to something which has no regulation other than the union thugs. Are peodophiles ok to teach? Apparently in LAUSD they are because they can't fire them. So before you think so liberally, why don't you move here for the school system and let's see how you feel after your kid's brain is transformed into liberal mush!

• These are your typical cowardly Democratic leftist bought and paid for politicians who are in the bag of the nasty bully unions who honestly have no problem fleecing the taxpayer. The days of raping the citizen are over for some entitlement teachers union and all of the other individuals which have been spoon fed by the tax payers sweat. The ones at the Capital are a bunch of cut throat hags who I would not want teaching my child. They are cussing and swearing at the media and threatening violence. What a bunch of poor moral compasses for the poor excuse of the teachers they are. In fact the way they were picking on this educated black tea party man they sounded like a bunch of racist white trash pigs. Private school is an option. Fire the lot of them and fire the loser Democrat panty waists who are out lounging on lavish tax dollars. You can be replaced and should be. If you don't want to work find other jobs. Good luck, unless you are on the government dole the unemployment rate is 20% (not the CNN spoonfed 11%). Reality check you too can be replaced. Contribute to your own pension and Obamacare because we are tired of being taxed to death because of your filthy relationship with corrupt unions.

• I live in Wisconsin and very proud of these senators. Especially my senator, Jon Erpenbach. They have the courage of their convictions. God bless them!

• Why do you think TEACHERS have more RIGHTS than anyone else. I understand that it is difficult to consider taking a step back and competing like normal people. I also understand that it is time to do this for the good of the citizens of this state. I just don't see the quality of education in the country has increased in relation to the benefits the teachers have demanded. It's probably time to go back to having schools be about more about eduction and less about social programs. I hope all the layoff's that will eventually come about are with the teachers - after all, they cared so much about the kids, they called in sick the minute anyone dared to ask them to pitch in during these tough economic times.

• Wake up people: This whole thing is not about union busting its all about high taxes and the AFLCIO UNION loosing income. Who rilled up the teachers.[the union and the press.] Teachers are getting paid educate the students not use class time to tell them to demonstrate.Our democrats stand to loose campaign money if collective barganing were to be abollished.It is very unlikelly to happen, but not through demonstrating only through the leagal prosses.Our Wi. DEMOCRATS ARE greedy and cowards were wer they wen manufacturing jobs left the state due to high taxes and demands for changes and all the surcharges wen Gov. Doyle was leading the state?????????

• Workers across the country are standing up for WORKERS RIGHTS! Stand United with all workers and tell Walker and other Republican Governors who have built up this plot against the Working Class people, that we just aren't going to take it any more! If we are so broke, and the situation is so bad, why are we both state and nation wide giving tax breaks to the rich! That's where all the money is! When there are masses of employees working for a company and making $35,000 a year, there is no way that the people at the top should be getting paid millions of dollars, even hundreds of millions! Lets get the middle class back to the middle class, it's time that we start shrinking the gap between the have's and have not's! I am watching CNN and they are talking about spending $32,000 for a six year old birthday parties! And these are people that call themselves "Middle Class"!!!!!!

• You people are really being ignorant! This has nothing to do with money and everything to do with WORKER RIGHTS! It has nothing to do with public sector workers either, they are just the only ones that Walker can attack. The unions have offered to accept ALL of the monetary concessions that he is asking for, to remove all monetary items from the process! Yet he continues on his charade. He's got the money from the workers that he says he needs, and he has what he will need so he can come back and take more! So now that argument is GONE from the conversation. While this does affect teachers, they only account for about 1/3 to 1/4 of the employees that are affected. The firefighters and police unions are next on his radar, that's part of the reason they are fighting beside the other workers! The other reason is an attack on workers rights is an issue that needs to be addressed by ALL WORKERS. If you want a good comparison, and one that most republicans can understand, compare it to THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS. NRA supporters fight any attempt to limit any kind of gun control, using the reason, that once you start giving up rights, they will keep taking them. Well that is the same thing that they are trying to do now. First public sector workers and unions, then private sector unions and the next thing you know, the 40 hour work week will go away! And that will only be the beginning! That's what this is all about! But it is not ALL that this is about. The Governor wants the complete control to sell off power plants owned by the state, no bidding process, just to be able to sell them to whom HE thinks is in the best interest of the state. And what makes this even worse, is a private company in Wisconsin, is actually looking to hire multiple power plant managers! It appears to me and a lot other people, that he has already made a deal with someone (probably his Koch buddies) for these power plants. Possibly a campaign payback? If it was on the up and up, why would he need to have the power to make the deal, why doesn't he want to follow the normal process for disbursing of state owned properties? mmmm Good question, don't you think? Personally I refer to this as the Fleecing of Wisconsin! He is also attacking the poor in this bill, Medicaid, Badger Care and other programs that he wants complete control of, with no oversight. Badger Care was the reason he gave for why we didn't need "Obama Care", now he wants to take it away! Some of you may want to refer to these as entitlement programs, but many others refer to them as life line programs. With the current economy, and the way wages and benefits are decreasing, we better keep them around, as there many people on the wings of needing it. One other thing that I find funny is that while he uses the excuse of giving corporations tax breaks, according to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, 2/3 of the corporations in Wisconsin, don't pay ANY taxes. I'll bet that most of the ones that do are smaller business's struggling to get by. THANK YOU FAB 14 even a FOX reporter finally GOT IT! So there is hope for others after all!

