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Saturday, February 26, 2011

Letter to the Editor submitted by the Calaveras County Taxpayers Association

Right now is a decisive moment in Wisconsin and a watershed moment for our nation, and we urge you to join the fight at http://www.standwithwalker.com/.
On our side Governor Scott Walker, a newly-elected GOP-controlled legislature and tens of thousands of tea party and AFP activists are working to balance the state budget by finally cutting spending and reining in sweetheart pensions and benefits enjoyed by government employees unions.
On the other side are a privileged class of liberal politicians and government unions demanding higher taxes and even more spending for themselves and their ideology - all while private sector unemployment still runs high.
Here's what Governor Walker's Budget Repair Bill that they're so angry about actually does:
Ask government workers to pay half the cost of their pensions - still less than private employees pay for their pensions
Ask government workers to pay 12% of their own health insurance premiums - the national average for the private sector is over 20%
End collective bargaining for government unions for pensions and benefits.  Allow bargaining only for raises that are less than inflation.
End forced union dues, collected by the state.  Union dues would become voluntary.
Union members get to vote yearly on whether to keep their union.
To stop these sensible reforms, the unions and their Democratic allies are pulling out all the stops.  President Obama has even weighed in attacking Governor Walker.
Democratic state senators are so desperate they have actually fled the state to stall a vote -- and are hiding out at a resort in Illinois.  Can you imagine elected legislators being so beholden to special interest unions that they would flee the state?  Have they no shame?
Much is at stake because every other governor and every other legislature is watching what happens in Wisconsin. We have to win.  Please stand with Scott Walker by signing our petition at http://www.standwithwalker.com/.
Sincerely,

Tim Phillips
President, Americans for Prosperity

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