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"But how proud are they that the children of Madison, Wis., have missed school the last two days
because so many of their teachers abandoned their classrooms and joined a mass demonstration? Joined
a mass demonstration to intimidate the members of the Wisconsin Legislature, who are trying to close a
$3 billion deficit they face over the next two years?... Walker is trying to give Wisconsin a reality check.
In response, public workers have interrupted the Legislature. Madison and many neighboring public
schools have closed because so many teachers called in sick and left to join the protest. Democratic
lawmakers disappeared on Thursday, to stall a vote on the budget measures, and Walker sent state
troopers to find them. Apparently some of them fled to ... Illinois.
Public sentiment is changing. There is a growing sense that public-sector unions are not battling for
better, safer workplaces. They're not battling unscrupulous employers. They're battling ... the common
good."
America's labor movement can claim historic victories that have served the common good. Safer
workplaces. Laws to protect children from workplace exploitation. The eight-hour workday. Those who
are in unions can justifiably be proud ofthose and other accomplislunents.
But how proud are they that the children of Madison, Wis., have missed school the last two days
because so many of their teachers abandoned their classrooms and joined a mass demonstration? Joined
a mass demonstration to intimidate the members of the Wisconsin Legislature, who are trying to close a
$3 billion deficit they face over the next two years?
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has demanded that state workers contribute roughly 5.8 percent of their
wages toward their retirement. He wants them to pay for 12 percent oftheir health-care premiums.
Those modest employee contributions would be the envy of many workers in the private sector.
Walker wants government officials to have authority to reshape public-employee benefits without
collective bargaining. Walker wouldn't remove the right of unions to bargain for wages.
No, he is not seeking to eliminate unions, though you might get that impression from the heated rhetoric
of the employees and even from President Barack Obama, who called this an "assault on unions."
Walker is trying to give Wisconsin a reality check. In response, public workers have interrupted the
Legislature. Madison and many neighboring public schools have closed because so many teachers called
in sick and left to join the protest. Democratic lawmakers disappeared on Thursday, to stall a vote on the
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budget measures, and Walker sent state troopers to find them. Apparently some of them fled to ...
Illinois.
Public sentiment is changing. There is a growing sense that public-sector unions are not battling for
better, safer workplaces. They're not battling unscrupulous employers. They're battling ... the common
good.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie became an Internet sensation when he confronted a teacher in an
argument caught on video. A recent Quinnipiac University survey in New Jersey showed that citizens
overwhelmingly support layoffs and wage freezes for public employees to save the state government
from fiscal disaster. The poll found 62 percent ofNew Jersey Voters had a favorable view of teachers,
but only 27 percent had a favorable view of the state's largest teachers union.
Private-sector union membership has declined over the years, while public-sector unions have thrived,
One reason: In the private sector, nnions and management may argue but they have a common cause.
They understand that if their company cannot compete, it will fold and no one will have ajob. Look
what happened to the U.S. auto industry.
Governments don't operate under the constraints of market forces. They operate under political forces.
Public unions play an inordinate role in the selection of management - witness the heavy union support
for Gov. Pat Quinn's election last year. In Illinois, labor and management, Republicans and Democrats,
have been complicit over the years in overpromising wages and benefits. In negotiations, they
essentially sit on the same side of the table: Public officials who generously compensate workers tend to
reap votes, contributions and campaign work from those same employees and their unions.
Many states - Illinois is not yet among them - are coming to the realization that that calculation has to
undergone a wrenching change.
It might surprise the protesters in Madison to know that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt counseled
against public-sector unions because "militant tactics have no place in the functions of any organization
of government employees." Even the late AFL-CIO President George Meany expressed reservations.
Something is happening. Something is changing. In Madison, we see pnblic servants in mass protest to
preserve a status quo that has pushed the state toward insolvency. This is not labor versus management.
This is labor versus the common good.
Chris Schrimpf
Communications Director
Office ofthe Governor
Press Office: 608-267-7303
Email: chris.schrimpftiiiwisconsin.gov
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"The battle of Mad Town is a seminal showdown over whether government nnion power can be tamed,
and overall government reined in. The alternative is higher taxes until the middle class is picked clean
and the U.S. economy is no longer competitive. Voters said in November that they want reform, and Mr.
Walker is trying to deliver. We hope Republicans hold firm, and that the people of Wisconsin
nnderstand that this battle is ultimately about their right to self-government."
For Americans who don't think the welfare state riots of France or Greece can happen here, we
recommend a look at the union and Democratic Party spectacle nownnfolding in Wisconsin. Over the
past few days, thousands have swarmed the state capital and airwaves to intimidate lawmakers and
disrupt Governor Scott Walker's plan to level the playing field between taxpayers and government
unions.
Mr. Walker's very modest proposal would take away the ability of most government employees to
collectively bargain for benefits. They could still bargain for higher wages, but.future wage increases
would be capped at the federal Consumer Price Index, nnless otherwise specified by a voter referendum.
The bill would also require nnion members to contribute 5.8% of salary toward their pensions and chip
in 12.6% of the cost of their health insurance premiums.
If those numbers don't sonnd outrageous, you probably work in the private economy. The comparable
nationwide employee health-care contribution is 20% for private industry, according to the Bureau of
Labor Statistics. The average employee contribution from take-home pay for retirement was 7.5% in
2009, according to the Employee Benefits Research Institute.
Mr. Walker says he has no choice but to make these changes because unions refuse to negotiate any
compensation changes, which is similar to the experience Chris Christie had upon taking office in New
Jersey. Wisconsin is running a $137 million deficit this year and anticipates coming up another $3.6
billion short in the next two-year budget. Governor Walker's office estimates the proposals would save
. the state $300 million over the next two years, and the alternative would be to layoff 5,500 public
employees.
None of this is deterring the crowds in Madisonaka Mad Town, where protesters, including many from
the 98,000-member teachers nnion, have gone Greek. Madison's school district had to close Thursday
when 40% of its teachers called in sick. So much for the claim that this is "all about the children." By
the way, these are some of the same teachers who sued the Milwaukee school board last August to get
Viagra coverage restored to their health-care plan.
~/,)"/,){)11
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The protests have an orchestrated quality, and sure enough, the Politico website reported yesterday that
the Democratic Party's Organizing for America arm is helping to gin them up. The outfit is a renmant of
President Obama's 2008 election campaign, so it's also no surprise that Mr. Obama said yesterday that
while he knows nothing about the bill, he supports protesters occupying the Capitol building.
"These folks are teachers, and they're firefighters and they're social workers and they're police officers,"
he said, "and it's important not to vilify them." Mr. Obama is right that he knows nothing about the bill
because it explicitly excludes police and firefighters. We'd have thought the President had enough to
think about with his own $1.65 trillion deficit proposal going down with a thud in Congress, but it
appears that the 2012 campaign is already underway.
The unions and their Democratic friends have also been rolling out their Hitler, Soviet Union and Hosni
Mubarak analogies. "The story around the world is the rush to democracy," offered Democratic State
Senator Bob Jauch. "The story in Wisconsin is the end of the democratic process."
The reality is that the unions are trying to trump the will of the voters as overwhehningly rendered in
November when they elected Mr. Walker and a new legislature. As with the strikes against pension or
labor reforms that routinely shut down Paris or Athens, the goal is to create enough mayhem that
Republicans and voters will give up.
While Republicans now have the votes to pass the bill, on Thursday Big Labor's Democratic allies
walked out ofthe state senate to block a vote. Under state rules, 20 members ofthe 33-member senate
must be present to hold a vote on an appropriations bill, leaving the 19 Republicans one member short.
By the end ofthe day some Democrats were reported to have fled the state. So who's really trying to
short-circuit democracy? .
Unions are treating these reforms as Armageddon because they've owned the Wisconsin legislature for
years and the changes would reduce their dominance. Under Governor Walker's proposal, the
government also would no longer collect union dues from paychecks and then send that money to the
unions. Instead, unions would be responsible for their own collection regimes. The bill would also
require unions to be recertified annually by a majority of all members. Imagine that: More accountability
inside unions.
The larger reality is that collective bargaining for government workers is not a God-given or
constitutional right. It is the result of the growing union dominance inside the Democratic Party during
the middle of the last century. John Kennedy only granted it to federal workers in 1962 and Jerry Brown
to California workers in 1978. Other states, including Indiana and Missouri, have taken away collective
bargaining rights for public employees in recent years, and some 24 states have either limited it or
barmed it outright.
And for good reason. Public unions have a monopoly position that gives them undue bargaining power.
Their campaign cash-collected via mandatory dues-also helps to elect tile politicians who are then
supposed to represent taxpayers in negotiations with those same unions. The unions sit, in effect, on
both sides of the bargaining table. This is why such famous political friends of the working man as
Franklin Roosevelt and Fiorello La Guardia opposed collective bargaining for government workers,
even as they championed private unions.
***
The battle of Mad Town is a seminal showdown over whether government union power can be tamed,
1/?<;/?011
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and overall government reined in. The alternative is higher taxes until the middle class is picked clean
and the.U.S. economy is no longer competitive. Voters said in November that they want reform, and Mr.
Walker is trying to deliver. We hope Republicans hold firm, and that the people of Wisconsin
understand that this battle is ultimately about their right to self-government
Chris Schrimpf
Communications Director
Office ofthe Governor
Press Office: 608-267-7303
Email: chris.schrimpj@wisconsin.gov
Page 1 of 1
Out of respect for the institution of the Legislature and the democratic process, I am calling on Senate
Democrats to show up to work today, debate legislation and cast their vote. Their actions by leaving
the state and hiding from voting are disrespectful to the hundreds of thousands of public employees
who showed up to work today and the millions of taxpayers they represent.
Governor Walker will be holding a press conference at 4:45p.m. CST today in the Governor's
Conference room to discuss the day's events. It will only be open to credentialed members ofthe
media.
###
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,n,;nOll
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Now it's time to get back to work - in Madison, not Rockford, Ill., or Chicago.
The Senate Democrats who fled Wisconsin for lllinois last week need to do the jobs they were elected to do at the state
Capitol in Madison. Running away from their problems won't solve them.
