you are not very educated on the state workers and by your comment you never did any fact checking. all you listen to is what walker says and you believe what he says. you will see that most people here in wiconsin will vote him out. he is the one who divided this state. he lied to the people and he would not talk to the state workers even when they gave him everything he wanted. walker worships power and one day if he satys in there he will take your rights away as well, he is working on them little by little.

@Sara It is interesting that both Pick N Save and Bayshore take taxpayer money for their "private" businesses ....... and then complain when the pollsters are on "public" property ...... yes it would be nice if things were neat and tidy and there was not angst throughout the state -- but as the old saying goes, don't watch them make the sausage, it won't be as tasty --- you should thank God you live in a country where people can disagree in the open, without worrying about receiving a warning shot to the back of the head by the Secret Police.

well linda I am very educated on state workers, comes from having been raised by a single mom that worked for the wisconsin VA. I can tell you from that experience they have very good insurance and I would pay what they are being asked in a heartbeat for that insurance, hell get me on that plan I will pay thiers and mine and come out a few thousand a year ahead. they also have a pretty good retirement, mom certainly seems to be enjoying hers and asking them to put some of thier own money into an account that they will get back when they retire sounds far better than my shrinking 401k or social secuirity that I am paying for that I will never see.
For the record when the time comes my mom will be voting for Walker.
I see the teachers complaining also, well I married a teacher. she taught at a private school and I can tell you they have all the same issues except in a private school they pay more for insurance, don't have a pension and sure as hell don't have lifetime employment all that for less pay. they say they want to teach the children well they are in luck they can go apply at a private school and not be subject to act 10, although guessing after a couple paychecks they will wish they were.

A recall petitioner was blocking the entrance to the North Shore library and soliciting signatures. I declined to sign and wished her a good evening. I mentioned her presence on the sidewalk to the librarian who told me that the library had received a number of complaints...she apologized and said that their policy allowed solicitors on the sidewalk - but not inside the building. Although ill-informed and misguided, I appreciate this individual's passion to stand outside in the cold and solicit signatures (if in fact her efforts were voluntary and not paid for by one of the divisive groups attempting the recall). At the same time I am dismayed and frustrated that we, the taxpayers who elected our representatives in a very contentious and hard fought election, wind up footing the bill for the unhappy minority attempting to invalidate our Country's election process for no other reason than they are unhappy that our Governor is fulfilling the campaign promises he made to the voters. Enough sour grapes, let's move on, prepare for the next election and stop billing the taxpayers for our frustrations.

its funny how his supporters only want to debate the union issue. He has done so much more to hurt the people of this state. look at what he is doing to healthcare. I might be forced to take the insurance my job makes available, trust me if i could afford it i would have already done so. it cost around 250 a month to cover my family, with high co pays and prescriptions. i would not be able to afford that with what i make. after im done paying the bills i have now i have barely enough for gas to get to work for the next two weeks. so you tell me what should i do. go without insurance for my family. rob banks. or quit my job and get free healthcare( you can trust not working is not a option for me). then there's all the other things he has done such as erase child labor laws. hire unqualified people after firing or demoting qualified people who served at the position for years. I could go on and on. But some people lack love and understanding to bring them to rethink their positions. They hold to thier ideals no matter what facts are presented. But I love you any way. Your an American. Out of love for my state I really hope Walker gets recalled, because the only outside agitators are the koch brothers, and their ideals are destroying this beautiful place we call WISCONSIN

The $250 a month for family coverage is a bargain compared to what many are paying, "Aaron". As for how do you do it? Do it the same way I did when I took a 20% pay cut AND an increase in the amount I contributed towards my high-deductable insurance in 2007. Budget and cut back while you look for something else.

@Sara Conrad...I haven't been inhibited by any recall petitioners. I haven't even been approached, it's voluntarily only. Whether you like it or not, they are legally pursuing their constitutional rights. It is much less contentious this time around than when signatures were being collected for the senate recall.

I'm not Sara - She's in the bunk above this one.

@Bob McBride...Sorry!