• Scott Walker for president

• so whats a proceed of your worker efforts if your a teacher? 1/3 of 8th graders in Wisconsin cant read or read up to level,, is that it?

• Should just move all teaching positions into the private sector. A Government job never makes money, they just waste it!!. Our children would be better off having teachers that can teach and want to be there { lots of people could use a job right now!} The way it looks is: If your a teacher and you can teach,, you shouldnt have anything to worry about!!! Its the constant dead weight thats bringing you down, open your minds and look from the other side for a change, look into the money you can save by getting rid of your union! Your only unionizing against the tax payers that pay for your existence anyway, and when you dont get your way,, you run away. Thats really teaching our kids something!!!

• You are cowards and are derelict in doing your duty. Childish behavior and setting a poor example for our children

• This unionized "spread the wealth" crowd makes me sick. I worked for a nonunionized company for 35 years. I now receive a fair pension. Meanwhile, my neighbor retired from Los Angeles Police Dept and he worked 5 fewer years than me and gets 3 times the pension I get. I get zero medical, dental and vision. He gets cost of living increases every year plus gold plated medical, dental and vision. He invested zero in his college with just a high school diploma. I paid a lot to go to college and I had a job that was extremely stress filled, I performed compliance reviews of multi million dollar subcontracts and had to sign off...Some days my heart was pounding as I performed these reviews and I had nightmares at night. Yes, the police may get shot at (rare) but every day my job was causing heart disease due to the stress. The sky is not the limit just because the police are in harms' way. My friend's wife will retire from a CA state unionized job as a nurse, so together they will rake in $180,000 per year pension plus COLA increases every year. And if one dies, their pension goes to the spouse. CA has about the highest taxes in the nation so THEY don't want to pay the high taxes on such giant bloated pensions so they may move to another state that has no state income tax. I don't blame them, I blame the ponzi scheme that makes their union dues mandatory and the union bosses pay off the Democrats that run CA and those politicians in turn give away sweet heard deals to the unions. I clean the parkways, gutters and storm drains in my town two days a week for 37 weeks now because LA City cannot afford to provide services. Either my team of 12 volunteers clean the streets of Northridge or else we live in a blighted, disgusting town. After working 35 years and paying the huge taxes to prop up the unionized city, state and fed employees, while they live in splendor, I clean their gutters. My street has never been resurfaced in the 28 years I've lived in this house and it is unlikely to be resurfaced in my life time. When I called in my dead parkway tree, LA City told me they will put me on the wait list and they anticipate it will take NINE years. More than half of our income is stolen in the form of taxes and we get zero services. Our children will pay the price for the ponzi schemes the Democrats have created. I was a life long Democrat until I had a friend that got her second masters degree. I asked her what type of job she would get after that second degree. She said Oh NO, I wouldn't want to work like you do because you PAY for your kids to go to college and I get college for free for my kids but if I worked I'd have to pay like you do. The next day I changed my party affiliation to Independent. Now I am more of a libertarian. If you do not record Stossel Thursdays at 5 Pacific time, you should...very educational.

• I personally work with a man who holds a PhD and left a 6 figure salary to come and "give back" as he put it. He is a brilliant chemist and physicist. Reward quality and encourage greatness.

• I like your phrase "unions have the effect of spreading the wealth". Typically that's what the lazy people DO prefer. Getting a piece of the wealth that others have created. Now before you go erratically punching back, let me tell you this... I have a non-union business, in which I apply 'open book management' techniques (that's a business philosophy that treats employees like owners of the company). My workers cover 24x7, work a blue collar, sometimes dangerous job. I pay fair, but I give them each a bonus based upon their personal performance and the company's success. You know what these techniques end up doing? Provides extreme rewards for the people who are willing to work harder and/or smarter, and weeds out the people who are pulling our company down. By the way, I paid to start my own business with my OWN money. I acquired the financial capabilities to start my own business on my own, working for comparable (reward based) non-union companies for the past 20 years.

