pictures from monday
I bet some of you are sick of my blogging about opposition to Wis. Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill, aren't you? Well, too bad because here I go again. I feel an obligation to write about this and post as often as possible, for some reason. I'm not a state worker and heaven knows this little blog isn't the place anyone comes for up-to-date news and so forth. But since I can't be downtown in person every minute of the day and night, I'm doing my part, however small, by posting about it here as frequently as I can.
On Monday, I took Daniel and Anya to the demonstrations at the Capitol Square. We brought along a friend:
Some of my readers know this fellow! (Yes, he is a doctor, and no, he didn't write sick notes for teachers last week; he was actually out of town with his family those days.) I was grateful to have S there, frankly, because he held Daniel's hand while I alternately carried Anya and urged her to keep up with us. It's not easy to wrangle two kids at a rally in the freezing rain, is all I'm sayin'. When we got too cold walking around outside the Capitol, we joined the throngs inside the Rotunda to check out the scene there (and warm up!):
As you can see, protests are still going strong. Maybe not 70,000 strong like last Saturday because many people, including teachers, did eventually have to go back to work, but make no mistake: the workers are not backing down.
On Monday, I took Daniel and Anya to the demonstrations at the Capitol Square. We brought along a friend:
Some of my readers know this fellow! (Yes, he is a doctor, and no, he didn't write sick notes for teachers last week; he was actually out of town with his family those days.) I was grateful to have S there, frankly, because he held Daniel's hand while I alternately carried Anya and urged her to keep up with us. It's not easy to wrangle two kids at a rally in the freezing rain, is all I'm sayin'. When we got too cold walking around outside the Capitol, we joined the throngs inside the Rotunda to check out the scene there (and warm up!):
As you can see, protests are still going strong. Maybe not 70,000 strong like last Saturday because many people, including teachers, did eventually have to go back to work, but make no mistake: the workers are not backing down.
Comments
The call worries me. To j.q. public, the governor comes across as reasonable, principled and sincere. The polls I have seen show the same thing he stated in that call. As soon as schools were canceled, public support for the protests began to drop.
According to Nate Silver, right now the public supports collective bargaining rights for public unions by a 2:1 margin. But only supports public employee unions by about 44%. Basically, they don't like them, but they agree with their right to exist.
The pendulum could swing quickly. The longer this goes, the more worried I become. Especially with $4 to $5 gas on the horizon.
You are correct that you are on the ground and I am not. I don't pretend to be an expert on Wisconsin politics or demographics.
From my position of armchair quarterback, the Dems and labor movement are playing the best cards they have at their disposal.
It is a given that the people of Madison are going to oppose the bill. What is your take on the state of Wisconsin as a whole? The reason why I ask is, if you just looked at Lexington and Louisville, you would assume that Kentucky is the most anti-coal state in the country.
My teaching condition is your child's learning condition.
We loved it.
-Chanterelle