@Joe Nemecek...You are linking two mutually exclusive elements. One is the money for employee contributions to the ETF and healthcare. The other is the restriction of collective bargaining. The unions would accept the cuts to pay and benefits but the restriction of collective bargaining and yearly certification was too much. This is the overreach. The pay and benefits are fiscal issues and the restrictions on unions are purely political. Therefore, your logic doesn't follow.

Wow, it's surprising that state workers and unions remain a focal point for the recall and this discussion. While the unions galvanized the citizens of Wisconsin about the proposals in the Budget Repair Bill much of the attention has shifted to laws and proposed legislation affecting the everyday quality of life for all socio-economic classes in Wisconsin. Let's not forget about concealed carry, extended hours for liquor stores,proposed reductions to adults and 64,000 children from public health plans, reduced funding education, kindergarten, elimination of the Wisconsin Scholars Program, Senior Care, Family Care, and state funded reproductive health care for health women. Almost half of the programs targeted in his budget predominately serve women and children and the list continues. Sarah Conrad wake up!! Scott Walker is the most polarizing Governor in the history of Wisconsin. He has pitted the 99% against the 1% and all the rest of us in the middle. One last point about Sarah., the recall petitioners are not mooching off businesses to further their cause anymore than Sarah , mooching off the Patch to promote senseless, unfounded comments.

I take the pill for the same reason my sister does, I dont want to be pregnant. And I am a dude. Wait, are you saying that a different state with different circumstances makes a perfect comparison? Oh, sorry for mocking your the conceived comparison, but I shouldn't mock you, as it isn't yours.

@Emily Lewandowski...The state is not even close to financial ruin and the state wasn't broke either. The governor deliberately misrepresented the state's fiscal condition to justify his political maneuvering. Obviously cuts were necessary but that wasn't the only options to balancing the budget. Increasing revenues in certain areas would have done much to close the gap. Increasing the alcohol tax probably would have been sufficient so that schools wouldn't have been cut $800 million. What the governor and legislature has done is not fiscal but political.

Lyle,

In theory, we'd never have to cut anything if we just keep increasing taxes. A little bit here and there, and a little more especially over there. If tax revenues are down because the private sector isn't pulling its weight, no worries, we'll just increase the tax on booze and ciggies or up a fee for this, that or the other thing, slap another half a percent on the sales tax, tax all those folks that we decide aren't paying their fair share and before you know it, heck, maybe we can start giving those underpaid public "servants" a raise and hire a few more of them so that the ones we have now don't have to work so hard.

Recession? What recession? There's no recession and no real problem in that most important part of the economy around which all things are focused, the public sector, that can't be solved by increasing taxes.

@Bob McBride....Great, when do we start? :=) In all seriousness cutting government spending has to be brought under control, but we do have revenue options if they become necessary to maintain service levels.

Lyle,

I do understand that you're for controlling the cutting of government spending and that you approve of exploring additional revenue options (you may want to review your comment just above this one).

But in all seriousness, there are probably some cuts you'd, personally, be willing to go along with that didn't touch programs that effect you directly or you anticipate effecting those close to you in the future, but then again the ones you would be okay with, someone else probably wouldn't be okay with....

So rather than worry about that, or whether or not we're really operating efficiently or following any sort of best practices whatsoever or whether or not we're employing competent people, let's just get the right people in certain public offices - those who will, first and foremost, attempt to increase the revenue stream. We can talk about cuts kinda half heartedly but, seriously, who really wants to do that when all it really takes is slapping more taxes on the folks you figure are never going to vote for your candidates anyways?

It's just so much easier that way and so much more what we're used to here. Yeah, that'll be better....let's have a recall!!

No, it isn't the same. IF you can possibly show me how their situation is the same, Maybe I can understand your stance on this. Broke is broke wont cut it. Wisconsin, funded pension. Illinois, largely unfunded. That is one example, there are many. Maybe, rather than trying to use it as a talking point you can start to examine what actually happened/is happening in the state and make some decisions for yourself.

If you are sick, aren't you sick? If you can't afford bean casserole, shouldn't you read the paper?

Are we doing word salad? Idea salad? I am lost.