All 14 Democrats in the 33-member Wisconsin Senate staged a walkout from the Wisconsin Capitol in Madison on
Thursday.
They bolted to prevent the 19 Republicans who control the Senate from potentially voting in favor of GOP Gov. Scott
Walker's controversial budget repair bill. The proposal, which the Democrats adamantly oppose, includes sweeping limits to
collective bargaining for public employee unions.
So the Senate is now stuck because it needs at least 20 members for a quorum before it can vote on fiscal matters.
And that's one more senator than the Republican majority has.
State law allows the Senate to nse law enforcement to force absent members back to the Capitoi. Bnt because all of the
Democrats are apparently holed up out of state, they're outside the jurisdiction of Wisconsin law enforcement.
So Wisconsin sits and waits. For how long? Until Walker apologizes for winning the last election?
Like it or not, the majority of Wisconsin voters elected Walker and other Republicans to run the statehonse for the next two
years. The Democrats can't change that until subsequent electious.
Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, met with the State Journal editorial board late Tuesday afternoon, urging us to urge the
governor to slow down his bill. We agreed with Erpenbach that the public deserves more thau a week to consider such a
major piece oflegislation. And we said so in an editorial Thursday morning.
But we don't agree with Erpenbach failing to show up for days to work and, on Sunday afternoou, suggesting from a hotel in
Chicago that the Senate Democrats might not return until Walker gives in to their demands. .
That's irresponsible.
Moreover, Erpenbach has his own history ofrushing legislation. We scolded him back in 2009 for scheduling a public
hearing with barely 24 hours notice. We did so eveu though we strongly supported the bill he was moving - a statewide ban
on smoking in bars and restaurants.
"J./')"/')()11
Page 20f2
The many lawmakers who opposed the controversial smoking ban didn't head for the hiIIs. They responsibly showed up at
the state Capitol to represent their constituents as best they could, even though their side didu't prevail.
Erpenbach and his Senate Democratic coIleagues hiding out in Illinois should do the same.
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Page 1 of2
Reference: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/milwaukee-schools-ban-viagra-teachers-union-sues-
discrimination/storv?id=11378595
Along with these specific examples illustrating why collective bargaining is a fiscal issue Governor
Walker's spokesman, Cullen Werwie, released the following statement:
Two years ago Senate Democrats rammed through a billion dollar tax increase in 24 hours without a
public hearing. Now it is reported they are hiding out at a Best Western in Illinois. While they are
vacationing the taxpayers who are paying theirsalaries are hard at work producing materials and
providing services all while trying to make enough money to pay their families' bills.
Instead of stimulating the hospitality sector of Illinois' economy, Senate Democrats should come back to
the Madison, debate the bill, cast their vote, and help get Wisconsin's economy back on track.
###
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Madison-Today Governor Walker's spokesman, Cullen Werwie, released the following statement:
Senator Erpenbach, Senator Miller, and his fellow Democrats should come back to Wisconsin to do their
jobs. These are many of the same Senators who, two years ago, rammed through a billion dollar tax
hike in 24 hours with no public input. The quickest way to resolve the current situation is for the
Democratic Senators to stop shirking their responsibilities and debate the bill in Madison. We continue
to call on them to came to Madison and do their jobs.
###
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Democrats in the state Senate threw a temper tantrum Thursday - essentially they took their ball and
went home.
Actually, they didn't go home. They apparently wentto Illinois, just out ofreach of their obligations.
By boycotting an expected vote on Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill, they were able to prevent
action on the measure. Twenty senators are required for a quorum; the Republicans have only 19.
The Walker plan is deeply divisive. We're not supportive of some aspects ofthe bill, either, including
those that will make it nearly impossible for unions to negotiate. And we think that police and firefighter
unions should not be excluded as they are now. But public worker benefits need to be reined in, and
Walker is right to target them.
State Sen. Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee), apparently with plenty of time on her hands Thursday afternoon,
posted on her Facebook page, "brb," slang for "be right back." Too bad she and her colleagues weren't.
One leading Democrat - Obama was his name, as we recall - put it well after winning the White House
in 2008: "Elections have consequences," he told Republicans at the time. Indeed they do. The
Democrats' childish prank mocks the democratic process.
Meanwhile, some Wisconsin teachers decided to make a mockery of their own profession by penalizing
their students after an irresponsible call to action by Mary Bell, the chief ofthe state teachers union.
"On Thursday and Friday, we are asking Wisconsinites to come to Madison," Bell, president of the
Wisconsin Education Association Council, said Wednesday. She then claimed disingenuously that she
wasn't telling the union's 98,000 teachers to walk off their jobs.
Unfortunately, that's what many of them did. There were no classes in Madison schools. Port
Washington High School had to close. The same was true at other schools around the state. Do these
teachers care more about their jobs than their kids? We wonder.
Both Senate Democrats and teachers should get over their snits and get back to work.
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Chris Schrimpf
Communications Director
Office ofthe Governor
Press Office: 608-267-7303
Email: chris.schrimpf@wisconsin.gov
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MADISON, WIS. - President Obama thrust himself and his political operation this week into
Wisconsin's broiling budget battle, mobilizing opposition Thursday to a Republican bill that would curb
public-worker benefits while planning similar action in other state capitals.
Obama accused Scott Walker, the state's new Republican governor, of unleashing an "assault" on unions
in pushing emergency legislation that would nullify collective-bargaining agreements that affect most
public employees, including teachers.
The president's political machine worked in close coordination Thursday with state and national union
officials to mobilize thousands of protesters to gather in Madison and to plan similar demonstrations in
other state capitals.
Their efforts began to spread, as thousands of labor supporters turned out for a hearing in Columbus,
Ohio, to protest a measure from Gov. John Kasich (R) that would cut collective-bargaining rights.
By the end ofthe day, Democratic Party officials were working to organize additional demonstrations in
Ohio and Indiana, where an effort is underway to trim benefits for public workers. Some union activists
predicted similar protests in Missouri, New Jersey and Peunsylvania.
Under Walker's plan, most public workers - excluding police, firefighters and state troopers - would
have to pay half of their pension costs and at least 12 percent of their health-care costs. They would lose
bargaining rights for anything other than pay. Walker, who took office last month, says the emergency
measure is needed to save $300 million over the next two years to help close a $3.6 billion budget gap.
"Some of what I've heard coming out of Wisconsin, where they're just making it harder for public
employees to collectively bargain generally, seems like more of an assault on unions," Obama told a
Milwaukee television reporter, taking the unusual step of inviting a local station into the White House
for a sit-down interview. "I think everybody's got to make some adjustments, but I think it's also
important to recognize that public employees make enormous contributions to our states and our
citizens."
The White House political operation, Organizing for America, got involved Monday, after Democratic
National Committee Chairman Timothy M. Kaine, a former Virginia governor, spoke to union leaders in
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The group made phone calls, distributed messages via Twitter and Facebook, and sent e-mails to its state
and national lists to try to build crowds for rallies Wednesday and Thursday, a party official said.
National Republican leaders, who have praised efforts similar to Walker's, leapt to his defense ..
House Speaker John A. Boehner (Ohio) issued a stern rebuke of the White House, calling on Obama to
wave off his political operation and stop criticizing the governor,
"This is not the way you begin an 'adult conversation' in America about solutions to the fiscal challenges
that are destroying jobs in our country," Boehner said in a statement, alluding to the president's call for
civility in budget talks. "Rather than shouting down those in office who speak honestly about the
challenges we face, the president and his advisers should lead."
Unsustainable costs
The battle in the states underscores the deep philosophical and political divisions between Obama and
Republicans over how to control spending and who should bear the costs.
By aligning himself closely with unions, Obama is siding with a core piece of the Democratic Party base
- but one that has chafed in recent weeks as the president has sought to rebuild his image among centrist
voters by reaching out to business leaders. .
Republicans see a chance to show that they're willing to make the tough choices to cut spending and to
challenge the power of public-sector unions, which are the largest element of the labor movement and
regularly raise tens of millions of dollars for Democratic campaigns.
Governors in both parties are slashing once-untouchable programs, including those covering education,
health care for the poor and aid to local governments. Some states, such as Illinois, have passed major
tax increases.
States face a collective budget deficit of$175 billion through 2013. Many experts say state tax revenue
will not fully recover until the nation returns to full employment, which is not likely for several years.
Beyond their short-term fiscal problems, many states face pension and retiree health-care costs that
some analysts say are unsustainable. Some states already are curtailing retirement benefits for new
employees, although many analysts say it will take much more to bring their long-term obligations in
line.
The huge debt burdens coupled with the impending termination of federal stimulus aid later this year
have spurred talk of the need for a federal bailout. The White House has dismissed such speculation,
saying states have the wherewithal to raise taxes, cut programs and renegotiate employee contracts to
balance their books.
No-shows
In Wisconsin, Democratic senators were able to block the bill's passage Thursday by not showing up for
an 11 a.m. quorum call. Republicans hold a 19 to 14 edge in the Senate, but 20 votes are required for
. final passage.
3/25/2011
Page 3 of4
"I don't know exactly where they are, but as I understand it, they're somewhere in Illinois," said Mike
Browne, spokesman for Mark Miller, the state Senate's Democratic leader.
Democratic legislators in Texas employed a similar tactic in 2003 to try to stop a controversial
redistricting plan that gave Republicans more seats in Congress. It passed a couple of months later.
The organized protest at the state Capitol drew an estimated 25,000 people, and long after the quorum
call, thousands remained on the grounds, from children in strollers to old ladies in wheelchairs.
Inside the Capitol, the scene late Thursday night was part rock concert, part World Cup match, part high
school pep rally and part massive slumber party.
The smell of sweat and pizza drifted through the building's marbled halls. A drum circle formed inside
the massive rotunda, and scores of university students danced jubilantly to the rhythm. There were
clanging cowbells and twanging guitars, trumpets and vuvuzelas.
Outside, another throng had gathered to cheer and chant before the television cameras, and to break
constantly into the crowd's favorite anthem: "Kill the bill! Kill the bill!" And everywhere were signs,
each with its own dose of disdain for Walker's budget bill: "Scotty, Scotty, flush your bill down the
potty." "Walker's Plantation, open for business." "You will uever break our union."
