It's time for Governor Walker to separate collective bargaining and pass it

As the stand off continues, the clock is ticking against cities, counties, school districts etc.

It is now becoming abundantly clear why the missing fourteen Senators are still missing. They are buying time for unions all over the state to get agreements rammed through before this bill passes. The Senators will continue to wait until their true bosses, the union leaders, give them the all clear. They will then return, make a show of debating the bill, vote no and say they tried. Meanwhile, union members all over the state will have sweetheart benefit deals for two to three years and budget repair bill will be of little value to those communities.

Last week I had a conversation with a local politician about the budget repair bill. He wasn't concerned about agreeing on a contract with local unions because he believed the budget repair bill would essentially backdate and nullify those agreements. That is simply not true and I pointed that out to him. I confirmed that by checking with my state Representative.

This is a statewide problem. Local officials all over the state simply aren't aware of what is in the budget repair bill and how that bill could help them with the budget shortfalls they will be dealing with once the state budget is in place.

Because of this, I believe Governor Walker needs to separate the collective bargaining provision, have a separate vote on that and pass it so politicians at the local level have those necessary tools. This is not about beating the unions. This is not about "who will blink first." This is about helping those smaller communities.

With each passing day, more and more union contracts are being ratified without the concessions their leaders claim they have agreed to. Yes, the unions are LYING. Big shock, I know. If this goes another week or two, and the missing fourteen come back and vote, the smaller communities will have these tools, but they will be of no value to them for two or three years.

The unions have thought this out very well. If they can get these contracts rammed through, the union dues money flow will continue and in the next election cycle, you will see union money pour into Wisconsin like never before.

Assemblymen must run every two years, Senators every four. The Senate is staggered so half are up for re-election every two years. So, all of the Assembly seats and half the Senate seats will be up for grabs in 2012. The unions will look to pour money into democrats campaigns and if they retake control of the Assembly and Senate, they will try and put collective bargaining back. This would surely be vetoed by Governor Walker, but they will try and have enough seats to be able to override.

Collective bargaining on benefits needs to end now. I would encourage all of you to call Governor Walker as well as your Legislators in the Assembly and Senate and encourage them to separate that part of the budget repair bill and get it passed. They don't need the missing fourteen to do it.

The clock is ticking.

The next step after that? Allow things to cool down and then bring it to the voters for a Constitutional Amendment to make Wisconsin a right to work state.