Some UW-Whitewater faculty and staff have written a statement about Gov. Scott Walker’s budget-repair bill. The statement was sent out last Wednesday.
The statement says faculty and staff are “appalled” by Walker’s bill, which would further cut benefits as soon as April. Faculty and staff have already endured furloughs, pay cuts and pay freezes during the 2009-11 biennium budget.
The bill would require state employees to pay 5.8 percent toward their pension and 12 percent of their healthcare benefits. Both are at or below national private sector averages, according to a press release issued by Walker.
Additionally, the legislation would give state and local governments the ability to manage spending by changing some of the requirements of the state’s collective bargaining laws.
According to the Competitive University Workforce Commission published in June 2010, professors in the UW System make 20 percent less than the national average. Associate professors and assistant professors make 17.37 percent and 10.56 percent less than the national average, respectively.
Walker has vowed he will not compromise on the bill, which has caused days of public protesting.
“We must take immediate action to ensure fiscal stability in our state,” Walker said in a press release. “This budget-repair bill will meet the immediate needs of our state and give government the tools to deal with this and future budget crises.”
Wisconsin currently faces a deficit of $137 million for the current fiscal year, which ends July 1.
Angie • Feb 24, 2011 at 11:02 pm
Additionally, we cannot stress enough that it is not about the money. Unions have agreed to the money aspects of the bill.
The fight is about collective bargaining. The only 5 states that don’t have collective bargaining rank in the bottom 10 for ACT/SAT score averages. I think that there is a connection.
I’m not saying we all have to agree on this, but we need to at least listen to both sides and educate ourselves on the issue. When you only look at half of a picture it doesn’t make sense, it’s when the two halves come together that you can see the whole picture and that is when problems are able to be solved.
Diego • Feb 25, 2011 at 8:38 pm
Angie, You are again wrong. Where are you getting your information? Please read today’s (2/25/11) Wall Street Journal arcitle that debunks that idea of low ACT/SAT scores, specifically with the state of Virgina that so many on the left like to cite.
Democrat Franklin Roosevelt, Democrat and AFL CIO president George Meany, and even Milwaukee Socialist mayor Frank Zeidler all argued against collective bargaining for the public sector. Because they understood where it would eventually lead. Unions negotiating with the politicians and administrators who [articipate in the same healthcare and pension plans. Their union dues help get their cronies elected. Then they reciprocate by granting more benefits to the unions instead of representing the taxpayers who pay for them.
And if those above mentioned Democrats have the same position as Scott Walker, why do the unions constantly demonize him? It’s all about union power. Period.
Angie • Feb 24, 2011 at 10:53 pm
This bill is wrong in so many ways. Instead of abusing the people who sacrifice wages to their thankless jobs let’s take a look at the tax cuts that have been given (repeatedly) to the wealthy who have more than they need.
Do we need to balance the budget, yes, absolutely…but we shouldn’t take it out on people who put their own money, extra time, and are paid inadequately for the level of education required to do their job.
Diego • Feb 25, 2011 at 8:30 pm
Angie, Scott Walker has not enacted a single tax cut. So what “tax cuts for the wealthy” are you talking about. You use that phrase but i’ll bet you can’t provide an example.
And Wisconsin remains one of the highest taxed states in the country. There are two ways to get into $3.6billion of financial trouble. Don’t tax enough, or spend to much. Wisconsin doesn’t have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem.
Do yourself a favor and visit one of the sites that allows you to look up the salary and benefits of public sector workers and teqchers. I bet you’ll be shocked at what you find.
Brian Stellhorn • Feb 23, 2011 at 1:29 pm
Pass the bill, throw the democrats to their constituants with a special election. It’s time for government to spend not one dime more than it takes in.