Just Trying To Make Things Better

No matter who you are, sometimes trying to make things better, works, and sometimes it doesn't.

Take for example: I just spent something like a half hour attempting to make this space look more inviting than the basic space the Blogspot Blogger offers initially. I went into the backend to (1) select a different outside background image, (2) choose a different inside background seen under the content you're reading, (3) adding a different color background under the Garywords title, (4) choosing a more animated-looking font for the text that spells Garywords, (5) selecting a different for the links, and (6) adding a few little touches here and there.

All in all, it looks about as good as my artsy-designing brain told me it would. Of course, that's just my opinion. You may have an opposing viewpoint, but, as with many other aspects of life, it's okay for you to think differently than me, or to agree with me, if that feels right for you.

That brings me to the political, human, worker and newsworthy situation that has been taking place the last few weeks in the State of Wisconsin. You know, the battle of newly elected Governor Scott Walker's determination to have his so-called Budget Fix enacted, even though the people it affected, the working people of Wisconsin, it could be said, are receiving "the short end of the stick".

Most of the attention has been on the point that, though the Republican Governor, Republican Assembly Representatives and Republican State Senators have insisted, the Budget Repair of the current fiscal budget is only about saving money, which would bring the spending back in line with available funds. However, any thinking person can see that it has other, far-reaching consequences. It's about, not only taking away the income of public employees, but also about destroying the rights of public workers to have a substantial say in their future working conditions, benefits, etc. through Collective Bargaining.

It wasn't long before the Unions of private industry workers and exempted public employees like police and fire department workers also realized they could be next. This caused thousands of Wisconsin to protest by hitting the streets of Madison, Wisconsin and trying to make the Republican Governor and Republican legislative elected officials understand that they were going a wee bit too far in their zeal to exercise what they considered a mandate to push what they wanted to do through the "democratic" process.

Republicans had the votes to pass the Budget Repair Bill through without minority Democrats, and, it ended up that is what they did, whether the feeling they were going a little too far was spreading to the people in the middle or not.  Polls, as the demonstrations and national news coverage grew, showed that the popularity of what the Governor and his party wanted to be victorious in, was losing ground, if, it indeed ever did have any substantial real estate when the Budget Repair ideas first received the light of day.

Finally, to make this long, convoluted story a little shorter, the Wisconsin GOP in the State Capitol showed they really did not need the 14 Democrat Senators who left the state in protest of what the Republicans wanted to do. They showed the 14 Senators, who were thought of as heroes by the protesters and other, more silent people in the state who agreed with the demonstrators.

Through what some describe as a slight of hand trick, Republicans pushed the matter through. It's complicated and, frankly, it isn't pretty, but, they did it. Now that some of the dust of the battle has cleared, there may be court battles over how passage was accomplished, and many in the ranks of Republicans may face recall elections, a fate that many have also promised Governor Scott Walker.

But, Wait: It doesn't stop there. Some of the 14 Democrats elected to the State Senate that refused to report to the Senate so the majority Republicans could have a quorum present, enabling them to place their 19 rubber stamp GOP votes on and for the Budget Repair provisions handed down from the Governor's office, may also face recall.  Plus, there may be no way that Wisconsin's legislative process wins out during the next couple of years, because, it's unlikely bridges are going to be mended between Democrats and Republicans in the state building for some time to come.

The story, complications, and, consequences of the November 2010 election results, are far from over. It's sad, but, it has not ended completely, as if it could ever, after the division the Saga of the Budget Repair Bill has raised in the State of Wisconsin, USA. Oh, by the way, since people have had a chance to look over the items and language of the Budget Repair Bill, they are discovering a number of other provisions that are objectionable to many segments of the population.  

Sometimes trying to make things better, works, and, sometimes, it doesn't. At least, not the way expected by who said it, or did it. Some observers may feel this whole thing can be chalked off to, another case of "Voter Beware", or "you get what you vote for", or, in the case of non-voters, "you get what you don't vote for". It all depends on one's perspective.

GARY W. MORGAN
WisconsinReport.com
GreatGoldHits.com
Clik2Go.com