Public unions drive private union jobs out of Wisconsin

Unfortunately for them, private sector unions joined the fight much too late. Around 400 union members marched on the Wisconsin Capitol yesterday, demanding passage of the bill. But the die had been cast months before, when the public sector unions chose to oppose the bill, knowing that if it passed, Governor Scott Walker would be able to take credit for creating up to 3,000 new jobs. Democrats, who are in the process of attempting to recall Walker from office, need the employment picture to be as bleak as possible so their candidate, former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, can hit Walker for failing to create jobs.

Thus, every Democrat in the legislature voted against the mining bill. Yet, amazingly, as soon as the bill was voted down, they began blaming Scott Walker for the bill's demise. Assembly minority leader Peter Barca tweeted, "Gov. Walker fails on both venture capital and now mining." Senate minority leader Mark Miller tweeted, "Another day of no jobs and failed policies by the GOP." Outspoken Madison-area Assemblyman Mark Pocan chimed in with "Corporate republic of Fitzwalkerstan took a big blow today as mining bill goes down 17-16. Thanks to all the people's soldiers in the fight!"

Clearly, Democrat opposition was never about the "environment." The goal was simply to thwart Walker's ability to claim credit for new jobs. In the Senate, this plan was abetted by a single Republican state senator, Dale Schultz, who had also voted against Walker's bill to scale back public sector collective bargaining. Schultz had said he wanted greater environmental protections in the bill, and drafted a substitute amendment to his liking. But when they had the chance to adopt Schultz' amendment and pass the bill, Democrats instead simply spiked the whole plan, instead of moving it forward.

As a side note, Schultz was able to thwart the mining bill because Republicans only hold a 17-16 majority in the senate. The GOP lost two seats in last year's public union-instigated state senate recall elections; but one of those seats went down because the state senator from Fond du Lac was caught cheating on his wife. Had the GOP held that seat, none of this would have happened. Sadly, if there had been less drilling in Fond du Lac, there would be more drilling in Northern Wisconsin.