Many of the protesters, including Laurie Bauer, 51, had been on hand since Tuesday, with no plans to
leave until the issue is resolved.
"It's one thing about the money. We'd be willing to negotiate the money," said Bauer, a library media
specialist at Parker High School in Janesville. But "he's trying to take away our human rights .... I don't
want my lads living in a state like that."
Loren Mikkelson, 37, held the same position: Budget cuts are negotiable, but collective -bargaining
rights are not.
"We can meet in the middle. We're willing to give.... He's acting like we've never given anything.
We've given," said Mikkelson, a airfield maintenance worker who said he has endured furloughs and
pay cuts in his county job. "We just want a voice."
The state-level battles and Obama's decision to step into the fray illustrate how the budget choices state
leaders are facing probably will have direct implications for the president's political standing.
Wisconsin and Ohio are likely battlegrounds for Obama's re-election effort. Mobilizing Organizing for
America around the budget fights could help kick-start a political machinery that has been largely
stagnant since the 2008 campaign and reignite union activists who have expressed some disappointment
with Obama.
But by leaping in to defend public workers, the president risks alienating swing voters in those states
and nationwide who are sympathetic to GOP governors perceived as taking on special interests to cut
spending.
Obama, in his comments to the Wisconsin TV reporter, tried to walk a fine line - noting that he, too, has
3/25/2011
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"We had to impose a freeze on pay increases on federal workers for the next two years as part of my
overall budget freeze," he said. "I think those kinds of adjustments are the right thing to do."
Walker, meanwhile, called his proposals "modest" and appeared to be trying to show distance between
public employees and workers employed by private companies, who he said expressed support for his
policies during visits he made to manufacturing plants this week.
"Many of the companies I went by, like so many others across the state, don't have pensions, and the 40 I
(k)s they have over the last year or two, they've had to suspend the employer contribution," Walker told
Milwaukee radio station WTMJ. "So, not a lot of sympathy from these guys in private-sector
manufacturing companies who I think reflect a lot of the workers in the state who say what we're asking
for is pretty modest."
Chris Schrimpf
CommunicationsDirector
Office ofthe Governor
Press Office: 608-267-7303
Email: chris.schrimpj@wisconsin.gov
3/25/2011
Page 1 of2
ICYMI: Democrats across the country are fleeing rather than casting votes
House Democrats are leaving the state rather than vote on anti-union legislation, The
Indianapolis Star has learned.
A source said Democrats are headed to Illinois, though it was possible some also might go to
Kentucky. They need to go to a state with a Democratic governor to avoid being taken into
police custody and returned to Indiana.
The House was came into session this morning, with only two of the 40 Democrats present.
Those two were needed to make a motion, and a seconding motion, for any procedural steps
Democrats would want to take to ensure Republicans don't do anything official without
quorum.
With only 58 legislators present, there was no quorum present to do business. The House
needs 67 of its members to be present.
Rep. Terri Austin, D-Anderson, told House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, that
Democrats "continue to be in caucus" to discuss potential amendments to several bills.
Bosma said he was "flummoxed," adjoured until noon, and labor union members watching in
the gallery and hallway outside cheered the work stoppage.
Today's fight was triggered by Republicans pushing a bill that would bar unions and
companies from negotiating a contract that requires non-union members to kick-in fees for
representation. It's become the latest in what is becoming a national fight over Republican
attempts to eliminate or limit collective bargaining.
House Minority Leader B. Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend, "has taken a page out of the
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Wisconsin Senate playbook apparently" by keeping his caucus in hiding, Bosma said. "They
are shirking the job that they were hired to do."
In Wisconsin, Senate Democrats have fled to Illinois to deny Republicans the quorum they
need to pass legislation limiting collective bargaining for many public employees.
Asked at what point he would call in the Indiana State Police to attempt to round up the
Democrats, Bosma said: "We'll see how the day goes."
Gov. Mitch Daniels had said he supports the policy his party is pursuing in this legislation, but
said earlier that this is not the year to do it with so many other critical legislation in the works,
including his education reform agenda.
Bosma said he spoke to Daniels and said the governor is "very supportive of our position to
come in and try to do our work. He was not pleased that the Democrats weren't here to do
their work. And like me is just waiting to see how the course of the day proceeds."
Austin told reporters that "it doesn't matter where they (Democrats) are at this point. What
matters is that they're trying to figure out a way to save the state from this radical agenda."
Asked if they were in the state, Austin said only: "They're working hard."
The last time a prolonged walk-out happened in the Indiana legislature was in the mid-1990s,
when Republicans were in control and tried to draw new legislative district maps, eliminating a
district that likely would have been a Democrat one, in the middle of the decade. Democrats
won that standoff, staying away several days until Republicans dropped the plan.
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Page 1 of 1
Along with this release Governor Walker's spokesman, Cullen Werwie, released the following
statement:
Unfortunately for the millions of taxpayers who are currently paying these Senators' salaries and
benefits, Senator Julie Lassa and her 13 colleagues decided to take a 6 day vacation to I/Iinois to get 'to
know a lot of my fellow caucus members.'
While Senate Democrats are getting acqualnted with each other in another state, Governor Walker is in
Wisconsin working to balance the state budget. Senators should return to Wisconsin and make their
voice heard through the democratic process by casting their votes.
###
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Page I of2
BURLINGTON - CheryI Herrick, 51, of Burlington, has a message for her "missing" state senator, Sen.
Robert Wirch, D-Pleasant Prairie. "Come back and vote," said Herrick, who works in retail. "Elections
have consequences."
Wirch, who represents Burlington and most of Kenosha County, is one of the 14 senate Democrats who
fled Madison last week when the state Senate was scheduled to take a vote on Gov. Scott Walker's
proposal to essentially eliminate collective bargaining for public workers.
Wirch has not returned calls for comment for several days.
In downtown Burlington on Monday, the consensus among area residents selected at random was that
Wirch should go back and vote. Many, including Herrick, said they would like to see Wirch recalled for
avoiding his vote. By running away, he is not doing his job, said Kellie Kerkman, 39, of Burlington.
"All I see is this teaching our younger generation to run away from problems. It's time to grow up," said
Kerkman, who owns Kerkman's SplitEnds, a hair salon at 316 N Pine St.
Down the street, Carl Schultz, 61, of Twin Lakes, said Wirch should be fired for avoiding "his
responsibility."
He recalled firing a worker-from his car part manufacturing business, Five Star Fabricating, for
repeatedly missing work after receiving multiple warnings, he said.
"If they are hired to do a job, they should be there," said Schultz, who feels that way about his
employees and his state legislators.
Dan Hunt, 51, of Pleasant Prairie, where Wirch lives, is looking into forming a committee to recall the
senator. So far he has 175 volunteers who have signed up to help circulate petitions to recall Wirch, he
said as of Monday afternoon, but he said he would need about 300 volunteers to successfully launch a
campaign. According to the Government Accountability Board he would need about 15,000 signatures
for a recall election.
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For now, Hunt said, he is waiting to see ifWirch goes back to vote.
"The longer he stays away, the greater the likelihood," Hunt said of a recall effort.
While it appears in downtown Burlington there is support for a recall, Tony Watson, 30, of Burlington,
said he for one would not sign a recall petition for Witch. Watson said most people in the Burlington
area support Walker's proposal. But he works at Nestle and among his co-workers there is a lot of
concern about the governor's proposal, he said. People wonder what might eventually happen for unions
like theirs, lie said.
Instead of recalling Wirch, Watson said he would support recalling Walker. But he would have to wait
until Jan.uary for that to happen. .
Chris Schrimpf
Communications Director
Office ofthe Governor
Press Office: 608-267-7303
Email: chris.schrimpj@wisconsin.gov
3/25/2011
Page 1 of2
Madison-Today Governor Walker's office released a timeline of union and Senate Democrats' actions
related to balancing the budget.
2009
February 17-Governor Doyle introduces a budget repair bill that raises taxes by one billion dollars.
February lS-Senate Democrats ram the bill through the Legislature, without a public hearing.
(http://legis.wisconsin.gov/2009/data/SB66hst. htm I)
2010
Campaign season-Governor campaigns on budget reform. Unions send out flyers warning that
Walker might reform collective bargaining.
November 2-County Executive Scott Walker becomes the Governor-elect.
November 10-'--Governor~electWalker asked Governor Doyle to suspend contract negotiations so their
fiscal impact could be considered in the context of the 2011-13 state budget.
November 29-Governor-elect Walker penned a letter to the lame duck legislature, asking them not to
take up state employee contracts. (attached)
December 7-Marty Bell, executive director of AFSCME calls Walker, "master ofthe plantation and
we're supposed to be his slaves."
(http://www.channeI3000.com/politics/26049415/detail.html)
December 10-The contract negotiations, which were not completed in the first 17 months of the
contract period, were suddenly finalized.
(http://www.channeI3000.com/politics/26114651/detail.html)
December 16-State employee contracts fail to pass the Legislature. Marty Beil, executive director of
AFSCME calls a Legislator "not a prostitute, a whore. W-H-O-R-E."
.(http://host.m adison.com/wsj/ news/I oca 1/govt-a nd-po Iitics/artiele_ e836dc76-0862 -11eO-a476-
001cc4c03286.html)
January 3-GovernorWalker is inaugurated. Wisconsin faces a $137 million current fiscal year shortfall
and looming $3.6 billion structural budget deficit.
February ll-Before introducing budget repair bill, Governor Walker personally briefs Senator Miller
and Representative Barca on the bill. Governor Walker introduces budget repair bill.
February 15-The Joint Finance Committee takes 17 hours of public testimony on the budget repair
bill.
i/?.'i/2011
Page 2 on
February 16-The Joint Finance Committee passes the budget repair bill with changes to protect
workers rights.
