The effort to recall Wisconsin Governor Walker is likely to fail because the average voter does not have retirement pension and medical benefits which equal those held by Wisconsin’s public sector workers. That voter also knows that those public sector benefits are underfunded, and that new taxes on him will be needed to provide those benefits.
The argument that salary levels can be the subject of bargaining, but that retiree pensions and medical insurance should be determined actuarily from contributions and investment returns, makes sense to the average voter.
This election is not about union busting; it’s about sound financial management.
Rolf Westgard
St. Paul
Editor’s note: This letter was received the day after the recall election.
Bremer: take action to end hunger now
Hunger impacts so many people, including many neighbors in our own community.
It also deeply impacts children. Overall, one in five children living in the United States, is at risk of going hungry. In Minnesota alone, one child in eight is at risk of missing a meal today.
At Bremer Bank, we think that is just one child too many, which is why we are hosting our seventh “Taking Action to End Hunger” campaign during the month of June. This year, we are again matching all donations dollar-for-dollar, up to $50,000. You can donate online at Bremer.com or at any Bremer Bank location. One hundred percent of donations collected are distributed to local Feeding America food banks in Bremer communities.
Another easy way to make a donation is to visit youtube.com/bremerbanks and watch the “Step Up to End Hunger” video. Bremer is donating a $1 for every view of the video to the campaign up to 15,000 views!
Make a donation today and help Bremer Bank raise money to provide food and grocery products that local Feeding America food banks will use to feed hungry children in our neighborhoods. Bremer’s vision is to build healthy communities through partnerships. With your help we are closer each year to achieving that vision, which certainly includes ending hunger. Together, we can make a huge difference!
Mike Riley, president,
Bremer Bank Brainerd
Comments (18)
Add commentTiming of letters
The above letter was sent on June 4 before the election. The letter was updated to say "failed" the day after the election. The outcome was not hard to predict as the polls averaged the 6-7 point margin for Walker.
Rolf Westgard
And the out-of-state big
And the out-of-state big money boys and girls were sending truckloads of cash to their boy. Now watch what happens in other states with cons for governor.
Does anyone really believe that they are doing this for the good of the country or the American worker?
Obama supporter who opposed recall
It still comes down to how retirement benefits are funded. It's employee/employer contributions plus investment returns.
If you have to add extra taxes, you lose the voters, except for the ones receiving the benefits.
Public employees are not the enemy
FISHHEAD has it right. There they are in Wisconsin, worrying whether or not Joe Teacher/Fireman/Street worker should make a living wage while the big boys like Adelson, Koch and Sorros give millions and millions in elections where they have no presence otherwise.... and I have to ask...do those big boys deduct those millions and millions they give to political candidates as CHARITABLE GIVING? The taxes those folks are escaping may be a good chunk worth of what Wisconsin is wanting to peel off the public workers....
Rolf,
stripping public sector and teacher unions of collective bargaining rights and, in essence, making WI a 'right to work' state, isn't union busting? (Of course, police and fire-fighter unions are immune).
The new norm eye..
When those who die in the saddle, there will be more than enough willing to take their place. Call it the new norm if you will. Just like selling the voter base that the price of gas is down at 3.50/gal but really it is still high from 2.50/gal.
eyolf
The Milwaukee school district is one of the worst in the country in terms of graduation rates and your worried about the fact that they might make $5,000 less than the average?
According to the WSJ, it is true that the Republicans did spend more than the Democrats BUT the Democrats had a far more effective grass-roots effort in place. Combine that with the fact that 37% of the UNION households voted for Walker.
So maybe the constant hum-drum about money doesn't account for the entire story. Maybe the people of Wisconsin aren't as stupid as leftists make them out to be.
Welcome home Rolf!
Public employees are not the enemy
But their retirement benefits, like any other employee's, have to be funded. And you do that with contributions plus investment returns. If you negotiate benefits that exceed that, something else has to pay. In the case of public employees, that something else is the taxpayer.
That's why a lot of these retirement deals are being renegotiated around the country.
Negotiate the salaries and contribution levels and leave the benefit calculations to the actuaries. Otherwise you have the trillion dollar mess that local and state governments now face.
Zachnos,
You are definately correct "Public Employees are not the Enemy" but neither is private business. The Democrats continually attack the private sector. The Democrats cry out that they are for small business, the middle class and the working man. They are not, because I am a small business man, middle class and a working man but because I'm management I have been declared the enemy by the Democrats. Just remember, as a small businessman, I have no "safety net" and if I go under I'm through and unfortunately so are my employees.
welcome to the new USA
It used to be that you got a good education, and hopefully started your own business, or tied in with a good company, and made enough to support your family.
Now - you end up with massive college debt and take a job that is under your skill level. You hope for health insurance.
If all goes well you and your mate work your [filtered word] off and hope no one gets laid off. You hope you stay well and you can afford your medical bills. You hope you can keep your home.
Welcome to America where the poor get poorer and the middle class struggles to keep up. The rich get richer.
A rising tide raises all yachts.
what's wrong with this picture??????????????
LLR - I empathize. The Democrats hate what is going on with small businesses. Really. You might have more business if the middle class had money in it's pocket.
Bush tax cuts
Why not let the Bush tax cuts expire for the yacht owners?
Whats up with this??
If what I heard is right the AFSCME is going to spend 100 million on this years elections? REALLY
Snow I myself never thought somebody could wreck the country like Rolfs man Carter but I just might have to agree with Lifelong on Obama being the WORST ever.
Rolf sorry about the Carter thing but just could'nt resist. YOU sure do like to get your fan base stirred up & I agree with you 110%. Now off fishing Good Day
More on public employee retirement funds in NYT today
Please go to the New York Times web site this AM, or buy the paper, for the headline story on what happened in South Carolina as they tried to meet the big shortfall in the state employee pension fund.
I understand the city of Duluth alone is a few hundred million short, part of the $1-3 trillion gap for state and local employees in the total US.
REW
Rolf
"Why not let the Bush tax cuts expire for the yacht owners?"
Probably won't work, Rolf. John Kerry (D, Massachusetts) still hasn't paid his state taxes on his yacht which he conveniently docks in neighboring Rhode Island. But, he only owes a half million so I'm sure it's just an oversight. He would have paid them before he wouldn't have paid them....or something like that.
Thanks for the pointer on SC.
Good one Trip
I cant believe Rolf didnt have a response for you on that after 6 hrs.
BTW thanks for the laugh on thee little ones the other day. IMO thats what still keeping me kicking. I like to say it is fish but is is not. Sorry Charlie
Voters in San Diego and San Jose approved ballot measures
to roll back municipal retirement benefits. Lawsuits have already been filed in both cities. The court battles are playing out as lawmakers across the U.S. grapple with ballooning pension obligations. In San Diego, the city's payments to its retirement fund soared from $43 million in 1999 to $231.2 million. San Jose's pension payments jumped from $73 million in 2001 to $245 million this year. And you want to leave retirement benefits alone? Didn't our property taxes go up because of funding for teacher's retirement benefits?
Yacht taxes
I traded my yacht for a private jet, so now I'm for taxing yacht owners. Rolf