Ozaukee Patriots Tea Party Group Heading to Madison for Protest

Members of the Ozaukee Patriots, a Wisconsin tea party group, plan to join other groups on Saturday in a counterprotest at the State Capitol.

"(We are going) to support the actions of the governor who is fulfilling the campaign promises that helped him get elected in the office," said Joanne Terry, the founder of the group. "And we agree with those."

Gov. Scott Walker's budget-repair bill calls for most public employees to pay higher costs for health care and to contribute more to their pensions. It also eliminates most collective bargaining rights.

Thousands of people have gathered at the state Capitol the past few days to protest Walker's bill. A rally to support the governor is set for noon Satuday and many tea party groups from around the state are expected to attend.

To avoid voting, all the Democratic State Senators were missing, and most left the state.  All that was needed one Democratic senator to vote to pass the bill, but Walker announced Thursday afternoon that he would delay the unveiling of the bill for at least another week.

Carol Boettcher, of the Town of Cedarburg and a member of the Ozaukee Patriots, agreed with Terry's reasons for heading to Madison.

"The voters of Wisconsin spoke in November, and that is what I’m going there to support," she said.

As far as the teachers not showing up to work and the Democrats fleeing the state, Boettcher said that did not make her a happy camper.

"The teachers whose salary I pay via the state ... have just given me, their employer, the proverbial finger," she said. "They need to go back to work ... to do it for the children because the children need an education."