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Title: Koch Brothers Behind Wisconsin Effort To Kill Public Unions
Source:
Forbes
URL Source: http://blogs.forbes.com/rickungar/2 ... -effort-to-kill-public-unions/
Published: Feb 19, 2011
Author: Rick Ungar
Post Date: 2011-02-19 22:05:43 by Ferret Mike
Keywords: None
Views: 15808
Comments: 6
As the nation focuses on the efforts of Governor Scott Walker to take away collective bargaining rights from public employees in Wisconsin, new information is coming to light that reveals what is truly going on here. Mother Jones is reporting that much of the funding behind the Walker for Governor campaign came from none other than uber-conservatives, the infamous Koch Brothers. What’s more, the plan to kill the unions is right out of the Koch Brothers play book. If you are reluctant to believe that this is a coordinated attack, consider this- This afternoon, Marty Beil, executive director of the Wisconsin Public Workers Union, sent a message to the Governor’s office agreeing to the cuts to pension & welfare benefits sought by Walker in his bill. The governor’s response was “nothing doing.” He wants the whole kit and kaboodle – the end of the collective bargaining rights of the public unions. As noted in my earlier post, this is, indeed, the first shot in the final battle to end unionism in America. UPDATE: The Americans for Prosperity group, a Tea Party group that is a Koch Brothers front, has put up a website and petition called www.standwithwalker.com. The website attacks all collective bargaining – not just for public employees’ unions. Americans for Prosperity is also organizing a rally tomorrow in Wisconsin to support Gov. Walker. Why are the Koch Brothers so interested in Wisconsin? They are a major business player in the state. This from Think Progress: Officials at Georgia-Pacific said the company is laying off 158 workers at its Day Street plant because out-of-date equipment at the facility is being replaced with newer, more-efficient equipment. The company said much of the new, papermaking equipment will be automated. [...] Malach tells FOX 11 that the layoffs are not because of a drop in demand. In fact, Malach said demand is high for the bath tissue and napkins manufactured at the plant. You really have to wonder how long it will take for Tea Party devotees to realize just how badly they are being used.
Koch-backed groups like Americans for Prosperity, the Cato Institute, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, and the Reason Foundation have long taken a very antagonistic view toward public-sector unions. Several of these groups have urged the eradication of these unions. The Kochs also invited Mark Mix, president of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, an anti-union outfit, to a June 2010 confab in Aspen, Colorado;
Koch owns a coal company subsidiary with facilities in Green Bay, Manitowoc, Ashland and Sheboygan; six timber plants throughout the state; and a large network of pipelines in Wisconsin. While Koch controls much of the infrastructure in the state, they have laid off workers to boost profits. At a time when Koch Industries owners David and Charles Koch awarded themselves an extra $11 billion of income from the company, Koch slashed jobs at their Green Bay plant:
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#1. To: Ferret Mike (#0)
About as long as it takes for the Union protesters to realize how badly they're being used, IMO.
http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/02/wisconsin-scott-walker-koch-brothers It's obvious who is behind this. And it won't work. Plutocracy is rule by the wealthy, or power provided by wealth. The combination of both plutocracy and oligarchy is called plutarchy. I am for the people of the United States being in control of the government, not the Koch brothers.
?? Koch Brothers.....controlling government??? Tell you what....I'm checking under my bed for the all powerful government "Central Scrutinizer" George Soros (apologies to F Zappa)...if you check under yours for the "Central Scrutinizer" Koch brothers we can compare notes tomorrow:)
Death to everybody who does not get outta my way. To: e_type_jag (#1) "I hate that you're off the plantation" 9-03-2010 Sheets Jerx .........(Why Fred???why the hate???....was it because my left Vibram sole made a lasting imprint on your face as I stepped over your constantly prone body and hopped the plantation wall. Message to lycra bra cross dressing dwarf if it returns....FOAD
Just posted EXACTLY the same thing. A co ordinated attack nationwaide. Wisconsin the wedge.
Say WHAT??????? They don't "award" themselves "an extra $11 billion in income from the company. They OWN the fucking company,and this money is called "profits". Koch slashed jobs at their Green Bay plant: What? You think they are the heads of some sort of private welfare program and are obligated to keep workers on the payroll that aren't needed? If this is so,what is keeping YOU from taking in some of those workers and paying them for hanging around your house while eating your food and using your utilities? The pro-communist viewpoiont/bias in this propaganda piece is thick enough to cut with a knife.
"I adore John McCain, support him 100 percent and will do everything I can to support his reelection. As everyone knows, I was honored and proud to run with him. And Todd and I were with him in D.C. just a week ago." (Sarah Palin,Dec 2009) ************************************ DID Palin say or write these things or not? (Me) I don't know or F ing care. (Mad Dog posted on 2009-12-26 16:36:33 ET,post # 105 http://libertysflame.com/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=5510&Disp=114#C114)
Communists don't understand this basic fact.
You really have to wonder how long it will take for Tea Party devotees to realize just how badly they are being used.
"We (government) need to do a lot less, a lot sooner" ~Ron Paul
#2. To: hondo68 (#1)
Walker's plan to eviscerate collective bargaining rights for public employees is right out of the Koch brothers' playbook. Koch-backed groups like Americans for Prosperity, the Cato Institute, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, and the Reason Foundation have long taken a very antagonistic view toward public-sector unions. Several of these groups have urged the eradication of these unions. The Kochs also invited (PDF) Mark Mix, president of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, an anti-union outfit, to a June 2010 confab in Aspen, Colorado; Mix said in a recent interview that he supports Governor Walker's collective-bargaining bill. In Wisconsin, this conservative, anti-union view is being placed into action by lawmakers in sync with the deep-pocketed donors who helped them obtain power. (Walker also opposes the state's Clean Energy Job Act, which would compel the state to increase its use of alternative energy.) At this moment—even with the Wisconsin uprising unresolved—the Koch brothers' investment in Walker appears to be paying off.
#3. To: Ferret Mike (#2)
I am for the people of the United States being in control of the government, not the Koch brothers.
#4. To: Ferret Mike (#0)
#5. To: Ferret Mike (#0)
. At a time when Koch Industries owners David and Charles Koch awarded themselves an extra $11 billion of income from the company,
#6. To: sneakypete (#5)
They don't "award" themselves "an extra $11 billion in income from the company. They OWN the fucking company,and this money is called "profits".
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