With everything that has happened to the economy over the past two years, I've been wondering how long it would be before Americans finally get angry about their lost jobs, lost homes, lost healthcare, lost savings, and lost futures. Especially now, as many in Congress and the state legislatures want to make the pain worse with budget cuts that hurt the poor and unemployed the most. In Wisconsin, the Governor (who recently cut taxes on big corporations) has introduced a bill to strip state employees, including teachers, of collective bargaining rights, slash their pay, and raise their health care premiums. Well in this state at least, workers, perhaps taking a cue from the recent government-toppling pro-democracy protests in Egypt have risen up to let their anger be heard. On Thursday, in an attempt to torpedo the legislation, all the Democratic Senators fled the state to Illinois, denying the Governor a quorum necessary for the vote to take place. Republicans threatened to have police bring them back, but the police have expressed solidarity with the workers and can not cross state lines anyway. Meanwhile, 25,000 protesters chanted slogans outside the state capitol yesterday amid reports that the governor has put the national guard on alert in the event the protests become violent. And today, another sign of growing unrest among Americans -- the protests and teacher sick-ins are spreading to surrounding states.
“I’m still looking for this privileged class of workers. This is just part of a national attack on working people.” ~ Joe Rugola, Executive director of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees, representing bus drivers and janitors who earn about $24,000 a year.
Rise up America! Rise Up!
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