I got to interview State Senator Jon Erpenbach of the Wisconsin 14 during his visit to Colorado. You'll hear why he is convinced Scott Walker will be recalled, why this is akin to a 'corporate hostile takeover of Wisconsin', how it relates to Occupy Wall Street, and why we must stop this type of corporate politics now before it is spread to other states.
First of all, Senator Erpenbach believes very much in the ability of the people to recall the Governor:
Q - Do you feel the recall effort of Governor Scott Walker will be successful?
A - Absolutely, I do. I've been all over Wisconsin, several times since returning from Illinois, and the passion is still there.
People wonder, that, well, the big protests are done - but its just the opposite, the people are very engaged, and once you become engaged and once you stand up and say 'look we are just not going to take this anymore' that's step 1... and now what you see with Occupy Wall Street, the fact that they are trying to hold corporations accountable, not gauge them, just hold them accountable, that's not asking for too much, and you see people, thousands of people all across the nation, Occupying Wallstreet, Occupying this, Occupying that, simply because they are just not going to take it anymore.
On the 'hostile corporate takeover of Wisconsin':
Q - What Governor Walker has done is not just political, is it a corporate takeover?
A - It is, I coined the phrase a 'hostile corporate takeover of Wisconsin', that's what we are seeing. They're weakening the unions and getting rid of the public employees ... then the corporations come behind that and once the public employees are laid off, the municipalities will have to contract out for those jobs. That's where the corporations are making their money.
People think this is Scott Walker's agenda, its not, he's just a puppet.
It's a corporate agenda put together in boardrooms across the country to help corporations increase their bottom line.
Why we should all be paying close attention to the recall and removal of Scott Walker:
Q - If Scott Walker is not recalled do you see this spreading to other states?
A - You're seeing it in other states - other Republican Governors are taking a step back to see if Walker is successful. If he is, they are going to plow forward (with the same agenda) if not they will pull back.
Incidentally,
this interview was from before the recall petitions began circulation, so Senator Erpenbach's enthusiasm about the recall effort was before we all heard that recall signatures have been coming in at a rate of 1000 per hour and that in less than 2 weeks there are already half the number of signatures needed to force a recall
I want to thank Senator Erpenbach for his time and the entire Wisconsin 14 for being brave enough to leave the State and to defy this 'puppet' governor's corporate takeover of Wisconsin.
Doesn't he know that the Packers are owned by the people? What was he thinking?
Well whatever it is, he will have plenty of time to think about that when he is defeated in the special election next year.
I don't know who will be challenging Walker in the recall election, but Senator Erpenbach seems like one of many worthy candidates.
To those circulating petitions in Wisconsin, keep it up! Don't listen to the intimidation from the GOP operatives, they are only stooping low because they are on the ropes.
Your work, and your vote next year will send a powerful message to the Koch brothers about what happens when they try to stomp on the 'little people'
Here is some extra video from Ed Schultz on the huge number of signatures already gathered. Keep it up!
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