• I think I'm going to try that. The next time my job asks me to participate in something I don't like, I'm just not going to show up. I'll go into hiding (I'll make them find ME!) and I'll only call into the things I'm willing to be a part of. Oh....and yes, I'll still expect to have my job waiting for me when my boss finally changes his mind (decides not to make me do what I don't want to do)...and expect to get paid for it the entire time. Go team!

• You obviously have never had to work for a living. People have fought hard and even died for these rights which republicans seem to want to strip away in 1 feld swoop. The 8 hour work day, worker's comp. over time, child labor laws, etc. all began in wisconsin. You have no idea how things work in the real world. Keep on talking though, your ignorance and name calling shows who you really are. By the way, this is absolutely nothing to do with balancing a budget. It's about shifting all the power to the republican party.

• One thing that you are missing though, is that the democrats are not running and hiding, they are simply not going to get tricked into a freak vote like the idiot republicans did in the house. If your not there, there is no vote, and negotiations can commence over the phone. Until demands are met, there can be no passage.

• What happened when the democrats won the presidency? Obama stood there and gloated that he won, which was a way of saying he could do whatever he wanted. The republicans stood there and took it like men, they never ran away and shirked their responsibilities as elected officials. Now that the tables have turned in Wisconsin the democrats ran like rats abandoning a ship. Well, the ship isn't sinking now because the rats that were chewing holes in the boat are now off ship.

• They should just get rid of them cowards They're doing nuttin but wasting our tax money If I don't show up for work I would lose my job

• what rights...Its only a right if you are in a public sector union? THats what makes us regular tax payers sick. YOU ARENT SPECIAL. YOU ARE TAKING MY MONEY

• LIz, taking off of work and taking it easy must be REAL HARD WORK (sarcastically said), but working 9-5 is EASY - is that what you are saying? The first time I met Bob Wirch he was working in Kenosha Job Center. I walked in the office to get a job and he had his feet up on the desk. He gave me a job with his feet still up on his desk. I left the building and later found he gave the job to someone else. I counted on getting that job. In his "need" I will not support him either! If someone refuses to work when they have a job then someone who wants to work should get that job. In other words: if you can read this thank a teacher - who went to work!

• The first time I met Bob Wirch was when I walked into the job center (where he worked at that time) and he had his feet up on his desk. He offered me a job (with his feet still up on his desk), I accepted, and then he gave the job to someone else! I can see Bob Wirch hasn't changed - despite the time inbetween!

• Typical cowardly liberals, my behind---as far as I'm concerned---they got more balls than the whole Democratic party has shown thus far. I'm sure by now you're heard how your dear Gov. Walker was caught saying flat out on a phone call that he wanted to bust the unions, and that this standoff is NOT just about the budget, plus he actually said that he was seriously considering deliberately placing people inside the peaceful protests to actually START trouble---that is, deliberately start fights that could possibly get people hurt or put someone in the hospital. In other words, Walker dosen't give a straight-up damn about the working peole who elected him---he basically created Wisconsin's budget problem by giving his corporate sponsors a big fat $140 million tax cut which caused the state deflicit in the first place, and now he wants to force the working taxpayers to completely give up their right to have ANY say on their rights in the workplace by making THEM pay for it, even though the deflicit wasn't even their fault to begin with. Uh, WTF-Idiot,you need to actually look up information on the history of unions and what they are actually for, which is to protect the rights of working people---THAT'S what they are for. You obviously don't know jack about unions or you wouldn't be spouting the BS you're talking. THAT'S why working people in unions pay union dues--to keep them running in the first place. BTW, I heard one of the 14 senators call up on a radio show and explain that they were paying for their own lodging out of state out of their own pockets, so don't worry, you're not paying jack for their standoff. And they're made it clear they're not going to vote on a bill that would take away the rights of working people aka taxpayers to have a say in making sure that they have fair wages and safety in the workplace.

• The power and strength of this country is a direct result of it being a place where the rule of law is not taken lightly and the fact that elected officials are there to represent the people who elected them. They were elected because a majority of the people in their districts (or states for a governor) agree with their perspective on what the government should do. If the people of the state don't like the direction their government is going, then the next election is their opportunity to make their voice heard. That is how a representative government works. The elections in November made it very clear what the majority of the citizens thought should be done. Now those who were elected are trying to do what they promised they would do ... in this case, it is cleaning up the fiscal mess. For an elected official To deliberately walk out his or her responsibility and try to derail the process of a representative government is COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. It shows everyone who is paying attention that they have no understanding or respect for the rule of law and the reason why it has made this the great country that it is. And those who think it is noble to walk out on your responsibility clearly don't understand why this is the great country it is.

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