February 17-Fourteen Senate Democrats flee Wisconsin to avoid debating, offering amendments or
casting a vote on the budget repair bill. They go to a Best Western in Illinois and continue to draw their
paycheck, total cost to taxpayers $1,915 for the day plus the cost of their benefits. (Legislators are paid
$49,943 per year. $49,943 divided by 365 days, times 14 State Senators = $1,915)
'February IS-Public employee unions claim to support having their members pay 5.8% a pension
contribution and 12.6% of the cost of health insurance coverage. Governor Walker states that when
local governments receive cuts to state aid they are going to need the tools contained in his proposal
to help balance their budget without layoffs or reductions in the delivery of cover government
services. Fourteen Senate Democrats remain in Illinois, take an additional $1,915 from taxpayers for
the day. Continue to receive taxpayer funded benefits.
February 19-Fourteen Senate Democrats continue their vacation in Illinois, take an additional $1,915
from taxpayers for the day. Continue to receive taxpayer funded benefits.
February 20-Fourteen Senate Democrats continue their vacation in Illinois, take an additional $1,915
from taxpayers for the day. Continue to receive taxpayer funded benefits.
February 21-Fourteen Senate Democrats continue their vacation in Illinois, take an additional $1,915
from taxpayers for the day. Continue to receive taxpayer funded benefits. Senate Democrats begin to
fundraise.
(http://www.ssdc-wi.org/SSDC/Home.html)
Along with this timeline Governor Walker's spokesman, Cullen Werwie, released the following
statement:
Senate Democrats need to come back to work the jobs that they are getting paid to do. 24 hours was
enough time for them to increase taxes by $1 billion dollars two years ago. Now with more than 17
hours of public testimony and a 5 day vacation to lIIinois, Senate Democrats say they need more time.
The truth is at a time when Wisconsin is in a fiscal crisis, these individuals are on a taxpayer funded,
campaign fundraising vacation-avoiding debate and their duty to cast their vote on a proposal that is
100% directed at balancing our state's budget.
Instead of using Wisconsin's fiscal crisis to fill their campaign coffers, Senate Democrats should do their
job.
3/25/2011
Page 1 of 1
Madison-Today the Democratic Party of Wisconsin held a press conference to spread a lie about
Governor Walker stlfllng debate. DPW claimed Governor Walker blocked the website
www.defendwisconsin.com from internet access at the Capitol.
The Department of Administration blocks all new websites shortly after they are created, until they go
through a software approval program that unblocks them. Within 30 minutes of being notified this
website was blocked, DOA circumvented the software and immediately made the website accessible.
In response to DPW's lie, Governor Walker's spokesman, Cullen Werwie, released the following
statement:
Over the last week and a half Governor Walker has repeatedly talked about protestors having every
right to have their voice heard. Hours for the State Capitol have been changed to allow protestors
extensive access to the statehouse to voice their opinion.
Debate and participation in the democratic process are good for our state. Senate Democrats should
try it out.
The Democratic Party should spend less time lying about Governor Walker, and more time trying to get
their AWOL State Senators back to Wisconsin. Of course DPW won't do that because they are using the
Senate Democrat's taxpayer funded vacation to IIlinais to fill their campaign coffers.
###
3/25/2011
Page 1 of4
Good evening.
Wisconsin is showing the rest of the country how to have a passionate, yet civildebate about aur
finances. That's a very Midwestern trait and something we should be proud of I pray, however, that this
civility will continue as people pour into our state from all across America.
First, let me be clear: I have great respect for those who have chosen a career in government. I really do.
In 1985, when I was a high school junior in the small town of Delavan, I was inspired to pursue public
service after I attended the American Legion's Badger Boys State program. The military veterans and
educators who put on that week-long event showed the honor in serving others.
Tonight, I thank the 300,OOO-plus state and local government employees who showed up for work today
and did their jobs well. We appreciate it. If you take only one message away tonight, it's that we all
respect the work that you do.
I also understand how concerned many government workers are about their futures. I've listened to
their comments and read their emails.
I listened to the educator from Milwaukee who wrote to me about her concerns about the legislation
and what it might mean for her classroom.
That's why last week we agreed to make changes to the bill to address many of those issues.
And I listened to others like the correctional officer in Chippewa Falls who em ailed me arguing that
bargaining rights for public employee unions are the only way to ensure that workers get a fair say in
1!?R!?Oll
Page2of4
I understand and respect those concerns. It's important to remember that many of the rights we're
talking about don't come from collective bargaining. They come from the civilservice system in
Wisconsin. That law was passed in 1905 (long before collective bargaining) and it will continue long
after our plan is approved.
You see, despite a lot of the rhetoric we've heard over the past 11 days the bill I put forward isn't aimed
at state workers, and it certainly isn't a battle with unions. If it was, we would have eliminated collective
bargaining entirely or we would have gone after the private-sector unions.
But, we did not because they are our partners in economic development. We need them to help us put
250,000 people to work in the private sector over the next four years.
The legislation I've put forward is about one thing. It's about balancing our budget now -- and in the
future. Wisconsin faces a 137 million dollar deficit for the remainder of this fiscal year and a 3.6 billion
dollar deficit for the upcoming budget.
Our bill is about protecting the hardworking taxpayer. It's about Wisconsin families trying to make ends
meet and help their children.
People like the woman from Wausau who wrote me saying "I'm a single parent of two children, one of.
whom is autistic. I have been intimately involved in my school district, but I can no longer afford the
taxes I pay. I am in favor of everyone paying for benefits, as I have to."
It's also about the small business owner who told me about the challenges he faces just making payroll
each week. His employees pay much larger premiums than we are asking because that's how they keep
the company going and that's how they protect their jobs.
Or the substitute teacher here in Madison, who wrote to me last week about having to sit at home
unable to work because her union had closed the school down to protest.
She sent me an email that went on to say, "I was given no choice in joining the union and I am forced to
pay dues... I am missing out on pay today... Ifeel like I have no voi~e."
And so does the factory worker in Janesville who was laid off nearly two years ago. He's a union guy in a
union town who asks simply why everyone else has to sacrifice except those in government.
Last week, I traveled the state visiting manujacturinq plants and talking to workers -just like the guy
from Janesville. Many of them are paying twenty-five to fifty percent of their health care premiums.
Most, had 401k plans with lim'ited or no match from the company.
My brother's in the same situation. He works as a banquet manager and occasional bartender at a hotel
and my sister-in-law works for a department store. They have two beautiful kids.
3/28/2011
Page 3 of4
In every way, they are a typical middle-class family here in Wisconsin. David mentioned to me that he
pays nearly $800 a month for his health Insurance and the little he can set aside for his 401k.
He - /Ike so many other workers across Wisconsin - would love a deal like the benefits we are pushinqln
this budget repair bill.
That's because what we are asking for is modest - at least to those outside of government.
Our measure asks far a 5.8% contribution to the pension and a 12.6% contribution for the health
insurance premium. Both are well below the national average.
And this is just one part of our comprehensive plan to balance the state's 3.6 billion dollar budget
deficit.
Now, some have questioned why we have to reform collective bargaining to balance the budget. The
answer is simple the system is broken: it costs taxpayers serious money - particularly at the local level.
As a former county official, I know that first hand.
For years, I tried to use modest changes in pension and health insurance contributions as a means of
balancing our budget without massive layoffs or furloughs. On nearly every occasion, the local unions
(empowered by collective bargaining agreements) told me to go ahead and layoff workers. That's not
acceptable to me.
Here's another example: in Wisconsin, many local school districts are required to buy their health
Insurance through the WEA Trust (which Is the state teachers union's company). When our bill passes,
these school districts can opt to switch into the state plan and save $68 million per year. Those savings
could be used to pay for more teachers and put more money into the classroom to help our kids.
Some have also suggested that Wisconsin raise taxes on corporations and people with high-incomes.
Well-- Governor Doyle and the Legislature did that: two years ago. In fact they passed a budget-repair
bill (in just one day, mind you) that included a billion-dollartax increase.
Instead of raising taxes, we need to control government spending to balance our budget.
Two years ago, many of the same Senate Democrats who are hiding out in another state approved a
biennial budget that not only Included higher taxes - it Included more than two billion dollars in one-
time federal stimulus aid.
That money was supposed to be for one-time costs for things like roads and bridges. Instead, they used
it as a short-term fix to balance the last state budget. Not surprisingly, the state now faces a deficit for
the remainder of thIs fiscal year and a 3.6 billion dollar hole for the budget starting July 1st.
As more and more protesters come in from Nevada, Chicago and elsewhere, I am not going to allow
their voices to overwhelm the voices of the millions of taxpayers from across the state who think we're
doing the right thing. This is a decision that Wisconsin will make.
3/28/2011
Page 4 of4
Fundamentally, that's what we were elected to do. Make tough decisions. Whether we like the outcome
or not, our democratic institutions callfor us to participate. That is why I am asking the missing Senators
to come back to work.
Do the job you were elected to do. You don't have to like the outcome, or even vote yes, but as part of
the world's greatest democracy, you should be here, in Madison, at the Capitol.
The missing Senate Democrats must know that their failure to come to work willlead to dire
consequences very soon. Failure to act on this budget repair bill means (at least) 15 hundred state
employees will be laid off before the end ofJune. If there is no agreement by July tst, another 5-6
thousand state workers -- as well as 5-6 thousand local government employees would be also laid off
But, there is a way to avoid these layoffs and other cuts. The 14 State Senators who are staying outside
of Wisconsin as we speak can come home and do their job.
We are broke because time and time again politicians of both parties ran from the tough decisions and
punted them down the road for another day. We can no longer do that, because, you see, what we're
really talking about today is our future.
Thefuture of my children, of your children, of the children of the single mother from Wausau that I
mentioned earlier.
Like you, I want my two sons to grow up in a state at least as great as the Wisconsin I grew up in.
More than 162 years ago, our ancestors approved Wisconsin's constitution. They believed in the power
of hard work and determination and they envisioned a new state with limitless potential.
Our founders were pretty smart. They understood that it is through frugality and moderation in
government that we will see freedom and prosperity for our people.
Now is our time to once again seize that potential. We will do so at this turning point in our state's
history by restoring fiscal responsibility that fosters prosperity for today ~ and for future generations..
