Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (Credit: CBS)
CHICAGO (CBS) — In Wisconsin, the process of verifying signatures collected to recall Republican Governor Scott Walker begins Tuesday.
As WBBM Newsradio’s John Waelti reports, it all begins with petitions being turned in to a state board in charge of verification, a process that could take up to three months.
LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s John Waelti reports
In Illinois, Anders Lindall of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees says he is keeping a close eye on the recall efforts in Wisconsin.
Lindall says Walker’s assault on public unions has angered voters of all stripes.
“Up to a quarter of Republican voters in Wisconsin think that Walker is extreme and gone too far, and should be replaced,” Lindall said. “Right now, it’s clear that the people are making their voices heard, and they’re saying that Scott Walker is too extreme for Wisconsin.”
But Walker himself says he isn’t worried at all, and does not believe that a petition with the required minimum of 540,000 signatures will materialize.
“The overwhelming majority of the people in the state chose not to sign that, and I earned the trust of the majority the last time to serve as governor,” Walker said. “My hope is I’ll earn the trust again.”
(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS Radio and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Walker made headlines last year for ending collective bargaining for state employees in Wisconsin, as an element of his budget.
He pushed through a law that forbids most government workers from collectively bargaining for wage increases beyond the rate of inflation. It also requires public workers to pay more toward their pensions and double their health insurance contribution, a combination equivalent to an 8 percent pay cut for the average worker.
Amid heated protests in Madison, Wis., the state’s 14 Senate Democrats left and hid out in Illinois, thus preventing the quorum required for the state Senate to vote on bills involving spending money.
Republicans fought back by taking all the spending measures out of the legislation, but keeping in the provision to restrict collective bargaining rights for state employees. The bill passed a short time later without the Democrats.
Regardless of whether Walker is recalled, the Democrats will face a significant hurdle in finding a candidate that can defeat him, now that former U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold has decided not to run.
12 Comments
Unions are a thing of the past…their time is past. They are only interested in protecting themselves and making themselves rich…just like the companies they were created to defend against.
January 17, 2012 at 6:48 am
They think they got a bad deal? Quick lets trade them Pat Quinn for Walker! I’d even throw in a Chicago mayor just to sweetin the deal!
January 18, 2012 at 4:08 am
words right out of my mouth!
January 18, 2012 at 11:13 am
Taxpayers think that Unions are too extreme also! I would rather be on Walkers side than the Unions side, as neither side wants middle ground obviously.
January 17, 2012 at 7:18 am
Unions have become the monster that they were to fight.When they got in bed with the politicians and cut their deals that only benefited the leadership of both sides,they doomed themselves.The membership became the sheep of both parties.And the taxpayers picked up the tab! Signed,not anti-union ……just don’t like thieves from both sides stealing my money.e.g.pension,health care,etc.
January 17, 2012 at 7:52 am
Unions have become abusive to both business and tax payers. It’s time someone stands up to them and knocks them down a peg or two. I hope Walker prevails and I don’t understand why Illinois unions are involved in the first place unless you live and pay taxes in Wisconsin it’s really none of their business.
January 17, 2012 at 7:55 am
Look who is calling the kettle extreme…the Public Sector Unions have created this massively bloated and ridden with fraud public sector operation that costs over $7 Trillion annually at the federal, state and local levels nearly 50% of GDP and they add the millionaire public sector pension scam on top of that…the country is going bankrupt at an ever increasing rate because of the fraud and corruption in the public sector…
January 17, 2012 at 8:00 am
Public sector unions have already broken the IL pension system with low contributions, early retirements, unrealistic pension withdrawal rates, and a 3% COLA. I don’t think Walker is extreme when he is trying to protect public pensions and taxpayers from a system that can’t be sustained. The IL pension system should be eliminated, and the new hires should be part of the SS system with a 401K, which would eliminate billions in waste and graft.
January 17, 2012 at 8:44 am
WHY DOES WBBM publish this tripe distributed by the unions? It isn’t news. It insults the intelligence when WBBM posts these self serving opinions as news.
January 17, 2012 at 9:03 am
The Public Service Unions have done sooooo much for Illinois I don’t know why we just don’t let them run the state, Oh wait a minute they already do. Give me a break !! Give “em hell Gov Walker>
January 17, 2012 at 3:05 pm
Public unions paying for health care and part of their pensions??? And worthless employees fired… What a dream, if it would only come true, along with TERM LIMITS for all elected officials, and right to work laws….we might just overcome the corruptionand survive….Governor Walker can come here to IL is Wisconsin evicts him!….wow I am a dreamer….
January 18, 2012 at 11:17 am
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