Before I put in my two cents, I would like to clarify that this is not scientific. It is an opinion or should I say a summary of what I have seen among my fellow peers about the whole situation, following facebook statuses, articles and other such commentary.
As someone who is potentially going to be one of those 'state workers', I feel like Walker made the best decision in choosing to balance the budget through cutting state funding which (according to my own professors) would cost them approximately 5% annually. Why? Because he brought out the suppressed feelings of two sides of our employment system, creating a triangle of chaos. Good job.
We have the governor pinning two groups against each other, the state workers protesting the governor, and the non-state workers (or those in favor of the bill) telling the state-workers to suck it up (mind you, not all) because they deserve it. What I find troubling is that now teachers are being called cowards and told they are not doing their job because of the protest.
My question is: If teachers and other state workers cannot protest (and dare I say leave their work for a day), then how is the matter supposed to addressed? Diplomatically? Because having a majority republican state would do that so effectively. However, I do not think it was wise for the democratic party to flee the state because it only puts off the inevitable and in the mean time, giving those people who will be affected by this a bad reputation.
Who I don't understand is those people that lash out against the people opposing the bill. So state workers are over paid and not doing their job correctly? Then please! I invite you to join the "over-paid" "high benefits" circle of holding a state position and tell those who work there now how you like it. You'll probably have to sell your BMW though because your new exorbitant salary will not afford you one.