Thank you for joining me tonight. May God richlybless you and your family and may God continue to
bless the great State of Wisconsin.
###
3/28/2011
Page I of6
Office of Governor Scott Walker - Morning News Update for February 23,2011
News Summary:
• Video: Gov. Walker speaks to taJmayers about the budget repair bill iu his first fireside chat last evening.
• Assembly Democrats hold filibuster overnight, call Governor's fireside chat "The King's Speech."
• Senate Democrats say they've "given up on the governor" - now targeting moderate Republican senators to
switch their votes.
• Senate Republicans are attempting to lure Dems back by holding paychecks in Madison, bringing Voter ID
to the floor.
• Fmr. Oov, Tommy Thompson praises the Governor in an interview with Politico.
Nation/World
Back my union rights bill by Friday or 1,500 public workers will lose their jobs, warns Wisconsin's
governor
Daily Mail- United Kingdom
Gov. Scott Walker said up to 1,500 workers could lose their jobs by July, but failed to say which workers would be
targeted. The warning came as protests over union rights bills blew up in Indiana and Ohio.
') l'"lOI'1f\11
Page 2 of6
a cadre of young Republican governors who overturned a longstanding status quo and whose policy innovations --
welfare reform first of all -- transformed the nation.
Wisconsin Republicans Trv to Lure Back Dems by Moving Controversial Voter ID Bill
FoxNews
Wisconsin Republicans are trying to lure Senate Democrats back to the state capital by moving ahead with a
controversial bill that would require voters to show photo ID before casting a ballot.
Wis. Democratic senators still hiding out despite threat of recalls, having paychecks withheld
Associated Press - Minneapolis Star Tribune
MILWAUKEE - Wisconsin state Sen. Chris Larson packed just his toothbrush and one extra shirt as he and 13
fellow Democrats fled the state to avoid near certain passage of the Repnblican governor's contentious plan to
strip government workers of their collective bargaining rights.
Milwaukee
3/28/2011
Page 4 of6
3/28/2011
Page 5 of6
Madison
Local leaders from throughout the state ask GOP to not end collective bargaining
Wisconsin State Journal
Gov. Scott Walker says sweeping changes to collective bargaining in the state budget repair bill can help local
officials absorb looming cuts in state aid, but many local officials are saying "No thanks."
Green Bay/Appleton
Municipal leaders await impactof Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill on self-insured health
programs
Appleton Post-Crescent
APPLETON - Will Gov. Scott Walker's push for higher employee contributions for health care cause teachers to
drop their coverage and seek benefits through family members working in local government?
':\!?R!?011
Page 6of6
Wausau/Rhinelander
'J /')Q/'1{\11
Page 1 of4
Good evening.
Wisconsin is showing the rest ofthe country how to hove a passionate, yet civil debate about our
finances. That's a very Midwestern trait and something we should be proud of. I pray, however, that this
civility will continue as people pour into our state from all across America. .
First, let me be clear: I have great respect for those who have chosen a career in government. I really do.
In 1985, when I was a high school junior in the small town of Delavan, I was inspired to pursue public
service after I attended the American Legion's Badger Boys State program. The military veterans and
educators who put on that week-long event showed the honor in serving others.
Tonight, I thank the 300,OOO-plus state and local government employees who showed up for work today
and did their jobs well. We appreciate it. If you take only one message away tonight, it's that we all
respect the work that you do.
I also understand haw concerned many government workers are about their futures. I've listened to
their camments and read their em ails.
I listened to the educator from Milwaukee who wrote to me about her concerns about the legislation
and what it might mean for her classroom.
That's why last week we agreed to make changes to the bill to address many of those issues.
And I listened to others like the correctional officer in Chippewa Falls who emailed me arguing that
bargaining rights for public employee unions are the only way to ensure that workers get a fair say in
their working conditions.
I understand and.respect those concerns. It's important to remember that many ofthe rights we're
1/?R/?Oll
Page 2 of4
talking abaut don't come from collective bargaining. They come from the civilservice system in
Wisconsin. That law was passed in 1905 (long before collective bargaining) and it will continue long
after our plan iSr:lpriroved.
You see, despite a lot of the rhetoric we've heard over the past 11 days the bill I put forward isn't aimed
at state workers, and it certainly isn't a battle with unions. If it was, we would have eliminated collective
bargaining entirely or we would have gone after the private-sector unions.
But, we did not because they are our partners in economic development. We need them to help us put.
250,000 people to work in the private sector over the next four years.
The legislation I've put forward is about one thing. It's about balancing our budget now -- and in the
future. Wisconsin faces a 137 million dollar deficit for the remainder of this fiscal year and a 3.6 billion
dollar deficit for the upcoming budget.
Our bill is about protecting the hardworking taxpayer. It's about Wisconsin families trying to make ends
meet and help their children.
People like the woman from Wausau who wrote me saying "I'm a single parent of two children, one of
whom is autistic. I have been intimately involved in my school district, but I can no longer afford the
taxes I pay. I am in favor of everyone paying for benefits, as I have to."
It's also about the small business owner who told me about the challenges he faces just making payrolI
each week. His employees pay much larger premiums than we are asking because that's how they keep
the company going and that's how they protect their jobs.
Or the substitute teacher here in Madison, who wrote to me last week about havinq to sit at home
unable to work because her union had closed the school down to protest.
She sent me an email that went on to say, "I was given no choice in joining the union and I ani forced to
pay dues ... I am missing out on pay today... Ifeel like I have no voice.N
And so does the factory worker in Janesville who was laid off nearly two years ago. He's a union guy in a
union town who asks simply why everyone else has to sacrifice except those in government.
Last week, I traveled the state Visiting manufacturing plants and talking to workers - just like the guy
from Janesville. Many of them are paying twenty-five to fifty percent of their health care premiums.
Most, had 401k plans with limited or no match from the company.
My brother's in the same situation. He works as a banquet manager and occasional bartender at a hotel
and my sister-in-law works for a department store. They have two beautiful kids.
In every way, they are a typical middle-class family here in Wisconsin. David mentioned to me that he
pays nearly $800 a month for his health insurance and the little he can set aside for his 401k.
1/?R/?011
Page 3 of4
He -like so many other workers across Wisconsin - would love a deal like the benefits we are pushing in
this budget repair bill.
That's because what we are asking for is modest - at least to those outside of government.
Our measure asks for a 5.8% contribution to the pension and a 12.6% contribution for the health
insurance premium. Both are well below the national average.
And this is just one part of our comprehensive plan to balance the state's 3.6 billion dollar budget
deficit.
Now, some have questioned why we have to reform collective bargaining to balance the budget. The
answer is simple the system is broken: it costs taxpayers serious money - particularly at the local level.
As a former county official, I know that first hand.
For years, I tried to use modest changes in pension and health insurance contributions as a means of
balancing our budget without massive layoffs or furloughs. On nearly every occasion, the local unions
(empowered by collective bargaining agreements) told me to go ahead and layoff workers. That's not
acceptable to me.
Here's another example: in Wisconsin, many local school districts are required to buy their health
insurance through the WEA Trust (which is the state teachers union's company). When our bill passes,
these school districts can opt to switch into the state plan and save $68 million per year. Those savings
could be used to pay for more teachers and put more money into the classroom to help our kids.
Some have also suggested that Wisconsin raise taxes on corporations and people with high-incomes.
Well -- Governor Doyle and the Legislature did that: two years ago. In fact they passed a budget-repair
bill (in just one day, mind you) that included a billion-dollar tax increase.
Instead of raising taxes, we need to control government spending to balance our budget.
Two years ago, many of the same Senate Democrats who are hiding out in another state approved a
biennial budget that not only included higher taxes - it included more than two billion dollars in one-
time federal stimulus aid.
That money was supposed to be for one-time costs for things like roads and bridges. Instead, they used
it as a short-term fix to balance the last state budget. Not surprisingly, the state now faces a deficit for
the remainder of this fiscal year and a 3.6 billion dollar hole for the budget starting July 1st.
As more and more protesters come in from Nevada, Chicago and elsewhere, I am not going to allow
their voices to overwhelm the voices of the millions of taxpayers from across the state who think we're
doing the right thing. This is a decision that Wiscansin will make.
Fundamentally, that's what we were elected to do. Make tough decisions. Whether we like the outcome
or not, our democratic institutions callfor us to participate. That is why I am asking the missing Senators
'VJRf7011
Page 4 of4
Do the job you were elected to do. You don't have to like the outcome, or even vote yes, but as part of
the world's greatest democracy, you should be here, in Madison, at the Capitol.
The missing Senate Democrats must know that their failure to come to work will lead to dire
consequences very soon. Failure to act on this budget repair bill means (at least) 15 hundred state
employees will be laid off before the end ofJune. If there is no agreement by July Ist, another 5-6
thousand state workers -- as well as 5-6 thousand local government employees would be also laid off.
But, there is a way to avoid these layoffs and other cuts. The 14 State Senators who are staying outside
of Wisconsin as we speak can come home and do their job.
We are broke because time and time again politicians of both parties ran from the tough decisions and
punted them down the road for another day. We can no longer do that, because, you see, what we're
really talking about today is our future.
The future of my children, of your children,of the children of the single mother from Wausau that I
mentioned earlier.
Like you, I want my two sons to grow up in a state at least as great as the Wisconsin I grew up in.
More than 162 years ago, our ancestors approved Wisconsin's constitution. They believed in the power
of hard work and determination and they envisioned a new state with limitless potential.
Our founders were pretty smart. They understood that it is through frugality and moderation in
government that we will see freedom and prosperity for our people.
Now is our time to once again seize that potentIal. We will do so at this turning poInt in our state's
history by restoring fiscal responsibility that fosters prosperity for today - and for future generations.
Thank you for joining me tonight. May God richly bless you and your family and may God continue to
bless the great State of Wisconsin.
###
,I?R12011
Page 1 of 1
Madison-Today the Democratic Party of Wisconsin held a press conference to spread a lie about
, Governor Walker stifling debate, DPW claimed Governor Walker blocked the website
www.defendwisconsin,com from internet access at the Capitol.
