The "divide and conquer" agenda is alive and well, in the land 'common sense' forget. Triumphant Governor Scott Walker sees an untapped potential in the Pension system for Wisconsin Public Employees. He's rubbing his grimy hands in anticipation.
So much for, Pension Plans being an "earned benefit" to attract dedicated employees, to often difficult jobs. In Walkerstan, what the state giveth, the state can also take away, apparently.
Worker's guaranteed right to their "delayed earnings" -- that's so last century, don't you know. Walker won.
Gov. Scott Walker: Willing to look at Wisconsin pension system
by Scott Bauer, Associated Press, postcrescent.com -- Jun 25, 2012
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said Monday that he would be willing to consider changes in the state’s $77 billion pension system, with a report on expected to be released this week on how the system could be improved.
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Walker’s comments came just days after the Pew Center on the States determined Wisconsin was the only state in the nation with enough money to meet its current obligations and to pay pensions that have been promised to public employees.
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Walker has repeatedly said he has no plans to alter the system, despite calling for the report to look at moving to defined contribution plans like a 401K or no longer requiring participation in the state system.
Many public workers and union leaders fear Walker has his eyes on changing the state’s pension system from a plan where benefits are guaranteed to the plans commonly offered to private businesses that have no such guarantee.
[...]
"If you want a guarantee, bury part of your paycheck in the backyard ... where Scott Walker can't touch it."
I can see this disclaimer on the Wisconsin employment brochures already ...
Scott Walker just went to Chicago to sell the merits of Tea Party agneda to the business leaders of the solidly blue state:
'Pensions are what we say they are ... especially when people are so desperate for work.'
Walker in Illinois: "I'm not here to poach business."
by Bill Glauber of the Journal Sentinel -- June 25, 2012
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Walker spoke to around 150 business leaders. The speech was closed to the media, which is customary for the Commercial Club [of Chicago, a key civic group].
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Walker said part of the reason for Wisconsin’s success in funding the pension “is a pay as you go model.”
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He added, “I’m not touching the pension for current retirees.”
Asked about any contingency plans for the state in the wake of Thursday's expected ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on the Affordable Care Act, Walker said if the court upheld the law, "that certainly would stop the legal option."
"Before the state took any other action we'd wait to see after November what the political ramifications are in the Presidential and the U.S. Senate races," Walker said.
[...]
Funny how Scott is waiting for November to act,
on his austerity convictions.
Maybe he's not all that convinced the Tea Party agenda will continue to sell, all across the nation yet. In spite of the Koch Brothers hundreds of millions in the pipeline, designed to sell us on their "pay as you go" cost-cutting, share-the-pains, reallocated "benefits" plan storyline.
"Bait and Switch" vaporware-plan would be more like it, if we still had "truth in advertising."
Perhaps Walker fears that workers (both public and private) will wise up, and start to ask in unison:
"Exactly HOW does this rollback of benefits, actually benefit me?"