One year ago Republican Gov. Scott Walker took office in Wisconsin with an ambitious budget plan to set his state on a new course. Democrats revolted in protest, even fleeing the state to prevent a vote on the measure. Walker was ultimately able to make reforms to government unions, but now faces the prospect of a recall election that might cost him his job. In a new video from The Daily Caller, Ginni Thomas interviews Walker about out-of-control labor costs and their threat to economic prosperity. He discussed the situation …
Indiana lawmakers are bracing for another high-profile fight over a right-to-work bill when the legislative session opens Wednesday. Last year Democrats fled the state in protest, preventing the legislature from conducting business for five weeks. The right-to-work bill would end forced unionization for private-sector workers in Indiana. Its supporters say the bill would increase jobs and choices in the Midwestern state with a 9 percent unemployment rate. Unions complain it threatens their existence. Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) is speaking out in favor of the bill, even recording a 60-second …
Hindsight is supposed to be 20/20, but looking back on the past 12 months, it’s tough to see any sense in many of the Administration’s regulatory missteps. Of course, there are bound to be a few howlers when government churns out more than 3,500 rules in a year, including dozens unleashed by Obamacare, Dodd–Frank, and the perpetually errant Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). But by any standard, 2011 brought forth a remarkable number and variety of regulatory blunders. Fair warning: Our Top 10 list may prove fatal to any bit of …
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee meets Thursday to consider the most substantive postal reform plan under consideration in Congress. The debate in Washington triggered a spending spree from postal unions opposed to the reforms, including a national TV ad campaign launched last month. Now the Oversight Committee is striking back with its own video that explains the crisis and why the Postal Service needs to be fixed before taxpayers are left paying the bill. Mail volume has dropped by 46 billion pieces since its peak in 2006. As …
Some people will never be satisfied. Case in point: AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka, who today lambasted President Barack Obama for not doing enough to create jobs—which in his world means “spend more on infrastructure so my union constituency benefits.” Unfortunately for America, Obama has already done too much spending. USA Today reports on the union leader’s remarks at a breakfast sponsored by The Christian Science Monitor: Trumka said that, rather than cut, the government needs to spend more money on infrastructure to update crumbling highways, rails and other public entities, as …
***UPDATE BELOW: Video of Verizon’s Bernadette Phillips discussing the many instances of apparent sabotage.*** Verizon has alleged more than 200 incidents of vandalism and sabotage against its equipment and facilities since 45,000 company employees went on strike on August 7. A source sent these photos, which seem to show very neatly sliced fiber-optic lines – apparent acts of sabotage, in other words, and potentially violations of federal law. Verizon says that the FBI is looking into the reports of sabotage. UPDATE (Aug. 18 – 19:00)
A business owner in Southeastern Michigan was shot last week after confronting a man carving “SCAB” into his car. John King, the shooting victim, owns King Electrical Services, the largest non-union electrical contractor in the area. Last Wednesday, King reportedly awoke at night to find someone in his driveway vandalizing his car. When King stepped outside, the man shot him in the arm and fled. King has been forced to endure other incidents of harassment by labor unions, the Daily Caller’s Matthew Boyle reports: Labor unions have attempted, unsuccessfully, to …
The voters weighed in on Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s (R) agenda on Tuesday. Government unions organized recall elections against state senators who voted to limit collective bargaining in government contracts. But Wisconsin voters re-elected a majority of the law’s supporters who were on the ballot. The government union agenda is not as popular as many pundits thought. This should not come as a surprise. Government unions organize against voters and taxpayers. They use collective bargaining to pressure government to serve their purposes, not the common good. Collective bargaining in government …
Last month’s employment report from the Department of Labor offered more dismal news about the U.S. economy. And while many areas of the country continue to struggle, there are a few bright spots. Gov. Scott Walker happens to be presiding over one in Wisconsin, which added a net of 9,500 new jobs in June — more than half the 18,000 created nationwide. Wisconsin’s resurgence comes after three years of job losses — more than 150,000 jobs were lost in the three years before Walker became governor. Since he took office …
Catching you up on clips, commentary and news of the day. Sign up for the daily email update from Scribe. Ronald Reagan, champion of freedom – Edwin Meese III Riding the Chinese tiger – Kim Holmes Call it Isolationism! – Marion Smith Marital Marshall Plan – Chuck Donovan and Kathryn Jean Lopez Obama’s Enemies List of Contractors’ Donations – Hans von Spakovsky Obama Hints at Deeper Cuts to Defense Spending – Leo Shane III Cornyn shut out of Senate hearing on new air regs that effect Texas – Dave Michaels Clarence …