The Department of Administration blocks all new websites shortly after they are created, until they go
through a software approval program that unblocks them. Within 30 minutes of being notified this
website was blocked, DOA circumvented the software and immediately made the website accessible.
In response to DPW's lie, Governor Walker's spokesman, Cullen Werwie, released the following
statement:
Over the last week and a half Governor Walker has repeatedly talked about protestors having every'
right to have their voice heard. Hoursfor the State Capitol have been changed to allow protestors
extensive access to the statehouse to voice their opinion.
Debate and participation in the democratic process are good for our state. Senate Democrats should
try it out.
The Democratic Party should spend less time lying about Governor Walker, and more time trying to get
their AWOL State Senators back to Wisconsin. Of course DPW won't do that because they are using the
Senate Democrat's taxpayer funded vacation to Illinois to fill their campaign coffers.
###
'J/")O/"i\11
Page 1 of8
Office of Governor Scott Walker - Morning News Update for Tnesday, Febrnaty 22,2011
News Summary:
• Gov. Walker to address the people of Wisconsin tonight at 6 p.m. WISe-TV and Wisconsin Eye will air the
address.
• Union calls for a general strike if the budget repair-bill becomes law.
• Senate Dems have raised over $279,000 on the lam.
• Senate & Assembly in session today.
• Governor Walker signed bill requiring 2/3s majority vote to increase income, sales taxes.
• Video: Governor Walker on Hannity
• Video: Governor Walker on Morning Joe
Appleton Post-Crescent
Eau Claire Leader-Telegrmn
Green Bay Press Gazette
La Crosse Tribune
Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Oshkosh Northwestern
Racine Journal Times
Sheboygan Press
Stevens Point Journal
Wisconsin State Journal
Nation/World
0./')\1/')(111
Page 2 of8
'1 n 11 /') 1\ 1 1
Page 3 of8
Muound zero in bargaining debate, Wisconsin union battle has nationwide repercussions
New York Daily News
Everyone in New York - especially civil servants, union leaders and lawmakers - should be paying close attention
to the battle being waged in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Protests Draw Thousands OfWorkers Fighting For Key Union Rights
Huffington Post
MADISON, Wis. -- On Friday, February 11, at the same hour that the world watched the former Egyptian
president Hosni Mubarak resign his post, the newly appointed Republican Governor of Wisconsin quietly
launched a ferocious attack on public sector unions -c and the very notion of organized labor in America.
Milwaukee
'J./'1Q/'"}f\11
Page 5 of8
Wirch, D-Pleasant Prairie. "Come back and vote," said Herrick, who works in retail. "Elections
have consequences. II
.., /f')Oi"lf\11
Page 6 of8
Madison
WEAC President Mary Bell responds to Governor Walker's Monday Press Conference (PDF)
WEAC
Labor group calls for general strike if budget repair bIll is approved
The Capital Times
The South Central Federation of Labor is calling for a general strike of close to 100 unions, representing about
45,000 workers, if Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill is passed by the state legislature and signed into law by
the governor. I
Wisconsin's local governments never asked to end ~ollective bargaining. as Scott Walker contends
by Joe Torr .:.. Isthmus
"Our position is we've sought significant modifications in bargaining laws, but we've never sought to eliminate
collective bargaining rights," says Miles Turner, executive director of the Wisconsin Association of School District
i\dministrators.
Green Bay/1\ppleton
Green Bay area officials bracing for local cuts with Wisconsin budget situation
Green Bay Press-Gazette
Local officials know their piece of the pie is shrinkiug again. Fat the better part of a decade, they've dealt with
reductions in shared revenue and school aid.
~ I'lQI'l()11
Page 7 of8
Appleton lawmaker Penny Bernard Schaber seeks key exemption in budget plan for transit
workers
Appleton Post-Crescent
MADISON- A Fox Cities lawmaker is helping lead a push to preserve federal funding for transportation services-.
Gov. Scott Walker's budget plan may tilt political playing field
Associated Press - Appleton Post-Crescent
MADISON - The high-stakes fight in Wisconsin over union rights is about more than pay and benefits in the
public sector. It could have far-reaching effects on electoral politics in this and other states by helping solidify
Republican p ower for years, experts said Monday.
La Crosse/Eau Claire
'J ''"'lOJ'1()11
Page 8 of8
Wausau/Rhinelander
',- .
Along with this release Governor Walker's spokesman, Cullen Werwie, released the following
statement:
unfortunately for the millions of taxpayers who are currently pavinq these Senators' salaries and.
benefits, Senator Julie Lasso and her 13 colleagues decided to take a 6 day vacation to Illinois to get 'to
know a lot of myfellow caucus members.'
While Senate Democrats are getting acquainted with each other in another state, Governor Walker is in
Wisconsin working to balance the state budget. Senators should return to Wisconsin and make their
voice heard through the democratic process by casting their votes.
###
Madison-Today Governor Walker's office released a timeline of union and Senate Democrats' actions
related to balancing the budget.
2009
February 17---'Governor Doyle introduces a budget repair bill that raises taxes by one billion dollars.
February 18-Senate Democrats ram the bill through the Legislature, without a public hearing.
(http://legis.wisconsin.gov/2009/data/SB66hst.html)
2010
Campaign season-Governor campaigns on budget reform. Unions send out flyers warning that
Walker might reform collective bargaining.
November 2-County Executive Scott Walker becomes theGovernor-elect.
November 10-Governor-elect Walker asked Governor Doyle to suspend contract negotiations so their
fiscal impact could be considered in the context of the 2011-13 state budget.
November 29-Governor-elect Walker penned a letter to the lame duck legislature, asking them not to
take up state employee contracts. (attached)
December 7-Marty Bell, executive director of AFSCME calls Walker, "master of the plantation and
we're supposed to be his slaves."
(http://www.channeI3000.com/politics/26049415/detail.html)
December 10-The contract negotiations, which were not completed in the first 17 months of the
contract period, were suddenly finalized.
(http://www.channeI3000.com/politics/26114651/detail.html)
December 16-State employee contracts fail to pass the legislature. Marty Beil, executive director of
AFSCME calls a Legislator "not a prostitute, a whore. W-H-O-R-E."
(http://host.madison.com/wsi/ news/loca 1/govt-and-politics/article_e836dc76-0862-11eO-a476-
001cc4c03286.html)
January 3-Governor Walker is inaugurated. Wisconsin faces a $137 million current fiscal year shortfall
and looming $3.6 billion structural budget deficit.
February ii-Before introducing budget repair bill, Governor Walker personally briefs Senator Miller
and Representative Barca on the bill. Governor Walker Introduces budget repair bill.
February 15-The Joint Finance Committee takes 17 hours of public testimony on the budget repair
bill.
'1/,)Q/'1f\11
Page 2 of2
February 16-The Joint Finance Committee passes the budget repair bill with changes to protect
workers rights.
February 17-Fourteen Senate Democrats flee Wisconsin to avoid debating, offering amendments or
casting a vote on the budget repair bill. They go to a Best Western in Illinois and continue to draw their
paycheck, total cost to taxpayers $1,915 for the day plus the cost of their benefits. (Legislators are paid
$49,943 per year. $49,943 divided by 365 days, times 14 State Senators = $1,915)
February 18-Public employee unions claim to support having their members pay 5.8% a pension
contribution and 12.6% of the cost of health insurance coverage. Governor Walker states that when
local governments receive cuts to state aid they are going to need the tools contained in his proposal
to help balance their budget without layoffs or reductions in the delivery of cover government
services. Fourteen Senate Democrats remain in Illinois, take an additional $1,915 from taxpayers for
the day. Continue to receive taxpayer funded benefits.
February 19-Fourteen Senate Democrats continue their vacation in Illinois, take an additional $1,915
from taxpayers for the day. Continue to receive taxpayer funded benefits.
February 20-Fourteen Senate Democrats continue their vacation in Illinois, take an additional $1,915
from taxpayers for the day. Continue to receive taxpayer funded benefits.
February 21-Fourteen Senate Democrats continue their vacation in Illinois, take an additional $1,915
from taxpayers for the day. Continue to receive taxpayer funded benefits. Senate Democrats begin to
fundraise.
(http://www.ssdc-wLorg/SSDC/Home.html)
Along with this timeline Governor Walker's spokesman, Cullen Werwie, released the following
statement:
Senate Democrats need to come back to work the jobs that they are getting paid to do. 24 hours was
enough time for them to increase taxes by $1 billion dollars two years ago. Now with more than 17
hours of public testimony and a 5 day vacation to Illinois, Senate Democrats say they need more time.
The truth is at a time when Wisconsin is in a fiscal crisis, these individuals are on a taxpayer funded,
campaign fundraising vacation-avoiding debate and their duty to cast their vote on a praposal that is
100% directed at balancing our state's budget.
Instead of using Wisconsin's fiscal crisis to fill their campaign coffers, Senate Democrats should do their
job.
,I?SV?Oll
Page 1 of 1
Madison-Today Governor Walker's spokesman, Cullen Werwie, released the following statement:
Senator Erpenbach, Senator Miller, and his fellow Democrats should come back to Wisconsin to do their
jobs. These are many of the same Senators who, two years ago; rammed tnrouqh a billion dollar tax
hike in 24 hours with no public input. The quickest way to resolve the current situation is for the
Democratic Senators to stop shirking their responsibilities and debate the bill in Madison. We continue
to call on them to come to Madison and do their jobs.
###
"I I?lV?O 1 1
Page I of4
,.
Bartel, Phillip J - GOV
Officeof Governor Scott Walker ~ Morning News Update for February 18. 2011
'. The Nation's eyes are on Wisconsin as Governor Walker stands finn, Dems flee, and students protest.
• Teachers holding "sick outs" across the state. MPS closed. 22 other districts closed or delayed.
• Watch the Governor's Fox & Friends interview Ws morning.
• Governor Walker - Headline on Drudge Report
Nation/World
Athens in Mad Town
Editorial- Wall Street Journal
Mr. Walker's very modest proposal would take away the ability of most government employees to collectively
bargain for benefits. They could still bargain for higher wages, but future wage increases would be capped at the
federal Consumer Price Index, uuless otherwise specified by a voter referendum. The bill would also require union
members to contribute 5.8% of salary toward their pensions and chip in 12.6% of the cost of their health insurance
premiums.
