I don't know if anyone posted this already, I've been away for at least a week.
However, Scotty Walker's A$$ is grass!!
Wisconsin recall petition gets over 1 million signatures; Democratic challenger Falk steps forward - The Washington Post
I know that Scotty and many or even most on the RW didn't expect such a LOUD denouncement of his radical hard-RW policies.
There is sure to be a re-election now, and none of their Big Corporate money could stop the juggernaut of the Will of the People!!
YES!!!!
Don't hold your breath too long.
So what is your position on Cuomo leaning towards NY State Pensions going 401K?
Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposed $132.5 billion state budget, unveiled Tuesday, is notable not just because, with federal aid figured in, it is actually a fraction of 1 percent lower than the current budget and eliminates a $2 billion deficit, but because Cuomo also challenges the state's teachers and public employees unions in reaching his goals.
Cuomo, who polls report has public opinion on his side in his face-off with the unions, challenged the teachers union and local school districts to agree within 30 days on a new evaluation system for teachers and principals or have him propose one himself. The teachers union has sued, saying Cuomo has no say in the matter, but clearly he thinks he does. The new evaluation system is a requirement for receiving more than $700 million in federal Race to the Top funds for schools. New York City and several other city school districts have failed to reach agreement on a plan, and the feds have said no agreement, no money.
Cuomo would also add $800 million in school aid, mostly to school districts that were hurt by his cuts in last year's budget. But again, he says if there is no agreement on an evaluation plan, there will be no additional state aid. The union doesn't like the pressure, nor do a lot of administrators, but if a governor can't apply this kind of pressure to get things done, who can?
The other rare-for-New-York budget pressure comes in the form of a new pension plan for state employees. Cuomo proposes giving new employees the choice of selecting a 401(k) type plan after one year of employment, or sticking with the traditional pension plan, with lower benefits than the current one. Rising public-employee pension costs have been one of the driving forces in recent budget battles, and Cuomo says his plan would save the state and local governments billions of dollars.
Along with the challenge to the unions, there is another major proposal that should have local political leaders jumping for joy — Cuomo proposes a state takeover of all Medicaid costs over a three-year period. Local governments, with limited ability to raise revenues, have had to shoulder 25 percent of the Medicaid costs for decades, to the tune of some $8 billion a year now. This is a long overdue change.
The overall budget would actually raise state spending by 2 percent, but $1.9 billion in expected revenue from a "millionaire's" tax (another public favorite) covers much of the cost. By law, the budget must be approved by April 1. Cuomo managed to get that done last year despite many painful reforms. The question this year will be whether state legislators are ready to join him in challenging the unions and the accepted political wisdom.
New York Gov. Cuomo's not-so-modest proposals | recordonline.com
