Common cents

Do you remember the bill of goods sold to you recently about the mining bill in Wisconsin. The one that

Supposedly just makes a few regulatory changes and hurts noone. The one the republican/Walker controlled senate says we have to pass in order to create jobs? "It's about jobs. Wisconsin needs these 800 jobs. How can we sit back and not do anything we can to help create jobs in the current employment conditions?" Do you remember that.

If you believe that bill or anyone in the senate had anything to do with creating jobs, you are sorely mistaken. YOU have been fooled by a publicity stunt geared to generate false support. While the bill will help to create 800 jobs, jobs that could already exist if the mining company had just followed the current regulations, (unless there is something environmentally dangerous to hid which could be disastorous), it also comes with a trade off :

• Increasing the potential for allowing groundwater, the source of most Wisconsinites' drinking water, to be polluted.
• Allowing our most sensitive wetlands to be filled in with mining waste and other materials.
• Capping the amount of money that the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) can collect from a mining company for reviewing their permit. (Which by the way will COST the state MILLIONS)(can you say higher taxes)
• Denying citizens the certainty of contested case hearings. (More accurately, denying individual rights)

So, while the above statements are arguable, it is not my intention here to debate the merits of the mining bill law. Rather I am challenging the premise that the republicans did this solely so they can create jobs. Now, how am I going to do that. Well, first I am NOT going to make unsuported statements of opinion. I am going to present a few facts which challenge the notion that the republican senate is all for job creation.
If the senate is for job creation as they say, then anything that comes across their desks which could  create or save jobs would be fair game for passing. Right? At least anything which would have the same or less potential to do harm to our environment as the mining bill should be passed. Right? I mean, in the interest of jobs?

Well think again. In an article written for the Wisconsin State Journal, Clay Barbour writes the following:

"Buried in a regulatory reform bill proposed by Gov. Scott Walker earlier this week (January) lies a provision that wind energy insiders say could shut down 12 wind farm projects, cost investors billions and essentially kill the industry in the state."
Additionally he writes:
"It would in essence shut down wind energy in the state," said Denise Bode, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association. "It is one of the most onerous regulations we have seen."
Bode said that, if passed, the measure would shut down 12 wind farm projects worth about $1.8 billion. Those projects, which are in various stages of planning, could produce about 950 full-time jobs for one year, she said.
SIDEBAR: That 1.8 Billion would be SPENT in Wisconsin.
SO, there you have it, the senate passes a questionable bill environmentally in order to "Create jobs". About 800 jobs if I remember correctly. But then proposes a bill which will KILL 950+ jobs (did you notice that's more than the mining bill) will have no environmental impact to speak of, and will give us cleaner cheaper energy, completely contrary to the mining bill.
There you have it, they are either lying about the jobs in the mining bill or they are hypocritical, and by they, I mean ANYONE who can think along these same lines.
Can anyone explain to me why republicans and conservatives have a bias against clean energy. The end result here is that instead of having those 950+jobs here and creating clean energy we can sell, you know for money/!, those jobs will go to surrounding, more environmentally friendly states. Then we will have to spend MILLIONS more to make up for what the mining companies are not paying for, we will spend millions more on unemployment for the new and existing jobs already in the wind industry, we will loose BILLIONS in spending in our state which would boost our economy and create thousands of other jobs, and we will have to SPEND MILLIONS more to PURCHASE our energy from the surrounding states.
This is not rocket science here, its not even coal mining science, its common cents.

Links to the article quoted in this blog:
Read more: http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/environment/article_0fbc9ae4-20ad-11e0-91b4-001cc4c03286.html#ixzz1nESSIvnS
Read more:  http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/environment/article_0fbc9ae4-20ad-11e0-91b4-001cc4c03286.html#ixzz1nERzghYb

WELCOME TO OUR WORLD

For those who are not aware,Wisconsin is currently going through some issues with Budget shortfalls, and we need to find ways to save money. Currently our newly elected republican governer has made a proposal regarding public employees, with the exception of Police and Fire employees.Among other things, he has proposed that public employees begin contributing to their pention to the tune of 5.85%, contribute 12% to insurance costs, and he wants to remove the collective bargaining from the negotiation process. This would mean that salary can be negotiated, but not other benefits. Some other things he is proposing involve merit based initiatives so good teachers will get recognized and bad teachers will lose there job. Well as you would expect, teachers are not happy. Protesters have taken to the streets. Both sides are digging in, and in the process, the national conservative talk radio has jumped on the band wagon.
I have issues with everyone involved.
First, I am a privately employed citizen, who has paid well more that 5.85%of my pention. In fact like most, I pay 100% of my pention in the form of an IRA right off the top of what I make. Second I have paid well more than 12|% of my health insurance for my entire working life. I have heard many people claim that because Police and Fire fighters are not a part of this legislation that they must somehow be special.Well, to that I say, what makes the public employees so special that they have not had to pay for these benefits, while I in the private sector have been. I say nothing. Nearly everyone in the private sector lost benefits two years ago, assuming they were lucky enough to keep there job. If we didn't like it we were free to protest while the employer replaced us. People were laid off and their jobs became a part of our jobs. No raise, no vote. Many even took pay cuts to remain employed. Protest all you want public employees, that is your right, but its also your time to suck it up.
Second, lets discuss protesting. In this great country of ours we have freedom of speech. We have the right to take to the streets in peaceful protest of our government. But as a responsible employee, you do not have the right to call in sick to protest. You do not get to walk off the job to protest. Those constitute a failure to be a responsible employee and should be subject to immediate termination. 17% of the unemployed population is waiting to have your job and contribute to their health insurance and pentions in the process. PROTEST ON YOUR OWN TIME.
Now lets deal with the conservative media.You claim that Walker was voted in and the democrates were voted out, and there for he should be allowed to make watever changes he wants. Sorry, you dont allow Obama that type of leeway. Remember, he was voted in in a landmark clearing of the republicans. If someone agrees with you they are smart, intellegent, common, American. Any one who disagrees with you are Liars, idiots, hitlers or natzies. They are un american or terrorists. One talk show host went as far as to say that when the democratic minority in the Wisconsin senate walked out and prevented a vote by exercising their minority party rights in legislature, that they should be arrested.??? Arrested? for behaving well within the law and exercising their constitutional right to freedom of speech. (Protesting) Stay off our band wagon. You don't have the ability to be objective, and you do not have to. You are entitled to your opinion just like everyone else, but I see you for what you are. Hypocrites. STAY OFF OUR BAND WAGON.
Finally, I come from a home where my dad was a teacher all of his career. My opinions here will not be popular with him, My sister and her husband also work in the school system, so my opinions will not be popular there, but you cannot dispute that my opinions here have nothing to do with democratic or republican views, just what I feel is fair and just. Just like 70% of the working private sector employees. I don't expect the people who have been able to benefit over the years by their contracts, to understand. They will protest, they will object, and then, they will need to join the rest of us.
WELCOME TO OUR WORLD
PS. Teachers all say "Its about the children". Well?? If these concessions are not made, teachers WILL lose there jobs and class sizes will go up, ergo, the quality of education will go down. Hmmmmm???????

I think this whole think is an interesting display of democracy in action.