Wisconsin Senate Dems Afraid of Debate
April 24th, 2007
Sick leave perk, hell. The Senate Democrats can’t justify collecting their base salary.
They ran away, again, today.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2007
Senate Democrats Take Their Ball And Go Home…Again
Breske Sends Senate Home Without Finishing Work Rather Than Vote On Sick Leave Reform
[Madison, Wisc….] For the second consecutive week, Senate Democrats closed up shop early and sent the Senate home without completing its work.
“I’m not sure how Senate Democrats can justify to the taxpayers who pay their salaries why they’ve quit work early two weeks in a row,” Senate Republican Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R - Juneau) said. “The people sent us here to do a job, not pack our bags and leave if we don’t like what someone’s talking about on the Senate floor. Senate Democrats have again cut and run from the Senate floor rather than hold a vote on eliminating the unnecessary sick leave perk elected officials receive.”
Last week, Senator Judy Robson (D - Beloit) sent the Senate home early rather than hold a vote on whether or not elected officials should receive a special sick leave benefit not available to private sector workers.
Today, Senate Democrats again avoided casting a vote on whether or not they should receive this special perk, as Senator Roger Breske (D -Eland) asked the Senate to close up shop at 2:30 in the afternoon, this time in the middle of the debate on a Senate resolution honoring Wisconsin soldiers deployed overseas as part of the Global War on Terror.
“In my twelve years in the State Senate I have never seen a majority - Republican or Democrat - so afraid of debate and discussion on the Senate floor as the Senate Democrats are this session,” Fitzgerald said.
“They need to stop the games and start showing up prepared to do a full day’s work in the State Senate. Senate Republicans are ready and willing to do our jobs debating taxes, health care and government reform
on the Senate floor. We’d love to see the Senate Democrats join us rather than slam the doors on debate and open government whenever they feel like it.”
April 24th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
I’m sorry I was in such a rush when I read your post this afternoon. I must have missed the sentence where you compared this with the number of times the issue was debated in the John Gard Assembly.
April 24th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
I really don’t give a rats ass what the “John Gard Assembly” did or didn’t do. This is about the current Democrat controlled Senate leadership.
Why don’t you speak to that Grumps? But just like the Dems in the Senate, you would prefer to ignore the discussion on whether or not this perk should remain.
This should NOT be a perk and avoiding even the discussion of it is a disgrace.
April 24th, 2007 at 8:29 pm
Let us not also forget that the Democrat controlled Senate refuses to bring up the Frankenstein veto or voter ID. Is this a pattern?
April 25th, 2007 at 6:59 am
“In my twelve years in the State Senate I have never seen a majority - Republican or Democrat - so afraid of debate and discussion on the Senate floor as the Senate Democrats are this session,” Fitzgerald said.
Oh, so the R’s refusing to discuss ethics and campaign reform isn’t an equivalent? I say double their salaries and eliminate the tips (the campaign contributions they get from special interests).
Pay them well but demand an honest government (and that’s about as nonpartisan as you can get).
April 25th, 2007 at 9:24 am
This is such a hilarious issue I felt the need to include it in my own newsletter:
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This right-wing Blog by Republican consultant Brian Fraley — a former caucus staffer when the sparks were flying — just doesn’t seem to get it. The sick leave benefits should indeed be leveled to private industry standards, but so should the political ethics. Most corporations forbid their purchasing agents from taking money from vendors, while our political system virtually demands it!
I favor doubling their salary and eliminating the tips, the tens of thousands of dollars legislators take in from special interests seeking government favors (read that: taxpayer cash!). By Sen. Alberta Darling’s count the sick leave is costing $3 million per year. By WDC’s count the privately funded elections is costing $4 billion per year (or thereabouts) in taxpayer favors to the special interests that fund the elections.
I’d take the former over the latter any day, but the Republicans refuse to talk campaign reform. The former costs $1300 per taxpayer per year and the Clean Money program would cost less than $5. It would also level the playing field for challengers, and the last thing in the world politicians want is a level playing field.
That’s why this next election must “term limit” those who oppose or block campaign reform, and at this point it means more Republicans than Democrats. Once we have politicians beholden to the taxpayers, I simply won’t care which party is in power.
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April 25th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
Hmmm…Where is the “remove” button to stop receiving these newsletters? I thought that was a requirement for JUNK emailings?
April 25th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
If you are receiving my newsletters, and you can read, the remove function is at bottom. Always has been and always will be. If you can’t read ask a child for help.
April 25th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
What a doorknob Jack. I was talking about your posting above.
April 25th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
If you were not talking about MY newsletter that I mentioned above, I clearly missed your point.
April 25th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Clearly