Disappearing senators, days of protesting in Madison, and a state full of concerned citizens boil down to one thing: heated debate. There is a lot of rhetoric and fast talking by newscasters and colleagues these days regarding their opinion of the situation. I am providing a few of the more substantial articles and information about the protest events. There is no intent to be biased in a general direction, I only mean to provide the resources and allow you to be the critic. Please read and if you have any resources you believe I overlooked or should be added please feel free to comment below.
For the most in-depth local coverage I have found check out Madison based Channel 3000’s website. It includes a long list of stories and video coverage about the events from the first mention of Governor Walker targeting state worker benefits in a speech on February 2nd, to current day protests. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page linked above you will find a list of relevant article according to title and date, which is the cleanest type of timeline I have come across.
There has been discussion as to where Wisconsin public employees rank in pay compared next to the private sector. This memorandum put forth by the Economic Policy Institute using their finding and Bureau of Labor Statistics to state their findings say public employees make substantially less in income but have better benefits. All statistics and percentages are clearly labeled and easy to understand
Siegel, Fred. "How Public Unions Took Taxpayers Hostage. " Wall Street Journal 25 Jan. 2011, Eastern edition: ABI/INFORM Global, ProQuest. Web. 21 Feb. 2011.
A lot of people are concerned that unions, especially those affiliated with the government could hold to much power. This article discusses some of the history of how unions have gained power and represented themselves. It is an opinioned piece against the power of unions, but it is historically accurate. The author Fred Siegel is also a reputable source having written many credible stories and having worked as not only a scholar but political advisor.
Carr, Julie and Kathy Barks Hoffman. "Republicans Challenging Unions in State Capitols." Associated Press 18 Feb. 2011: n. pag. NPR. Web, 21 Feb. 2011. The Associated Press does a good job of representing the situation in Wisconsin and how it may most likely find similar effects in other states. It confirms the budget short fall, the number of public sector workers, and provides examples of other states that may have similar situations.
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