Union Protests Cost Wisconsin Taxpayers $9 Million

The union protests in Wisconsin will cost taxpayers an estimated $9 million.

And, that’s not counting the trash cleanup.
The Blaze reported:

Wisconsin’s McIver Institute has been closely following the developments in Madison over the last week as government workers rally to protect their collective bargaining privileges against state budget cuts. But as teachers have abandoned their classrooms to picket at the state capitol, the state’s taxpayers are the ones paying the real price.

In Milwaukee, public school teachers who skipped out on work to engage in the protest have earned an estimated $3 million while not teaching students in Wisconsin’s largest school district.

Similarly, in Madison, a school district closed for three days due to teacher shortages, the district stands to lose about $2.7 million. To close the school on Monday alone, McIver estimates the school district paid more than $900,000.

#1 February 22, 2011 at 9:32 am
Ed commented:

Sen. Rand Paul’s National Right to Work Act petition. sign it!

http://righttoworkcommittee.org/rprtwa_petition.aspx?pid=th3c
#2 February 22, 2011 at 9:34 am
Peggy R commented:

While I don’t disagree with McIver, wasn’t yesterday a public holiday in WI?
#3 February 22, 2011 at 9:38 am
dwd commented:

So we have the right to peaceful assembly… but that doesn’t include leaving piles of crap behind like animals.
#4 February 22, 2011 at 9:40 am
averagemelon commented:

Gives new meaning to the word “dirtbag”.
#5 February 22, 2011 at 9:40 am
avery commented:

Fired enough Union member to make up the Diff.
#6 February 22, 2011 at 9:47 am
MTLassen commented:

1. Examine all absences from work.
2. If absent public employees took sick days, examine the video footage and their doctor notes.
3. If they engaged in fraudulent activities to deceive their employers, fire them.
4. If licensed doctors engaged in medical fraud for the purposes of defrauding employers of sick leave, file charges against the doctors.
4. If the evidence does not support fraud, but the employees can’t prove they were legitimately out sick, dock their pay and put a written “last chance” reprimand in their personnel files.

It ain’t rocket science.
#7 February 22, 2011 at 9:52 am
IronDioPriest commented:

A President with balls would carpet bomb the Somali capital and announce publicly that every act of piracy will be followed by the same. Force them to eat their own vomit if that’s what it takes to clean it up.

As far as I’m concerned the entire Somali population is not worth the lives of four American citizens.
#8 February 22, 2011 at 9:52 am
Rachelle commented:

Oh well, judging by the reports, the Wisconsin public schools are failures when it comes to teaching anyhow. Closing them will reduce the power and garbage bills without any significant impact on the level of ignorance of the students.

Getting a look at the ‘teachers’ in these mobs, I can see why Wisconsin schools can’t educate anyone.
#9 February 22, 2011 at 9:53 am
IronDioPriest commented:

Oops, wrong thread somehow….

;^P
#10 February 22, 2011 at 9:54 am
IronDioPriest commented:

carry on…..
#11 February 22, 2011 at 9:56 am
archtop commented:

#3 February 22, 2011 at 9:38 am
dwd commented:

“So we have the right to peaceful assembly but that doesnt include leaving piles of crap behind like animals.”

Actually, this is just another morality lesson for our children from the teacher’s union. When, in the future, the students throw trash on the classroom floor and on school grounds, they can just smile at the teachers and say “you taught me well…”.
#12 February 22, 2011 at 10:03 am
clarityrising commented:

so, just because they have a right to protest, does that mean they have to be paid? If I missed work to protest, I wouldn’t get paid; my choice. But because they are union the rules are different? If so, must be nice to have such protected status.
#13 February 22, 2011 at 10:06 am
Granny commented:

That isn’t counting the extra days that will be added to the end of the school calender to meet the state teaching days requirements.

And by the way, the union is has a big, BIG financial stake in this. It seems that the teachers unions in Wisconsin stipulate that teacher health insurance has to be purchased from a specific company – theirs!

Walker’s office issued a statement Monday giving its examples of how collective bargaining wastes taxpayer money. It noted that if state teachers weren’t forced to get their health insurance through the teachers’ union company, Wisconsin Education Association Trust, that could save the state $68 million per year.