Wisconsin State Senator Mark Miller Calls Governor Scott Walker's Budget Tactics 'Insulting,'
Asks for 'Respect'
ABCNews .
That was the message the Wisconsin State Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller wanted to send to Gov. Scott
Walker after Miller and 13fellow Democratic senators fled the state in order to avoid a budget vote that would
take away state employee's bargaining rights and increase health care costs and contributions to pensions.
Milwaukee
Milwaukee Public Schools closed for Friday due to high number of absentee calls from teachers
FOX6 - Milwaukee
The state's largest school district has joined those that have canceled classes due to teacher shortages caused by
union protests at the state Capitol.
Madison
Protesters come from near and far for 'civics lesson in the flesh'
Wisconsin State Journal
Ryan McGranahau and Tom Steger left their southwest Wisconsin homes early Thursday bound for the massive
protest in Madison against Gov. Scott Walker's proposal to limit collective bargaining.
Senators' run to Illinois gets cheers from supporters, a blast from Walker
The Capitol Times
The gambit by 14 Democratic state senators to leave the state Thursday instead of being ontvoted on a hugely
controversial bndget bill has drawn national attention, cheers from supporters and-a tongue-lashing from
Page 3 of4
Green Bay/Appleton
As public sector unites against Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's union plan, private sector split
in Fox Valley
Appleton Post-Crescent
For some private sector workers, Gov. Scott Walker's forceful approach with public workers unions isn't at all out
of line.
Wisconsin Democrats make a Mlll for the border to protest Gov. Scott Walker budget bill
Green Bay Press-Gazette
State Democrats could not stand by and watch the Senate take up a bill aimed at stripping collective bargaining
rights from public employees, Assistant Senate Miuority Leader Dave Hansen of Green Bay said Thursday
evening.
La Crosse/Eau Claire
Senate stalemate: Democrats flee state to stall labor bill; Republicans plan to return today
La Crosse Tribune .
Sen. Kathleen Vinehout said she and other Senate Democrats left the state Thursday in a last-ditch effort to derail
Gov. Scott Walker's controversial budget repair bill Speaking from an "undisclosed location," Vinehout said, "This
was the only choice we had to slow things down."
Hudson Star-Observer
Wisconsin senators might not be able to vote today after all on Gov. Scott Walker's budget measure which limits
public union bargaining powers.
Wausau/Rhinelander
Local Dems say they'll support recall for lawmakers voting yes on budget bill
Wausau Daily Herald
Marathon County Democrats will support recall of any locai state lawmaker who votes for Gov. Scott Walker's
controversial budget bill, according to a release from Jeff Jolmson, the organization's chairman.
As UWSP students march, facuI1y and staff members weigh ontions for response
Stevens Point Journal
Students at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point joined peers from UW institutions across the state in
protest Thursday, forgoing class and marching around the city to voice their opposition to Gov. Scott Walker's
budget repair bill.
Superior/Duluth
~1?<;I?Oll
Page 1 ofl
Phil,
This should work. By the way, I hope you guys can catch those runaway senators.
-
First Name: Jeffrey R.
Tuesday:~l1AM-lPM,after 4PM
lof5
Contact Information
Address:
Phone: E-mail:
Education
HighSchool
College
Post Graduate
Name of School:
-----------------------
Graduation Date: --, _ GPA: _
Phone:- - - - - - - - EmaiI: _
2of,5
Work and Volunteer Experience
Employer/Organization: _
Employer/Organization: .,.- _
Employer/Organization: _
Employer/Organization: ~ _
30f5
developed the ability to detect certain political tones and biases. This has led to an
inherent distrust in the media and has made me realize how imperative the clarity of a
message is. I also religiously read the Journal Sentinel, Wall Street Journal, and
Washington Post, among others, including their editorial pages. These pages have
enlightened me politically and intellectually. I have learned that while it may be
frustrating to read an op-ed that you utterly disagree with, it gives you the opportunity to
frame your argument more effectively. Although newspapers and news programs are
certainly informative, in the 21 sl Century, social media is required to be truly engaged in
society. Raw and unfiltered information that appears on Facebook, Twitter, and blogs
reveal insights into the direction of society before they ever appear in a news report. I
would bring this understanding of social media to the Governor's office to enable better
interactions with our constituency. Through this social media, we can be aware of the
desires, concerns, and effects of policy.
Through this internship, I would like to enhance my knowledge on certain
policies and how they are made and implemented. I also want to take from this internship
a first hand experience of what happens behind closed doors so I have a greater
understanding of the realities of politics. However, most of all I would like to know that I
was apart of an administration that put people back to work, paid its bills, gave hope to
entrepreneurs, and truly made Wisconsin open for business again.
Writing Samples
Please include two recent samples so that we can evaluate your writing ability. See
Attachments
Resume
Please attach a current copy of your resume to this application. See Attatchments
References
Phone: Phone:"'-
5 of5
Cell:
School Address:
Home Address:
EDUCATION
WORK EXPERIENCE
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Jeff Snow
10128/2010
Professor Schweber
name as "Marcus Tulluis Kirk." It was a letter thanking Forrest McDonald for his article
titled, "Russell Kirk: The American Cicero." Snch a gesture is a remarkable indication of
Kirk's reverence for the old-fashioned Roman. Although Kirk's belief in conservatism
may have been different than Cicero's conviction in the Roman Constitution, they held
the same undying convictions regarding the nature of man, the nature of law, and the
nature of society. This bond that connects these beliefs is, at its core, a traditionalist
sentiment that favors the permanence of morality, the realization that man can never be
perfected, and the restraining of human power and passion. There might not have been a
Cicero is found within the morality of human nature. In his "Ten Conservative
Principles," Kirk states his first principle that, "There exists an enduring moral order"
(Kirk, p6). This "order is made for man and man is made for it: human nature is a
constant and moral truths are permanent" (Kirk, p6). Thus, morality is inherent in human
nature. Morality is not subject to change along with the changing attitudes ofthe times; it
Because ofthe permanence of morality, no man nor time can change the essence of it.
When a society is governed by an "enduring moral order," and thus by "a strong sense of
right and wrong" it will be a "good society" (Kirk, 9p). Consistent with conservative
legislation, Kirk implies that morality should be present within the law because without
it, "hideous consequences" of the past will manifest themselves again (Kirk, 8p).
However modern Kirk may be, in respect to the time of his existence, his view of
morality is parallel with the ancient Cicero, who would not only agree, but also expand
upon Kirk's principle of an existing moral order. The origin ofthis morality came from
the heavens, Cicero argues, when the gods gave humanity a home on earth they
"endowed" humans with the "divine gift of mind" (Cicero's The Laws, Book I, 24). This
created a "lineage, origin, or stock in common with the gods" (Cicero's The Laws, Book
1, 24). It is due to this "lineage" that "the same moral excellence resides in man and in
God" (Cicero's The Laws, Book I, 25). To Cicero, there is no doubt that morality is
inherent in man, as it was literally inherited from God as a component of the divine mind.
Cicero does not only agree with Kirk on the existence of morality, but also the
necessity of moral order, as he asserts, "the nature of law must be sought in the nature of
component of human nature. The components oflaw should derive from the components
of man, chiefly among them, morality. Cicero, like Kirk, believed that the purpose of the
law is to "enjoin right action and forbid wrong-doing" (Cicero's The Laws, Book I, 19).
Thus, Cicero's purpose oflaw is to allow what should be done and prohibit what
shouldn't be. Through this process one arrives at the regulation, or rather, the legislation
of morality. This creates a moral order, which enforces the permanent moral troths.
The endurance of morality is another perspective that Cicero is aligned with Kirk,
who believed in an "enduring moral order", not a society "intent chiefly upon the
gratification of appetites" (Kirk, 9p). Cicero scoffed at the notion that laws were created
by men and passed by a community. Instead, he resorts to the belief that laws are passed
down from an eternal god. Because Cicero links the laws not to men, who have limited
life spans arid power, but to the gods, who are eternal, one can infer that he believes in
the permanence ofthe law. He states that laws were made from an "eternal source," and
that the "original and final law is the intelligence of God, who ordains or forbids
everything by reason" (Cicero's The Laws, Book II, 8). These laws that create moral
order are not subject to change if a good society is desired. When the enduring moral
order is not obeyed in preference for ever-changing social appetites, a bad society arises.
In this respect, Cicero believes in a perpetual moral order because God, who created the
nature of our law, is eternal. Conservatives and Cicero find comfort in this enduring
moral order because it is a defense against chaos and creates harmony and peace within a
society.
Kirk and Cicero's deep belief in moral order is only different in the particular
words they use to describe it. Cicero calls moral order moral excellence, which "is
nothing other than the perfection of nature" (Cicero's The Laws, Book I, 25), while Kirk
states that this order signifies "harmony" (Kirk, 7p). Cicero and Kirk both acknowledged
the existence and permanence of morality and the need to establish it by means of the
law.
and passions of an imperfect human race. In this regard, Cicero once again finds himself
in the company and Kirk and conservatism. Kirk argues that even if a society believes in
morality, a social institution cannot be perfect because man is imperfect. Thus, all one
can expect is a "tolerably ordered, just, and free society, in which some evils ...continue
to lurk" (Kirk, 15p). However if the moral order of society is iguored, Kirk fears that
human passions will take over, leading to despotism, anarchy, or any other undesirable
forms of government. Cicero reiterates Kirk's notion as he emphatically states that in the
human mind "all kinds of traps are laid...by that power which lurks within, entwined
with everyone of our senses, namely pleasure, which masquerades as goodness but is in
fact the mother of all ills (Cicero's The Laws, Book 1,47). Thus, Kirk and Cicero both
agree that without restraint on passions, society would disregard all concept of morality
in exchange for rash, cathartic behavior that accomplishes nothing but temporary ecstasy.