Wouldn't you rather that medication and treatments be tailored to the thing making you ill? If sick were just sick, we would have one pill. That might be a blue one, leaving me with a cold and, well, I hope you are smart enough to get the clue. The same goes for states economies. The medicine should be tailored to the economic woes at hand. If you call a special session as the governor of a state in "financial woes", shouldn't the proposed bills represent the problem at hand? Ours didn't, and this will be the case as long as this bought and paid for puppet is in office.

Yup, we're so broke that we are spending $2.1 million on the conceal carry permitting process so underdeveloped minds can play cowboy.

Cool - Keith is out and spewing his personal attacks.

You're such a sensitive flower child aren't you.

Your turn. So what is the valid reason for conceal carry other than catering to a certain class and so the gun industry can sell more of their product at the expense of our civilization.

@ Vicki... You MUST be kidding! The patch is certainly NOT a venue for the right. Its absolutely a left leaning (WAY left leaning) organization that is heavily visited by liberals. Take the comments to this article. Just for fun, because I think your statement is so ridiculous, I tallied the comments for and against Walker. The against group won 23 - 18. I admit that it was closer than I guessed, but still very much liberal. I will also admit that, so far, the discussion is not as mean-spirited as some of the other comment sections, but it's early. I have noticed that a lot of liberals that post on patch only hear and listen to what they want to hear. Very selective in nature. A fascinating species are the liberals.

@Sam Vedder...Oh come on now, the right is no better about selective perception than the left. It is fortunate that a venue like the Patch exists. Stating one's opinion is a whole lot better than forcible conflicts.

@ Lyle... very funny. Nope the left is much worse. I have noticed that as the liberals start to lose the argument, they start changing the subject, start on the personal attacks, pointing grammatical and spelling errors in peoples responses to attempt to make them look stupid and avoid admitting that they are wrong and addressing the issues.

But I don't expect you to see that Lyle... Keep typing!!

Vicki - you have no idea? The Patch is a product of the Huffington Post - which is run by Arianna Huffington. Ari is a jilted conservative who after her divorce started the Huffington Post - a liberal blog. Recently sold to AOL for $315M (she is probably part of the 1%). This is her way to reach her formerly conservative tentacles into the smaller communities around the USA and spread her new found liberal idealogue.

@Sam Vedder & Ima Hippee...If the Patch is such a "left wing rag", then why do people on the right even read it, blog on it or comment on it?

Generally if both sides think it's biased one way or the other, it's a pretty good indication it's just about right. Then again, Lyle, you seem to have completely ignored Vicki's misinterpretation of it being overrun by those on the right. Is that because that's what you believe as well?

Lyle - I don't think anyone called it a left wing rag. I was enlightening Ms. Vicki on the genesis of Patch and the owner.

As for reading and comments - I think it is good to have balance. In addition, keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.

Well, I'd say Sendik's in Shorewood (as patronized by noted local flamenco guitarists, apparently), Push 'n' Shoves just about everywhere. But please be kind to these gentle folk whose only wish it is that your vote in the last general election be invalidated because someone other than the person they voted for won.

Too bad you won't be able to express your little rant Michael to protect those working against your self interest because no petitioners are approaching anybody. So don't worry. You won't have to stand up for yourself.

Thank you!

Yes you are correct, us ugly republicans would not know a days work, if it slapped us in the face... You are a moron. Public employees come from all parties. By your statements, I'd have to guess, you have never met any, unless they were at an occupy protest.
If these heroic public employees want to give up there "dirty jobs", i'm sure I can find a few republicans to fill them. Every job you listed has a counter-part in the private sector, all without lavish benifits.
I have a "vested interest" in seeing the state's economy getting better and Governor Walker has taken the steps that I have asked him to.

It would be nice, if you had a clue.

How does collective bargaining give you a voice? Unions do not speak collectively for the individual, they speak for the union. The individual has no less of a voice now and with local control tax payers have more of a voice.
Congrats on your genius, I didn't expect my common sense to come across as ridicule.

Unions are democratically run organizations. Now your turn to give us your made up nonsense Greg.

Two wolves and a sheep voting over what to have for dinner.
I have been in a union, not public sector, IBEW, have you Keith?
Why is my stuff any more "made up" than yours? That is just a crummy argument.

