Sunday Feb 27
Almost to the end of February, and a few weeks until Spring! Things have got to be getting better, right? But we must have had another 4 inches of snow yesterday. It was coming down hard and heavy when we went to church last night. Actually light and fluffy. So it was easy to move. But the roads became slippery quickly. I cleaned it up this morning and it cleaned up well. And yesterday was a cold day in the the teens, and today is warming up to the upper 20’s. This week looks to be decent temperatures as well.
I am happy to have my wife back. She got in Thursday night, and even though the first leg of her flight was behind schedule she did get into Appleton early. So we have been getting reacquainted! And spending some time at home. Although we were out to church last night and then out for a bite to eat at Fratello’s. And we ran into some friends there which was a nice conversation.
The National news continues to spotlight Wisconsin, for better or worse. While I do believe the public unions need to get with reality and give in to retirement and healthy pay ins as most of us have, I still think it sucks the way our Gov has gone about it. And it seems much more about payback to the unions that did not support him in the election. I have never been a union member, and for most of my life have thought the unions were too strong and out of control. But I have always acknowledged it was because of the unions that I was paid well and given good benefits, because the companies I have worked for had to compete against the union shops. And the recession confirmed for me that many companies’ management unchecked will let their own greed take over. Are we in for a better world if we break the unions? Is our life today better with lower wages, more health costs, and 50+ somethings getting their jobs cut in favor or younger employees at less cost: rather than the careers of our fathers who put in long careers but had a relatively secure employment, pensions and health insurance in retirement? Some how I think our children’s future is not for the better. There was fan fare last week about 160 jobs being added in the area – tele marketing. Some how I don’t think they replace the many paper mill jobs that have been lost to China. It is acknowledged that our economy is driven by consumer spending; if 75% of us our left with $10 per hour jobs without benefits who will keep the economy going? Oh well. Enough ranting. I do have to thank our assembly man Dick Spanbauer, one of our old neighbors. While he wants a balanced budget he could not go along with taking back collective bargaining from public employees and voted his heart, one of the few Republicans in the state to vote against the bill. I have to give him credit for that.
So this week will include a ride to Milwaukee Wednesday night for a stock club meeting. With our aging members we decided to take some months off during bad weather so they would not have to drive. I am not sure our hiatus was long enough, but we will start up again for March.
Other than that more fun at work. And I think we work at church Friday night. St Rapheal’s has fish fries for Lent and we normally put a couple of nights of work in. They do a nice job and serve around 1000 dinners. Food is good!
So I hope your week is good! Enjoy life!
I think Madison is just a tip of what’s to come, and it isn’t for the good. Unions were and are good but they have got to strong and have robbed their membership for political and personal gain. Enough said. The weather here has gotten colder, big storm north of here and probley headed your way in a few days. Stay warm and safe
Randy, You did a fantastic job of describing the situation in Wisconsin. Well said!
Mary
Randy,
There is adifference between public and private unions. As you indicated the private unions protected employees from the ‘man’. The public unions protect the members from us!
Last election cycle they (public unions) spent 400,000,000 on the election. This has caused elected officals to vote for the union not us. The MATC board rushed a contract into place to avoid the gov proposal–we must ask why.
My problem is with the 14 senators who have decided to run and extend this process. The comments from them are what you would hear from a union boss not an elected offical dealing with a budget short fall that they created. The cuts needed are going to be deep and local gov needs the tools to control county and city budgets. What is being created is a system that allows those gov bodies to do what they see fit, not what the state negociates.
Joe
Joe,
Agreed, it is all politcal moves to flee Wisconsin and extend the process, but the Gov did say he would not negotiate. My take is neither side is really worried about what is best for the state and communities, but what is best for their political career. Which got us to this point to begin with.
Yes the cuts will be deep, and will change a lot of what we are used to. I don’t think you can change what has happened over decades in one fell swoop. And you have to take into account who will be hurt, employees and users of the systems. Unfortunately the local gov bodies tend to be as political as the the state ones and have trouble making the right calls. I don’t think putting 40 kids in a classroom will benefit us in the short or long run. But am convinced by MJ’s and her teacher friends experiences that there is plenty of waste in the Milwaukee school system to keep the teachers employed and balence the budget, but not a political will to do the right things. In the end a lot of what people tout about Wisconsin, our parks and infrastructures, are going to suffer. And unfortunately it has to be. But we have to look at sales taxes that take from those that spend.
I’ll buy you a beer and a blackberry and we can work this out!
Randy
go get them randy