Wisconsin discussed, debated, protested for or against, and saw legislative & gubernatorial recall elections over Gov. Walker’s collective bargaining changes. It was, in fact, a national and international story. These changes were easily the biggest political issue for Wisconsin in a generation – with protests and recall elections unprecedented in our history.
How odd, then, that of the two candidates running for the WI 43rd Assembly District, only one even mentions clearly and expressly on his campaign website restrictions placed on workers’ collective bargaining.
Andy Jorgensen – but not Evan Wynn — refers plainly to these changes on the ‘Issues/Where I Stand’ section of his campaign website? Perhaps Rep. Wynn doesn’t remember what he was doing on April 6, 2011. Allow me to refresh his memory:
I hold an AP license to this photo, as it speaks a thousand words, while about collective bargaining on his website (as of this post, so very close to the election) Rep. Wynn still provides not even one direct, clear word.
(See, Jorgensen’s issues page and Wynn’s issues page and budget highlights. I’ve saved screenshots of the candidates’ respective campaign websites, as of this post, which any American may do of any campaign site as fair use. It’s a right worth exercising and defending.)
Although I support significant and permanent reductions in the size of government, I did not support reductions in (to my mind) all workers’ legitimate rights of association. Some libertarians supported Gov. Walker’s enacted, collective bargaining restrictions, others opposed them. (A solid summary of libertarian view of workers’ union rights, recognizing the competing needs and interests involved, is available from Jacob Levy in a post entitled, ‘Thoughts on unions.’)
To Gov. Walker’s credit, when he ran in the 2012 recall, he ran on all his programs, including express mention of his reductions to workers’ bargaining rights. He held this position throughout the recall elections, and espoused it both in Wisconsin and across America. For his open and express defense of Act 10, he gained loyal Republican supporters in Wisconsin and places far beyond. He might have said the same before the 2010 election, but he was certainly upfront in June 2012.
Although I disagree with his restrictions, I respect that he ran on them plainly in 2012, and I think most Wisconsinites do, too.
In the end, one doesn’t win with people, but on issues, forthrightly stated.
Tomorrow: China and the WI Assembly Race.
A picture tells a thousand words, John. And may I add, what clarity in this photo!