My excellent adventures on KUSI and 6 o’clock early this morning and the Tea Party Press Conference!
Dear Readers: I was blessed to be able to appear on KUSI this morning, for their segment: THE POWER OF THE PUBLIC (click HERE for video).I hope I did well. I think the most important point I make is at about 3:50 into the segment — when I quote FDR that “militant tactics have no place in the functions of any organization of government employees” and then list three specific examples of such tactics being used by public employee union protesters against citizens (Click for #1, #2, and #3 — UPDATE, courtesy of Michelle Malkin we now have #4 — CWA union thug strikes young female FreedomWorks activist).
Leslie Eastman on KUSI in San Diego
The press conference was a real success. We had many members of the local media at the Kearny Mesa Park today. I wanted to share a few of the highlights.
Richard Rider, head of the San Diego Tax Fighters and citizen activist extraordinaire, spear-headed the conference, and was surrounded by many Walker-supporters. The main message: CALIFORNIA STANDS WITH WISCONSIN. Or, at least our tax-payers stand with theirs and their fiscally responsible representatives. We just hope less financially responsible ones don’t flee at a critical point.
Richard had so many excellent points, I hardly know where to start. I urge you all to read his column: Athens in Mad Town — Hopefully coming to your state!. A key point, made often today:
But for me, this union howling is refreshing — and inevitable. The public employee unions are under attack, and they are fighting back with everything they have. And they are alienating folks with their antics.
Anyone expecting these thugs to go quietly into the night is delusional. The battle is joined in Wisconsin, and hopefully will soon be coming to my California state and local governments.
Since our state government is controlled by Democrats, the legislative process is an unlikely avenue for major reform. That leaves us the initiative process — and that’s where the next big state fight is coming.
The first epic battle will be over “Paycheck Protection” — a proposition to get government out of collecting political dues for public employee labor unions (it will not affect private labor unions)
Richard Rider of San Diego Taz Fighters
If the support Richard received from the dozen of regular citizens who attended is any indication, the Wisconsin union tactics have backfired from sea to shining sea. I am sure more would have come, if one of our many Tea Party doctors set-up a medical fraud booth. However, we regular citizens play by the rules.
Rhonda Deniston came to represent the Stop Taxing Us organization: She gave an impassioned speech in support of Governor Scott Walker and the Wisconsin legislatures trying to pass a budget reform bill. For me, her money quote was: “Obama said that Wisconsin was attacking the unions. It is the American taxpayers’ wallets that are being attacked by public employee unions, with lavish pay and benefits that are the result of collective bargaining.”
Rhonda Deniston of Stop Taxing Us
I had the pleasure of meeting both Kenneth and Lynn Happel today, as they were representing Vista Tea Party Patriots. Ken had a zinger-filled speech that proves Americans are well prepared to handle public employee union leaders intimidation and insults. The money-quote from Ken: “Collective bargaining is unfair, especially as people doing that collective bargaining are paid more for their work than the tax-payers paying their salary. Unions are the oppressors.”
Oppression, indeed! Here is some interesting data to note, from Chris Edwards of the CATO Institute: During the last decade, compensation of federal employees rose much faster than compensation of private-sector employees. As a consequence, the average federal civilian worker now earns twice as much in wages and benefits as the average worker in the U.S. private sector. A recent job-to-job comparison found that federal workers earned higher wages than did private-sector workers in four-fifths of the occupations examined.
MUT with Kenneth Happel of the Vista Tea Party Patriots
I had a chance to talk to two participants for a bit, which was a real treat! Amy gave me the quote that I used for the title. Claire from Poway, who came over from the Philippines many years ago, was an enthusiastic attendee. She is typical of many naturalized citizens, being passionate about her liberties and supportive of the free market. She summed up the reason for the press conference nicely: “Governor Walker was elected to do exactly what he did. That is what he campaigned on. The unions are interfering with our democracy. This is bad for Wisconsin, and it will bad for California if the unions get away with it. I am praying Walker succeeds.”
Claire from Poway
Interestingly, some California representatives are ahead of the curve on this matter. Assemblyman Allan Mansoor (R-Costa Mesa) just introduced a measure that would eliminate public employees’ ability to collectively bargain for pension benefits. The California Taxpayer Caucus in our state’s legislature will be announced.Needless to say, Californians have their work cut out for them. We really need Wisconsin for inspiration.
One last note: I am sorely tempted to compare our signage with that of our opponents. After all, it was the SEIU Head that said in September 2009: Anti-American teabagging extremists need to elevate their discourse.Good times are just ahead, my friends.
Well this morning the Madison WI legislature voted 51-17 to limit public union collective bargaining. So much for the FleeBaggers stopping the will of the people.