Governor Scott Walker and his henchmen have, for months, attempted to characterize the cuts coming to state employees as rather modest and insignificant. We decided to try to put faces on the cuts and make a statement about the ridiculous attitude and economically dangerous policies of Governor Walker. The statement I read outside Governor Walker's office before delivering 70 pounds of peanuts to his office yesterday is below. Unsurprisingly, no one was available to come speak with us and receive the worker's peanuts that symbolize Walker's flippant characterization of the the cuts taken by public employees starting yesterday, August 25th. Nothing more than peanuts. I left a written note for the Governor explaining the peanuts and demanding restoration of collective bargaining rights
The event was covered by WTDY radio and NBC 15, who provided two interviews. Thanks to everyone who came. It was a blast. I think the best part was sneaking the wheelbarrow full of peanuts around the Capitol Police who were far too fixated on the gathering Solidarity Singers to notice us get into and out of the elevator. Once we were set up they didn't really know what was going on or what to do.
Afterward, we joined a rousing session of the Solidarity Sing Along with over 100 of my brothers and sisters. We also went back later to make sure they hadn't thrown the peanuts away. They were put into large trash bags and put behind the security desk. I told them that if the Governor decides he doesn't want them, we would take them back and donate them to a shelter, or he could do the same as long as he did so in our name.
Today Wisconsin State employees will receive their first paycheck that reflects Governor Walker's mandated increases in health insurance and pension contributions. These increased contributions are not peanuts. They are a significant sacrifice to state and public workers and will have a damaging effect on local and small businesses, and our communities across the state of Wisconsin. According to the Institute for Wisconsin’s Future these cuts will result in the loss of about $660 million in employee income and the loss of about 9,900 private sector jobs. Many public workers will be losing anywhere from $4-6,000 dollars every year. The obvious result will be less spending in the state. Workers have already been working on figuring out where they can cut back. Some will have no choice but to leave state employment to seek higher paying employment. A loss of quality professionals in state employment will lower the standards of service we have all become accustomed to.
From the first day taking office, Governor Walker has sought to divide this state. Public vs. private, union vs. non-union, management vs. labor, Dane County vs. the state, rich vs. poor, Republican vs. Democrat, the haves vs the have nots. What the Governor may not fully understand is that when it comes to quality service to the citizens of this state, we are all on the same team no matter the divisions he has tried to create. State employees who are members of Council One, or any other union take great pride in their work and service to the public and will continue to do so.
State workers are willing to make sacrifices in hard times, but didn't believe they need to have their rights taken away to balance the budget. While they don't like the cuts, what they dislike even more was that the Governor was unwilling to come to the table and talk with them face to face, and then use their sacrifice to help pay for handouts to wealthy corporations. Instead the Governor chose to divide and pursue a union-busting agenda to please his wealthy benefactors and the Republican Party bosses.
The Governor and his friends labeled state workers as the “haves” and said these cuts are modest and are not as bad as what everyone makes them out to be. The Governor believes these cuts amount to peanuts for workers. State workers know that these cuts are real and significant and will have profound effects on them, their families, and communities.
If what the Governor wants is just peanuts, we will give him peanuts, but state workers want their rights back. We trust that he will share these peanuts with his friends in the legislature, the Club for Growth and the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce.
Sun Aug 28, 2011 at 7:23 PM PT: Just did some quick calculating. My diary entry was titled 70 pounds... because I just estimated what I had purchased for the governor. Upon closer examination, I'm a pretty fair estimator. Turned out to be exactly 72.81 pounds. And now you all know how much it takes to fill a wheel barrow!