“Currently, many school districts participate in WEA Trust because WEAC collectively bargains to get as many school districts across the state to participate in this union-run health insurance plan as possible. Union leadership benefits from members participating in this plan,” the governor’s office said. “If school districts had the flexibility to look for health insurance coverage outside of WEA Trust or the state plan, additional savings would likely be realized.”

Follow the MONEY! The unions are not just extorting the taxpayer and forcing public employees to spend OUR money to pay kickbacks to the union, they are collecting still more of our money under the guise of providing “health insurance.”
#14 February 22, 2011 at 10:09 am
Kadie Hicks commented:

Huh…so are the union going to reimburse the State of Wis for the cost of clean-up & security needed?
#15 February 22, 2011 at 10:11 am
patman commented:

It’s like watching someone abandon a shopping cart at the entrance of a grocery store.

Regardless of the inconvenience to others, the mentality is that some peon will pick it up so the end justifies the means. Job created…

Smashing shop windows means a glass repairman will have a job, so that’s a good thing.

Get it?
#16 February 22, 2011 at 10:16 am
timwi commented:

What about the cost for 24 hour babysitting for these squatters from police? What is the cost? Can anyone find out?
#17 February 22, 2011 at 10:29 am
mg4us commented:

Does anyone know if the Madison Sanitation Department is unionized? Maybe all that trash is so the Sanitation Department gets overtime. .

Seriously, this is a disgrace. . .

Yes people have a right to free assembly but not to leave a mess behind and destroy the environment for others. And these are so called “teachers”? Just what kind of values are they teaching our kids?

Contrast this to the Million Plus Tea Party Patriots who gathered in DC almost two years ago. . no trash left behind, orderly conduct,

hmmmm. . wonder if any of them are available to teach?
#18 February 22, 2011 at 10:38 am
Granny commented:

#17 “hmmmm. . wonder if any of them are available to teach?”

Teach in the PUBLIC schools? Run by the Unions? Curriculum dictated by leftist/progressive agenda? No history? No spelling? A math “curriculum” that obliterates 1 + 1 = 2?

Nah – we’re all too busy teaching Homeschool students. You know, the ones that win the awards, take home the championships, can read before they are 7 and actually learn to add and subtract. . . .
#19 February 22, 2011 at 10:52 am
wanumba commented:

#13 February 22, 2011 at 10:06 am
Granny commented:

And by the way, the union is has a big, BIG financial stake in this. It seems that the teachers unions in Wisconsin stipulate that teacher health insurance has to be purchased from a specific company – theirs!
……….

You mentioned that yesterday and because of that, this caught the eye at the chart today posted by Michelle Malkin on the Top Ten Lobbying Organizations (Wisconsin) had No. 1 Wisconsin Education Association and Wisconsin Insurance Alliance as No. 2.

http://michellemalkin.com/

Hmmm hmmm!
#20 February 22, 2011 at 10:57 am
Militant Conservative commented:

therein is the difference between the TPM and this union goon mentality.

I spent a vacation day to go to the TPM events. I took out the trash I brought or disposed of it properly. I paid my own way and needed no one to bus me in or give me marching orders.

powder is dry.
#21 February 22, 2011 at 11:01 am
MikeMose commented:

The Unions strike against every taxpayer in the country!
#22 February 22, 2011 at 11:11 am
Don commented:

It’s just taxpayer money so who cares? Just raise taxes on the EVIL rich people…problem solved.
#23 February 22, 2011 at 11:14 am
Ed commented:

send the cleanup bill to the White House. seriously, as soon as the cleanup cost is known send a bill to the white house and Gov. Walker should be in front of a camera and ask Obama to pay for it since it’s Obama’s communist arm that escalated the protests by busing in outsiders to meddle with an internal state matter. since Obama doesn’t want to perform his constitutional duties let him pay for the clean up cost. that goes for all states that will go through the same protests organized by Obama.
#24 February 22, 2011 at 11:22 am
Granny commented:

#19 wanumba – Three other organizations on that list are health care/insurance related too.
#25 February 22, 2011 at 11:46 am
Mark1957 commented:

There are reports that Indiana Dems have fled the state today. Rush is talking about it now and Drudge report confirms this also. Ohio should round up their Dems before they can run.
#26 February 22, 2011 at 11:53 am
Ruth B commented:

The longer we wait the cheaper it will be. The clean up crew will be making less next month. If we are lucky Walker will abolish minimum wage next. Then fire them all and hire illegal aliens for $1.50/hr
#27 February 22, 2011 at 12:02 pm
Airon Later commented:

You guys really could use some perspective when voicing “concern” over usage of tax payer dollars. Are you more upset with the perceived cost of this protest or the actual cost of the needless occupation of Iraq? How about the money spent in Afghanistan or funds that go outside the US because Republican decisions in Congress?
#28 February 22, 2011 at 12:06 pm
Rodger K commented:

I am most concerned about cutting my employees wages and putting more money in my pocket.(you will lose)
#29 February 22, 2011 at 12:07 pm
Granny commented:

#27 – You might consider taking a Logic class. You seem to have a real problem distinguishing between apples and oranges.
#30 February 22, 2011 at 12:15 pm
Airon Later commented:

#29 Granny

Oh, that’s right, it’s not fair to bring up Right Wing spending to you people. How could I have been so foolish. Ha…….

#28 Roger

Typical perspective from a member of the modern American Right – find a way to screw the average worker.
#31 February 22, 2011 at 12:16 pm
Don D. B. commented:

I think he should get rid of food stamps next. Those people don’t pay taxes and the money could be used to help small bussines owners create jobs
#32 February 22, 2011 at 12:20 pm
Midwestengr commented:

#29 Granny-It’s hard to distinguish the difference between apples and oranges when they’re handed out to you for free.
#33 February 22, 2011 at 12:25 pm
Don D. B. commented:

#30 Airon– unless you create a bunch of bodys you can’t stack them up and walk all over them to get to the top
#34 February 22, 2011 at 12:25 pm
Chisum commented:

Granny,

When dealing with trolls like AirHead take some advice from Reagan:

Always fight up, Never fight down.”
#36 February 22, 2011 at 12:29 pm
Airon Later commented:

I do so enjoy when people reference opposition like myself as a “troll”, as it proves the point that the modern American Right has to do everything they can to avoid answering for their own idiocy.
#37 February 22, 2011 at 12:32 pm
Muammar A M al-Gaddafi commented:

I say use a national guard plane to strife the protesters. Then you only have to clean up the mess once
#38 February 22, 2011 at 12:39 pm
Don D. B. commented:

Yea Muammar u da man. They are just teachers, They have no right to speak. Go get um S.W.
#39 February 22, 2011 at 12:43 pm
Mad Hatter commented:

Typical example of Democrat protesters, they litter all over the place, but then they’ll turn around and want to ban plastic bags, and plastic bags since it creates too much pollution.

Madison has shown the clowns on parade.
#40 February 22, 2011 at 12:51 pm
Nancy commented:

The photo is misleading. It is a rule at the capitol that no signs with sticks are allowed inside. They were asked to leave them there by the guards. I guess the sticks could be used as weapons
#41 February 22, 2011 at 12:59 pm
Chisum commented:

If you’re wondering who is financing the left and where all those “Koch Brothers” references are coming from, please read this:

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2011/02/028429.php

I promise you it will be worth your time.
#42 February 22, 2011 at 1:12 pm
Airon Later commented:

#41 Chisum

Typical standpoint by someone of your alleged stature – attack the messenger and completely ignore the message.
#43 February 22, 2011 at 1:13 pm
Nancy commented:

i did notice someone wrongly left a bag of popcorn on the steps. I am sure there is a shortage of garbage recepticals. The protestters are making an attempt to help the overwotked janitors. http://www.wkow.com/Global/story.asp?S=14072827
#44 February 22, 2011 at 1:14 pm
Nancy commented:

sorry for spelling. dad was in navy went to school in tenn.
#45 February 22, 2011 at 1:18 pm
Chisum commented:

Messenger, AirHead?

Riiiight.

You are only worthy of ridicule.