So, where is Chris Larson anyway?
The South Shore state senator won’t say, but he did tell the Journal Sentinel in an interview Thursday afternoon why he and other state senators boycotted a potential vote on the union-busting proposal from the governor.
From the story:
State Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) said Thursday afternoon that Democratic senators had left the Capitol out of frustration over Republican legislative leaders’ refusal to discuss meaningful revisions to Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed elimination of most collective bargaining rights for public employees.
Larson said the hope was that by leaving the Capitol, Republicans might agree to negotiations on the measure, which Walker included as part of a state budget repair bill.
“You saw this huge outpouring of support” from the public against Walker’s union measure, yet majority Republicans have been unwilling to budge on revisions, Larson said.
“They shot down debate when people had a right to be heard,” Larson said, referring to the 3 a.m. Wednesday cutoff of public testimony before the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee.
(Update: Larson told the Bay View Compass he was in Illinois.)
I congratulate Chris and his Democratic colleagues for taking a stand on principle, for standing on the fact that negotiation is the best and only reasonable path here, that ramming through a proposal to kill public unions with just a few days of debate is simply wrong.
As others have said today, it’s simply un-Wisconsin. We all deserve better.
I say this being married to a public school teacher who absolutely is not getting fat on pay and benefits. Far from it. With a master’s degree and more than 10 years of real-world experience, she could easily earn more in the private sector but chooses to teach because she is dedicated to a greater good: shaping young minds. And she is great at it.
So for anyone to suggest otherwise — that it’s time for her to somehow “pay her fair share” — is simply not willing to know the truth here, and Republican talking points suffice.
Would I, and she, support negotiated cuts in pay and benefits for public workers? Probably. But the key word is negotiated, not through the strong-arm, union-busting tactics like those on display from Madison Republicans right now.
It’s disgraceful … and it’s right that Senate Democrats are doing what it takes to call attention to it.
These lawmakers are doing what they need to do to right a wrong, and I stand behind them.
South Milwaukee Blog 
Chris Larsen should get his *** back to Madison and vote like a man.
Blame our previous gov. for the mess that we are in now. We do not have months and months for collective bargaining. I do support the teachers/operations staff at our SM schools and whatever funding cuts hit our school system, they should be reflected in cuts at the top – the fat cat administrators with their 6 figure salaries.
agreed
I can’t wait for election time because I will do everything in my power to assure you don’t get reelected. Not only your democratic views but the fact you oppose Walmart ( a job creating business with a tax revenue base ) to protect a half closed businesses like Kmart which isn’t even in South Milwaukee.
Doesn’t Matter: To set the record straight, I consider myself a centrist Democrat, liberal on some issues (like unions) and conservative on others (like immigration and other social issues). And I have never come out against Walmart. Quite the contrary. I continue to keep an open mind on that issue. I’ve heard much more support than opposition to that plan so far, and I am inclined to support it at this point.
no one is running against Erik!!
There’s a stark difference in how you go about affecting change in Wisconsin:
Rational Adults:
Legitimately elect new legislators
Irrational Spoiled Children:
Illegally call in sick inconveniencing parents and robbing students of class time
Throw a tantrum at the State Capitol using tired 50-year old union protest slogans and thug tactics
Democrat Senators flee the state with their tails between their legs to hide from doing their job
Can you imagine the outrage if the republicans pulled this stunt?
You mean like the daily use of the filibuster that has been going on in Washington for the last few years? Yeah, Republicans are bigger than these tactics…
All the Dems need to get their keesters back to Madison and VOTE! They’ve closed MPS and thrown our kids under the bus, because they can! Don’t mess with the kids, then Mama Badger’s claws come out!!!
I love teachers, but I hate their pit-bull union. Keep in mind that only 15% of the state is unionized. Call (if you can get through) or e-mail (better) your Dem and put in the subject line GET BACK TO WORK and be sure to let the Dems know that you are a VOTER!
Mama Badger: I just posted a new blog item disagreeing with teacher sickouts as a tactic here. I agree with you on this point — they should be at work educating our kids.
And I’ll watch out for your claws 🙂
Senator,
You need to get your butt to Madison and do what we pay you to do. Shame on you for putting your tail between your legs and hiding. Do your job. I am ashamed of our democratic senators right now.
Tea Party groups plan to show their support for Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill as they scheduled a rally for Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. at the State Capitol South Entrance.
More info here: http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/116450723.html
We’ll see if the union shows up – they normally take off on weekends…
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Our senators have a job to do. According to most civics text books that is to propose, debate and vote on legislation. None of that is being done while hiding in Illinois. It seems to me that they are acting like spoiled children. They are losing the ball game so they are picking up their ball and going home. It’s hard to believe that grown men and women are in hiding like fugitives from justice or overthrown dictators. Like the teachers in certain districts, these senators are not doing the job they were hired to do and therefore should not be paid – or fired. I am really ashamed of Sen. Larson by participating in this. He knows well that he replaced a good senator who wanted to work for and with ALL people, not because his constituent despised him, but because of a fluke in the primary system.
On a side note, it is actually humorous that the democrats are saying there is no “discussion”. These are the same people that were trying to force through the legislation in the closing minutes of the last session AFTER the PEOPLE clearly told them in November that they were tired of these types of handout and wanted the budget fixed.
Didn’t Doyle pass a billion dollar tax increase in his last budget without any public comments allowed?? I think 17 hours of public comments was very generous.
Melanie: Doyle wasn’t right in doing that either. In fact, I was far from a loyal Doyle supporter when he was in office. I have never been one to support a politician simply because of the letter after his name (D or R). While I would lean Democratic, I identify with Republicans on at least some issues. And, no matter what the issue, I always try my best to serve the 4th District and its residents. There is a reason aldermanic races are non-partisan.
Non-partisan?? Erik, you know there is no such thing!!
Indeed, I take that back. In the times we live in, you are right. Everything is partisan. And it’s unfortunate.
Sorry but there is NO excuse for the Dems running out – makes it look like they are nothing but big babies. The majority of people in this state spoke when they voted in Walker – why do liberals keep ignoring that very important issue? Why is it when liberals lose they get mad at everyone else and try to appeal while when a conservative initiative loses the liberals tell the conservatives “too bad, deal with it, the votes from the people are loud and clear”. Walker IS NOT trying to do away with all unions – merely trying to get a handle on what they shoud be doing. Great – negotiate your wages and threaten a damn strike – none of us get to do that as normal members of the working class in Wisconsin..However you have NO right to demand that my tax dollars go to your very inexpensive health care and retirment fund – especially when you are a teacher working only 9 months out of a year (oh wait, less than that now that so many of them have taken the last few days off). Get a grip on reality and start paying like the rest of us. If you agree to these concessions at al like you claim then you would not worry about future benefit bargaining options because you would finally understand that the rest of us DO NOT WANT TO PAY FOR YOUR FREE BENEFITS. When the hell would you ever think of paying for mine? Oh, let me guess, that is not in the union handbook of teachers to worry about anyone else but themselves.
Does anyone know how much of the Wisconsin working population are in a union? (just asking)