The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

‘Civility’

Posted on | February 18, 2011 | 60 Comments

Ann Althouse: “After all those efforts to paint Tea Partiers as using violent images and rhetoric, these pictures from Madison have got to hurt.” It’s also going to hurt that Democrats are issuing “demands” like … uh, hostage-takers. But as Ace of Spades says, there are times when liberals find a “Climate of Hate” useful.

Here’s an Associated Press video report:

Stephen Hayes of the Weekly Standard points out the irony of the union-orchestrated protests:

According to the state of Wisconsin, the average teacher salary in Wisconsin is $49,093 annually. (With benefits, the average total compensation is $77,857.) With 190 school days per year, Wisconsin public education employees make about $258 per day. So in an effort to avoid contributing to their own pensions and funding 6 percent more of their own health care premiums, teachers have taken unpaid leave to protest and have given up nearly $500 – so far. . . . . What’s more, Wisconsin teachers pay as much as $1100 each year in compulsory union dues. If the legislation passes, they will no longer be required to pay those dues – returning that money to their own pockets.

Maybe the teachers need a refresher course in math. And if Democrats and their union-goon allies think they’re going to win the P.R. battle in Wisconsin, perhaps they ought to heed Neil at Eternity Matters:

Unemployment is stuck at 10% — which means non-union unemployment is much higher — and they think this will improve their reputations?
Poorly performing teachers close at least 15 school districts to go fight for their entitlements? Yeah, that’ll garner a lot of sympathy.
Obama’s campaign arm is in the middle of this? Shocking.

The unemployed, the under-employed and regular folks trying to pay their bills aren’t likely to have a lot of love for people who (a) have jobs, (b) work at taxapayer expense, (c) get paid more money than the average taxpayer, and (d) go on strike because they don’t want to pay a dime toward their own generous benefits.

UPDATE: MSNBC’s obnoxious Ed Schultz broadcast live from the mob scene in Madison last night. Michelle Malkin has compiled important economic facts about the Wisconsin strike. As I explain over at The American Spectator:

It is obvious that if voters and taxpayers pay attention to the facts, Walker wins and the srikers lose . . .
Gov. Walker is being compared to Calvin Coolidge, and that’s an enormous compliment. President Obama and Democrats have placed themselves squarely on the wrong side of the issue.

“On, Wisconsin!”

Category: Ann Althouse, Video, Wisconsin

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