Recall Efforts to Oust Gov. Walker begin in Greenfield
A Greenfield homeowner set up a signature drive in front of her home.
The grassroots effort to recall Gov. Scott Walker and Lieutenant Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, rebuking their conservative agenda that was highlighted by controversial collective bargaining reform, commenced this morning throughout the state.
In Greenfield, the effort began with a homegrown petition signature campaign in a driveway of an ordinary ranch house in front of a minivan.
"I can't think of a more important thing to do that to defend democracy," said Carol Carlin as she sat on a blue cooler and leaned on a table where clipboards held blank petition forms ready to be signed by passersby.
"That is what this is. A right to vote, the importance of an educated citizenry is core central to how a democracy works," she said as she instructed the first signer on how to correctly fill out the petition form. "This is where the fight for democracy stands right now in the state of Wisconsin."
Recall petitioners have 60 days from today to gather 540,000 signatures for each Walker and Kleefisch. Calls for Walker and Kleefisch recalls begin in February after the governor and the Republican-led legislature proposed a measure that eliminates collective bargaining rights for public employees, except firefighters and police officers.
The proposed reform set off a storm of protests at the Capitol, where hundreds of thousands gathered to voice their frustration with the reform. Act 10, which contains the controversial collective bargaining measure, passed in March.
Although the driving force behind the recall effort is Walker's collective bargaining reform, it is also a rejection of the entire conservative agenda that has been forwarded by Republican lawmakers in Madison, according to Janelle Pegoraro, who was the first person to sign a petition in front of Carlin's home.
"I just don't like his policies," she said after signing.
From jobs and commuter rail to education, Pegoraro said she has been unhappy with many of Walker's policies.
"You can't pull over a billion dollars from schools and not have it effect every family in the state of Wisconsin let alone the very core of our democracy," said Carlin whose home faces Maple Grove Elementary School.
As petition signers began arriving, a woman drove by and screamed from her four-by-four.
"You guys should stop that. He's a great governor and he's done everything great for this state," said proclaimed as she drove slowing with her window rolled down. "I have a kid in public schools and you guys are wrong."
Carlin, who lives in the 6900 block of West Coldspring Road, expects to be in front of her house gathering signatures from today through next Wednesday.
David Cotey
2:27 pm on Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Does anyone know of any other efforts like this in Greenfield? Or how about some pro-Walker rallies?
Greenfield Resident Too!
2:45 pm on Tuesday, November 15, 2011
I would like to ask if Ms. Carlin ever attended a Greenfield School Board Meeting. FYI...budget cuts for the district have been going on for the last six years hence before Walker.
4 Greenfield
8:51 pm on Tuesday, November 15, 2011
The fact school districts have had to make cuts to their programs and staff for the last several years is only compounded by Walker's increased cuts to schools and municipalities this year. Class sizes are increasing and the one-time impact of increased employee contributions didn't help much this year since Greenfield teachers were already contributing a large percentage toward their health insurance before the state law change. Where are the "tools" that Governor Walker promised Greenfield?
Ben Hogan
10:08 am on Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Teachers contribute 10 percent of their plan cost. the national average for all employees is around thirty percent. in addition the average family plan in the united States is about 14000. Last year a family plan in Greenfield cost almost 24000. the contribution was not increased this year. Teachers will still contribute ten percent towards their plan, however deductibles will be much higher than in previous years.
Ben Hogan
10:12 am on Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Also the teachers must now contribute to their own pension plan. This alone is a savings of over a million dollars annually. This is not a "one time savings". The tools are endless if Greenfield chooses to use them wisely
hsmsparent
4:52 pm on Wednesday, November 16, 2011
a LARGE portion??? 10% is a large portion??? I pay $1167.25 a month for my famiy plan for health insurance. Thats 100% out of my pocket. I pay $8.15 out of my pocket for every hour worked into my pension fund...100% funded by ME!!! Those are my plans set up by my union...yes, I said UNION. Now take the economic down turn, cut my working hours by 65% over the last 3 years and still try and pay your bills. So tired of listening to teachers complaining. You should try living in the real world!!
B.G.
12:10 am on Wednesday, November 16, 2011
It starts at the top why not go after our Democratic President. This is foolish where do you think the money will come from to do this recal out of the idiots pockets who sign. there should be a price to pay to support the recall so the rest of us do not have to pay this bill too. Use your head if you do not like the Gov his time will come to vote him out not at this expense!!
Karen
7:14 am on Wednesday, November 16, 2011
While I am not a fan of Scott Walker and did not vote for him, I do not support this "ridiculous attempt to defend democracy". Please give us a candidate to replace Governor Walker who is going to do a much better job before you try to remove him from office. The thought of the current lieutenant governor taking his place is even more frightening than keeping Scott Walker in office for the next three years. The traffic jam on Coldspring Road and directly in front of Maple Grove Elementary School yesterday morning was dangerous and unnecessary. I actually thought someone was having a very early rummage sale and they were signing recall petitions.
4 Greenfield
10:52 am on Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Ben- a "one-time impact" does not mean a "one-time savings." When Greenfield calculates the savings incurred by the increased employee contribution for retirement benefits for 2011-2012, it has a one-time impact because next year when state and federal aid is reduced even more than this year and revenue caps don't allow the district to make up the difference, Greenfield will have to come up with new cuts, over and above the savings from increasing the employee contributions.
And, if you are going to use national averages, you might want to compare the average cost of health insurance/benefits related to other highly educated employees, those that require bachelor and master degrees to perform their jobs. I don't know for sure, but my guess would be that other highly educated professionals' benefits would be more in line with the teachers, or, if not, their salaries larger since Greenfield teachers are still paid in the bottom quarter in the area according to the DPI website. My point is that all of the claims made by both sides of this Walker issue should be suspect and we all need to dig deeper to find the facts regarding the true impact of the legislation passed in this last year. Has it really helped improve Greenfield public schools or is that just political propaganda repeated at nauseum until we are lulled into believing it must be true if we see it in the media?
Ben Hogan
9:10 am on Thursday, November 17, 2011
The City of Greenfield and the school district will gladly accept extra revenue from you as well as people who think like you. please make checks payable to the school district of Greenfield. If you feel you are not taxed enough for said services please, please, please send in extra cash. The citizens of Greenfield thank you kindly. The rest of us have had enough.
Forward>NotBackward
9:10 pm on Thursday, November 17, 2011
Thank you guys for having this setup in the middle of Greenfield. What you are doing IS making a difference! I drive by there everyday and see folks stopping to sign.
Stand UP for the Middle Class and SIGN!
4 Greenfield
12:15 am on Saturday, November 19, 2011
I am pretty sure we are all living in the "real" world, whether we are working in a union shop, are a teacher or just an every day kind of person living in Greenfield. If you read these blogs, it looks like it is a competition to see who has the suckiest life. The politicians of both parties seem to have successfully pitted worker against worker, neighbor against neighbor, parent against teacher, deflecting the real causes of our current economic situation, namely the ineptitude of many of our local, state and federal elected officials. We should be working toward everyone getting decent, affordable wages and benefits, not stripping everyone of the same.
JustMe
8:36 pm on Saturday, November 19, 2011
How come noboby was this gung ho on ousting Diamond Jim Doyle? He's the idiot who got the state in this mess to begin with.