Some following the Wisconsin recall have suggested that public sector unions couldn't be all that powerful if they couldn't secure the nomination for their handpicked candidate, Kathleen Falk, who promised not to sign a budget that didn't reverse Governor Walker's collective bargaining reforms. The eventual Democratic nominee, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, has however come out clearly in favor of the unions' agenda.
One of the biggest drivers of the recall effort was the Wisconsin Education Association Council (the teachers union). Perhaps not surprisingly, Barrett has pledged that his number one policy priority is to "invest in education," because "Education... needs to be a top priority in Wisconsin." His second priority is to raise taxes on the wealthy and corporations. Finally, he proposes to spend more on healthcare (something Walker has already done). There is the unions' agenda in a nutshell: increase taxes and spend more on the sectors from which they hail: education and healthcare.
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