When humans let their senses overcome their logic, society is in peril because it is
"seduced" by pleasure, in which case "our minds fail to see clearly enough the things that
are naturally good, because they lack sweetness and the exciting itch of pleasure"
(Cicero's The Laws, Book 1,47). In other words, society has gotten drunk off alcohol
because of the pleasure of its buzz, and it is in this blurry, drunken state of mind that they
make their decisions, only to wake up to a terrible hangover the next morning. Therefore,
when humans behave based on their pleasures, anarchy and despotism are more likely to
take form due to the deluded state of one's mind. For example, one is more likely to be
led off a cliff drunk, than sober. Thus, Cicero and Kirk both see the prudence in
correlation between Cicero and Kirk. Kirk defines power as the "ability to do as one
likes, regardless of the wills of one"s fellows" (Kirk, 20p). When this power is unchecked
20p). Cicero endorsed Kirks general theory centuries earlier. He thought that the most
advantageous govenunent was a mixed one that had monarchical, aristocratic, and
democratic components. These three forms of constitutions standing alone in their
"simple form" are unstable. If a monarchy turns into a tyranny through unjust rule, the
aristocracy will overthrow the monarchy. The aristocracy will then be overthrown by the
mob-like masses due to their own excessive power. The masses will create extreme
freedom, ultimately producing a tyrant (Cicero's Republic, Book I, 68). The underlying
concept behind this cycle is that the unchecked power's extremity perpetuates chaos,
To counter this, the conservative aims to "limit and balance political power that
anarchy or tyranny may not arise" (Kirk, 21). In more detail, the conservative is not naive
restraints upon will and appetite" (Kirk, 22p). In Ancient Rome, Cicero advocates for a
mixed constitution consisting of a monarch, aristocracy, and democracy that will fit the
conservative's desire for a constitution with checked power. This constitution has the will
(Cicero's Republic, Book 1, 69). Cicero was one of the first ancient thinkers who had
proposed the idea of a mixed government. Although Kirk does not advocate for the
elements of monarchy he still echoes much of Cicero's ideas on mixed government. This
idea of mixed government comes from a deep skepticism ofunlimited power and has
evolved into the modem-day conservative's suspicion and distaste of big government.
Although Cicero did not have the privilege of reading Russell Kirk, he would've
found that Kirk had a love of morality, nature, and old order. Kirk understood that
humans were naturally moral and that morality was constant and eternal, as did Cicero.
Kirk believed that the law must encompass morality because the nature of the law should
be derived from the nature of man, as did Cicero. Kirk was convinced that prudent
restraints on human power and passion were necessary, as was Cicero. These few, yet,
profound convictions constitute ofthe essence of conservatism that has evolved from a
Jeff Snow
History 101
Professor Sharpless
12/7/10
Decades after Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, his
famous words, "All men are created equal," were true in ink only. The lofty rhetoric of
the American Revolution had succumbed to the economic reality of the "Cotton
Kingdom" of the South. By 1860, 32% of the Southern population was slaves to white
plantation owners (U.S. A Narrative of History , 249). Held hostage to the perils of
Revolutionary Ideals and Christian beliefthat had been so predominate in the U.S. Just
before the Civil War, this movement had gained over 200,000 members (U.S. A
Narrative of History; 237). The most prominent leader of this movement was Frederick
Douglass, a former slave who describes his experiences with slavery and his desire for
abolition in, "The Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave." This
depiction of slavery as morally wrong on the basis that slavery is sacrilegious in a nation
Christianity. Such aspects are present in both Douglass's autobiography and abolitionist
teaching" because of "the breaknp of marriages and families by sale, the harsh
punishment of the lash, slaves' lack of access to education, and the sexual abuse of black
women" (U.S. A Narrative of History, 237). Consistent with this thought, Douglass also
introduces this religious and moral element into his novel more vividly. During his years
as a slave, Douglass witnessed disgusting atrocities as a slave, all of which lead to his
belief that Southern Christianity is hypocritical. He had once seen his master "tie up a
lame woman, and whip her. .. causing warm red blood to drip" (Douglass, 78). However,
it is not only that this atrocity took place, it was because his "master found religious
sanction for his cruelty" as "he would quote this passage of the Scripture - 'He that
knoweth his master's will, and doeth it not, shall beaten with many stripes'" (Douglass,
78). Douglass realized that it is not only these acts that are not Christian, but - even
worse - that they are done with the excuse of Christianity. Acts such as these reaffirmed
the belief of abolitionists because it showed that there is no morality within slavery
whatsoever, especially when religion is abused to fit the evil appetite of the owner.
Douglass's most clear and vehement opposition to this fake Christianity was
based on the same moral premise as the abolitionists' and can be found in his
"Appendix". All the beatings, whippings, and deaths caused by so-called Christian slave
owners have led to a deep hatred for the "slaveholding religion" (Douglass, 120).
Douglass juxtaposes the "Christianity of Christ" with the "Christianity of this Land" and
finds the "widest possible difference" (Douglass, 120). The paradox between these two is
dramatic because they should encompass one another, however, according to Douglass
they do not. In his most powerful indictment on the Christianity of the South, he writes "I
love the pure, peaceful, and impartial Christianity of Christ: I therefore hate the corrupt,
of this land" (Douglass, 120). At this point, Douglass stops describing his experiences
with Christianity of the South and slavery, but passionately presents an argument for
abolition based on moral grounds. Douglass has evolved from describing these
occurrences, to and coherent argument as to why they are immoral. Consistent with his
fellow abolitionists, Douglass more specifically offers a religious argumentthat slavery is
morally wrong.
slaveholder is hypocriticaL Douglass states that the man who whips him on during the
week is the minister on Sunday; the man who sold his sister into prostitution advocates
purity; the man who encourages him to read the Bible does not teach him to read; the
man who encourages marriage does not give him the same right; the man who promotes
families tears whole families apart (Douglass, 120). He calls this Christianity, "the climax
of all misnomers, the boldest of all frauds, and the grossest of all libels" (Douglass, 120).
Thus, Douglass has dismissed this religion to anything but. By tearing down the
Christianity of the slaveholder, he endorses the Christianity of Christ because "To be the
friend of the one, is of necessity to be the enemy of the other" (Douglass, 120). In his
support of one he implies that there is an inherent morality within man, distinct to
humans. Slavery robs both the slave and the slave owner of this innate humanity. The
slave is bound to the chains of his owner, where he is beaten, whipped, worked, fed, and
taught like an animal; the slaveholder is bound to the chains of his vicious appetite
including money and power, where the most kind soul can turn into the most wretched. In
this situation, the slave cannot adequately comprehend religion, while his master
misinterprets the Bible. This sacrilegious result is inhumane, unnatural, and inunoraL The
argument that Douglass advocates is the bedrock of abolitionism, where slavery is judged
autobiography but also in David Walker's "Appeal." First, David Walker echoes
Douglass as he calls the white Christians in America "pretenders to Christianity"
(Walker, I) because they cause the blacks to be "the most degraded, wretched, and abject
set of beings that ever lived since the world began" (Walker, 3). Walker continues to
debase the fake Christian slave holders by using his own Christianity by stating, "God
made man to serve him alone, and that man should have no other Lord or Lords but
Himself' (Walker, 7). Walker believes that true Christianity makes man responsible to no
other person than God. Thus, Walker introduces a logical fallacy of slave owners who
call themselves Christian, when in reality they are anything but. He then gives a historical
context, in which he states that the African Americans under the white Americans have
been treated worse than the Israelites under Egypt, the Helots under Sparta, and the
Roman Slaves (Walker, 3). Walker's knowledge of Christianity gives his abolitionist
argmnent more of an appeal to reason, beyond the emotional argmnents that slavery
makes slaves feel bad. Walker is responsible for giving a deeply reasoned, historical, and
Christianity free from their master's influence. This feat was difficult considering in
white-controlled churches, as one slave recalls, "all the preachers talked about was for us
slaves to obey our masters and not lie and steal" (U.S. A Narrative of History, 257).
Despite this, many slaves "met secretly at night" to pray (U.S. A Narrative History, 256).
Also, slaves sometimes heard the same sermons as whites that had an "emphasis on faith .
and salvation" (US. A Narrative History, 257). This gave slaves a sense of worth and a
belief that one day they would be saved and their master would be punished (US. A
Narrative History, 257). Such hope is directly stated by slaves in, "The Peculiar
Institution: Slaves Tell Their Own Stories." One slave master was Solomon who never let
them go to church but the slaves would "have praying in the cabins" (Peculiar Institution,
190). One slave recalls after Solomon'd death, "1 know that Solomon is burning in hell
retribution through a belief in ajust God is what kept slaves' spirits np. To believe that
one's wretched situation was only temporary and that salvation would come allowed gave
slaves jnst enough hope. The slave's belief in Christianity is much more pure and
meaningful than that of slave owners, who manipulated the religion, as Douglass and
Walker express.
Because literacy was rare, slaves could not further their religious experience by
reading the Bible. For example, one slave remembers that he was not '''lowed to see a
book or try to learn" and that he especially, "didn't see no Bibles" (Peculiar Institution,
190). This was a coercive way to keep the slave owner's omnipotence in place. As
Douglass recounts in his book, slave owners didn't not want to give an inch of knowledge
to a slave, because then he would realize the abhorrent condition he was subjected to and
Due to this overwhelming illiteracy, slaves relied on songs to express their faith,
while at the same time discretely protest their condition. Frederick Douglass recalls,
"Every tone was a testimony against slavery and a prayer to God for deliverance from his
chains" (Douglass, 51). These songs had a cathartic nature that elicited the deepest
emotions in slaves. They reminded them of their struggles and of their hope but always
resulted in a further yearning for freedom from the shackles of the white man. While the
means of their freedom were unknown, they believed it to be God and strove for it
argument was deeply rooted in the ideals of Christianity backed by morality. Douglass
and the abolitionists talked of what was right, not convenient; what was moral, not
innnoral; what Christianity was, and what it was not. Douglass's argument for abolition
is only supported by David Walker and "The Peculiar Institution", which all describe the
abominable condition of slavery. One must understand the religious and moral aspects of
slavery because without its Christian component, there would have likely been no
abolition movement.