Letter to the Wisconsin Republicans From a Conservative Prison Guard [View All]

[kpete]

Letter to the Wisconsin Republicans From a Conservative Prison Guard
Submitted by zelda on Sun, 02/27/2011 - 00:21

"Good Afternoon All,
I just wanted to voice my extreme displeasure to all who voted for Walker's Budget Repair bill!!!!! Do any of you know who is affected and what they really do for a living and what they make? I know that you all can't possibly believe in your hearts that this is the best thing for the state of Wisconsin!! Why then are you all following like little lambs??? I just don't get it!!

By the way, I am a 46 year old lifelong conservative Republican and I'm a Corrections Officer. I worked hard to get this position via testing (aptitude and psych), lie detector tests or LVA, several interviews, etc. The process took almost a year to get into Corrections. After that, it was 4 weeks at the academy and 8 weeks training on the floor, then a year of Probation.

You use the word entitled very loosely and I'm not one who feels entitled, but I definitely feel that I earn the great benefits that have been associated with the Public Sector! I brush shoulders daily with some of the most dangerous criminals including local and Federal prisoners. Many of these have been incarcerated for some time and many have some type of disease such as HEP A, B, or C or worse yet, HIV. All it would take is for them to spit on me and get it in my eye or mouth and it will change my life forever!!! Did you know that inmates like to save their urine and feces so that they can throw it at Officers. Sounds like fun doesn't it and I do it proudly to protect the Public outside the facility and the very same individuals I just spoke of. I work a 4 on 2 off schedule which means that I only get a 'weekend' once every six weeks and I work most Holidays. Yes, I get paid for working the Holiday, but the fact is we are there 24/7/365. By the way, I work a 2pm - 10pm shift and when a third shifter calls in, sometimes when I'm ready to go home after a stressful shift, I'm told that I need to stay another 8 hours until 6am to fill out third shift and I do it. Again, yes, I get paid overtime, but you try working 16 hours straight and then hang with criminals.

Walker excluded Police and Firefighters because they are Public Safety workers. WHAT THE HELL DO YOU CALL MY JOB???? I don't think I get paid a grotesque wage at $40k/yr. It's not the private sector that has complained about my pay or benefits.

It's Walker and you Republicans that have tried to create this division within our state's people. Why????

To all you Democratic lawmakers, I apologize for voting nothing but Republican all these years. They are not who I thought they were!! Don't you Republicans see the protests throughout the state? Hey, I'm a taxpayer too!! Don't tell me that you're protecting the taxpayers. This is simply a way to attack some of the finest middle class workers and I for one am considering moving out of Wisconsin as I am so distraught at the lack of honest wholesome government.

Again, why are you Republicans following Walker so blindly? An independent nationwide poll said that 61% of people do not su pport taking away collective bargaining. Even just Republicans only support this attack on CB with a number somewhere around 54%. These are facts! Why then do near 100% of our Republican lawmakers vote for this horrible bill. By the way, thank you to the 4 that voted against it. You are the only ones with balls!!!! Why don't you stand up and tell him it's just not right. Go ahead and take my money that was promised in the way of pension and health care. I'll give you that, but knock off the attack on my collective bargaining rights. Do you have any idea how we as employees will be steamrolled without representation? You don't do you. You buy this crap by Walker about being protected by the Civil Rights laws in this state. That's crap. Have you noticed that the other Governors in Indiana and Florida have pulled back on the push to attack collective bargaining?? Why do you think this is? Because it was wrong from the start. Do you know how many states have budget problems worse than Wisconsin, but have no Public Service collective bargaining? Do you know how many states have less budge problems and still have public sector collective bargaining. Do you really know about Walker's record in Milwaukee? Yes, I still thought he was the best choice too and voted for him, but I don't believe any longer. Do you know about the Milwaukee workers that were fired illegally and Mr. Walker brought in out of state workers to fill the positions. Now Milwaukee is still having to pay these Milwaukee workers because it was illegal.

I know you already blindly voted this in, but you need to take a breath of fresh air and exhale the Walker air for a moment and work to undo the damage you've helped to cause.

I never believed in unions all these years because I thought they asked too much in bad times, but now I see that we are all adults and my union AFSCME has been very reasonable in it's negotiations on new contracts. I just don't understand how all of a sudden people like me are the problem. Have you done fiscal impact studies to determine the trickle down effect on charities, retail sales, etc.?

Please stop with the union busting and remember, people like me are simply your friends and neighbors.

In my opinion, I truly believe the Senators who left for Illinois were forced to do what they did and I personally hope they can hold out for months to prove a point. I would gladly take money out of my pocket to help buy them food and clothing.

By the way Republicans, I truly believe you've sealed your political fate. Most of my friends are conservatives and none of them work in the public sector, but all are appalled by this move by Walker. Keep pushing and you'll push your way right out of office if you haven't already. You have lit a fire under people like me that normally just voted the way they feel the best.

I will now be very involved in my community and others if possible to drive you out because you simply don't belong. I truly believe the Republican party in Wisconsin has become corrupt. There has got to be another way! I've given up on Walker because he is simply loving the limelight he's in. He wants to be a rock star. I strongly urge you Republicans that really know best to be heard and forget about the blind following the blind.

Thanks to the Democrats for fighting for people like us and truly understanding the far reaching implications of this union busting bill on good workers."




Rep. Nick Milroy posted this letter on his facebook page at 11:00pm Friday night. It is written by a prison guard, and addressed to the Repuplican Reps. who voted FOR this bill. PROFOUND.
http://www.squattable.com/news/022711/letter-wisconsin-republicans-conservative-prison-guard