If at all possible, please come and join in the protests at the state Capitol building in Madison tomorrow. The people of Wisconsin are making an historic stand against elites who are trying rob them blind.
The state Capitol building is at 2 East Main Street in Madison. The rallies are scheduled to start at noon every day, but really they are going on 24-7. The Google maps page for the state Capitol is here:
http://bit.ly/hBIItVHere’s what’s happening:
Up to 30,000 protesters have descended on the state Capitol building to protest Governor Scott Walker’s attempt to slash salaries, pensions, health insurance, and collective bargaining rights for state employees.
Thousands have entered the Capitol building itself, and hundreds are sleeping there overnight.
Teachers shut down the Madison school district by calling in sick, and they were joined by droves of students who simply walked out in support.
Look at some amazing pictures of the protests: here, here, and here.
In response, Think Progress reports that Walker is maintaining his threat to call out the national guard. However, Talking Points Memo notes that some Republican members of the state legislature are publicly wavering in the face of the protests, and even Walker is backtracking a bit.
This fight is a turning point for the state of Wisconsin. In fact, it’s a turning point for much of the country. David Dayen presents the wider implications:
There’s a recognition here that Wisconsin’s Republicans have stepped out further on the ledge than anyone else in rolling back labor rights, and that whether or not they’re successful will guide other battles in other states. This is the birthplace of AFSCME, the first state to guarantee public employee labor rights in 1959.
If labor manages to block the bill, Walker has threatened furloughs for up to 6,000 public workers to make up for the cost. But labor would be in a much stronger position to fight that if they can stop Walker here. For the first time today, Walker said he was open to making changes to the bill, though he added that he wouldn’t “fundamentally undermine the principles.” There’s talk of a recall if Walker pushes through with this.
This is ground zero for the implementation of the Tea Party agenda. It can, and must, be stopped. The battleground is in Madison.
Please, if at all possible, come to the state Capitol building tomorrow and join the protest. It’s at 2 East Main Street in Madison, with the rallies scheduled to start at noon.
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