"If you had a clue?" And you're acting sensitive.

Furthermore you have no answer about my comment on unions.

From what I gather Greg there are going to be thousands of taxpayers out there with no voice thanks to voter ID. What is really disgusting is the way Walker and the GOP is pitting one part of the middle class against the other. But this is what we expect from this incompetent loser we have as governor.

Your "bedrock" got greedy and was stealing from the middle class. Collective bargaining meant we had to buy benefits from the union owned companies, at a high premium.
We did it the union way for years, and we are falling, time to replace the "floor".

Keith Schmitz...extremely well said!

Keith - quite the misinformation.

I can respect the public sector unions but clearly do not see them as the bedrock of the middleclass. The benefit and pay is not the floor for employees in other businesses. (Really? Where have you been?) If Walker had left everything the way Doyle had left it - would it have been better to lay-off hundreds (if not thousands) of your bedrock?

You live in a sideways world being attacked by predator capitalists? The suicide bombers of capitalism to meet the nonexistant 75 virgins. (what suburb do they live in?)

Whew.

If IMA whatever doesn't get it then I must have said something right.

But who am I to get between you and the abuser you love.

500,000 is still well less than half of the votes that put him there, one voice at a time.
The "moron" thing was not a choice, after reading your comment. I understand what Walker's changes mean to working folks, I is one.

@ Dave... When Greg called you a "moron" it was directed at your moronic statement that Walker has a vested interest in the states economy to not get better. That's such a moronic statement that it's hard to take you seriously. It's the democrtaes that want a failed economy and grow the entitlement base, because that means voters. The more people dependant on the government to survive, the more votes for the democrates. Which is why liberalism is imoral. To say that no one listens to one person and we need to create a Borg society with a "collective consciousness" in order to get ahead is ridiculas and doesn't acknowledge the millions of people that are not part of the "collective" and do well for themselves. And these people (including me) have not stopped working as hard because I have had to pay more for my benefits year after year after year. For those of us not part of your "group think" the idea of health/benefits costs increasing has been going on for 20+ years. Welcome to the real world Dave. You might want to get a helmet and other padding, it's a tough place and the handouts are going away. Good Luck!

Actually, I called him a moron because of his notion that only a democrat could work hard for a living or be a teacher. These statements proved he was clueless.

@Sam Vedder...Healthcare costs have been rising constantly for the last 35 years and exploded during the Reagan years and not slowing down. When are we, as a society, going to stop this theft by the healthcare industry?

Whatever Dave/Keith... and 911 was an inside job. Always looking for someone else or some whacked out conspiracy to blame for your lot in life. Pathetic! look in the mirror.

Yes Dave Koven... can I help you?

AWD...Thanks for the deep thought.

Like all righties you make assumptions. I'm not poor. I'm certainly not resentful but no doubt that is you projecting, because you seem awfully resentful towards public employees based on things your echo chamber makes up.

Me personally, I'm not held down. But the person who has to work two jobs because of artificial wages is being held down. The person who is in deep debt hole because of medical expenses is being held down. The person who was talked into taking a subprime and has low lost their how is being held down. The student who has a pile of student loan debt and now no decent job is being held down. The inner city resident who has been cut off from mass transit thanks to our numbnutz governor is being held down. And this woman -- http://www.bluecheddar.net/2011/12/07/that-fascist-bastard-scott-walker/ -- is being held down because of the nitwits in the GOP who want to take away her right to vote is being held down.

Do some googling. Social mobility in this country is falling behind the rest of the world, including England, WHERE THEY HAVE AN ARISTOCRACY!

And I don't belong to a union.

You assume an awful lot and that is probably the way you digest "information." It would pay you and us if you'd get outside of your FOX "News" bubble and do a lot more reading and a lot less assuming.

In other words, stop exemplifying the definition of the word assume.

@Sam....stop you are turning purple. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the ultimate hero of the socialists:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVgYJ_8MZKs

It's always someone else's fault, it's always someone else's responsibility.

