Politics is probably one of the hardest things to comprehend, especially for students like us with not much experience in the subject. Out of my years at Bay Port two bills have sparked controversy, the health care bill and now the budget reform bill. Many students are for the bill, but have failed to attempt to read the bill and/or disregard the other viewpoint to the bill. That is the main problem with political discussion at Bay Port. By not reading the bill students fail to form their own opinion over the bill and are lacking knowledge regarding it. Accepting other political viewpoints is important, for it allows compromise. Politics are all about compromise and students seem to forget it.

I cannot recount the number of people who have called me stupid for not getting involved in the protest for the budget reform bill, but then when I ask them “Have you read the bill or just attempted it?” The most I get from them is “No, it’s too long.” To be honest 144 pages is not long, now the +2,000 page health care bill or the +600 page budget bill are long bills. Saying this bill is too long is pathetic compared to those mammoth bills, and people have read them. The people who know the content by reading it are the people who have valid opinions regarding the bill, and therefore are the only ones that should be able to support or refute it.

There are many concerns regarding the bill, the main one regarding collective bargaining. The bill flat out defines collective bargaining as, “ the performance of the mutual obligation of a municipal employer, through its officers and agents ... to meet and confer at reasonable times, in good faith, with the intention of reaching an agreement, or to resolve questions arising under such an agreement, with respect to wages, hours, and conditions of employment...” And it goes on further than that. Many students that are asked what collective bargaining is do not know what it means. Something is wrong with that in my opinion.

Public unions are opposed to the bill, which is understandable. Even to me Governor Scott Walker jumped the gun on this bill pretty fast. Instead of making all of the reforms the bill does in one quick sweep it might have been better to do them during a longer period of time like many private businesses have, health insurance coverage for example. Over a period of time employees were told to pay for their health care at a gradual increase, yes there was opposition to it (but there is someone that opposes an argument for everything). By going slower and taking a different approach Wisconsin would not be in the mess it is in and Walker’s reputation would have been better than it is now with public employees.

A main concern with public unions is that they contribute to political figures using soft money or hard money as well, which in a way is tax payer money. Teachers are required to join a union for example and part of their union fees goes toward not just union functions, but onto political functions. Teachers would make a little bit larger profit if there was not a union. Also there would be more competition for their jobs, which means public employees who work hard will keep their jobs and could receive better benefits for doing so. It would serve as a motivator for people to do their jobs better, which is always a good thing.

In regards to comments that I have heard about what should be done according to some people I’ve discussed the bill is to raise taxes instead. This will only kill business in Wisconsin though. Look what happened to California, they raised taxes on businesses and now most of them are heading to Texas because they can make a better profit there. The same goes for the paper industry here. Many companies like Georgia Pacific are experiencing downsizes and cuts because they are going south. The main reason: it is better employer environment there. Now if taxes on business were increased on a national level America is going to be the new Greece. There will be all these programs, but no one to get the money for them.

Now if you want to read up on the bill you can by going to: http://legis.wisconsin.gov/JR1SB-11.pdf

And you can find the budget bill here: http://www.doa.state.wi.us/debf/execbudget.asp?locid=3