No one is taking away anyones right to vote.
How do you spend $200 to correct a birth certificate? Olbermann lies.
The other "held down" issues are Obama issues. You sir have just moved up to number 1 moron. Congrats.

Wow, from you that's like being accused of having bad hair by Donald Trump.

Nope, more like being promoted to number 1 moron by Donald Trump.

Well then here, I know it's not FOX "News" which we know is incredibly true and accurate, but read about Ruthelle Frank in the Wausau Herald -- http://tinyurl.com/bls7b5t. BTW -- Olbermann is rarely wrong.

My late mother-in-law was incredibly active politically and she would not be allowed to vote because she did not drive. I hope it's Obey running for governor because he'd wipe the floor with Walker's hapless behind.

It is just disgusting what the numbskull hacks in the GOP are doing to make it difficult from someone like this to vote. Pearl Harbor day reminds us that people died to protect this right. Now we have a bunch of confederate wannabes doing their best to take it away.

Nobody is so naive to believe that this is being done to protect the vote. Bet you cannot come up with even one person who lost their right to vote because someone stole their identity.

Or is all you have are mindless insults for a comeback?

OK I'll play. What does your late mother-in-law not driving have to do with her voting?
When you're done with that, please explain the other "held down"/Walker connections.

Keith's absolutely right. The Voter ID law is about keeping his or anyone else's late mother-in-law from voting.

You can't be that much of an idiot Greg. Or...? She didn't have a driver's license.

As for the rest, how can you explain things like this to someone whose into serfing.

Bob can explain that to you what that's like since he doesn't get out of the house.

What Keith's trying to say is that since she didn't have a driver's license, she would be SOL in terms of getting an ID and, hence, be unable to vote because, apparently, no one in her family would have been able to take the time to help her. How she managed to get through the rest of her daily life unassisted without a drivers license is a complete mystery, but for sure she would have been unable to vote.

Republicans - baaadddd. Grassroot lefties - too busy being lefties to help the family.

@Bob: Kind of reminds you of the incident a few years ago in Europe when they had the heat wave and so many elderly people died. Their relatives were all off on holiday and too busy to check in on Grandma. But, yes, they are wonderful socialist paradises with universal healthcare. A true beacon of light for us to emulate. Shameful, really.

I understand what he is trying to say, not that he is doing a very good job of saying it.
Saying that your dead relitive can't vote really is not going to move my position much. I understand most democrats think the dead should be able to vote, as many have, but that just makes a better case for voter ID.
At one point you didn't even need a DL to drive, back when Kieth's MIL was young, but times change. Back then women probably could not vote -preiod-, but times change. Now the law requires you to prove who you are, not dead and all, times have changed. Get over it.

Just to be clear, I am not equating the Right to Vote with the driving privilege. So don't bother jumping on that one. Just using the DL because Kieth's comment used it. I am pretty clear on the other forms of photo ID, that have nothing to do with driving. A death certificate will not be accepted, they don't have photo's.

@ Keith... So you're the one that watches Olbermann. There is a reason his ratings are horrible. It's cause he's NEVER right. He even lies about the college he attended. You have lost all credibility (like you ever had any) if you defend Keith Freak'n Olbermann - The worst person in the world!
Please answer the question: explain how your mother-in-law not having a drivers license has anything do with her ability to vote?
By the way Keith; you are a hypocrite of the worst kind. You accuse me of making assumptions about you and then in the same rant you make assumptions about me. By I guess, in typical liberal fashion, those rules only apply to other people and not you. Keep it up Keith, you are well on your way to take over Olbermann's spot as "Worst Person in the World." Although, we may expand it for you.

The vote to allow Keith's MIL to vote:
The key vote came on June 4, 1919, when the Senate approved the amendment by 56 to 25 after four hours of debate, during which Democratic Senators opposed to the amendment filibustered to prevent a roll call until their absent Senators could be protected by pairs. The Ayes included 36 (82%) Republicans and 20 (54%) Democrats. The Nays comprised 8 (18%) Republicans and 17 (46%) Democrats. It was ratified by sufficient states in 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment, which prohibited state or federal gender-based restrictions on voting.
Thank god for the republicans, people like Keith would never have given her the right in the first place.