The Wisconsin Truth Tour pulled into the Milwaukee Area Labor Council lot yesterday, July 26, for an activist meeting, rally and cook-out. Over brats, hamburgers and watermelon union and community members came together to discuss how Walker’s Darling, Alberta Darling, is putting corporations above people and taking Wisconsin in the wrong direction.
Last February, Alberta Darling voted to strip hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin’s union workers of their rights to collectively bargain for a better life – ignoring her constituents and the people of Wisconsin who took to the streets in overwhelming numbers to demand an end to the rights-stripping bill.
As the chair of the Joint Finance Committee, Darling spearheaded a budget that cuts hundreds of millions of dollars from our children's public schools - the largest cuts to education in Wisconsin history.
Darling also voted to raise taxes on working families and seniors while at the same time supporting hundreds of millions in tax giveaways to corporations and the super rich.
“It all goes back to the theme of an extreme power grab,” explained Phil Neuenfeldt, President of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, to a group of recall activists before the evening rally.
First they bust the unions, the last remaining check on corporate power, then they make it harder for the people of Wisconsin to vote and to top it off they change the legislative maps in order to consolidate power and tip electoral districts in their favor for the next decade. It is clear why we need to take our government back. We need to stop this blatant attack on our freedom and democracy.
“We are mighty in thought, presence and the work we are doing every day,” explained Sheila Cochran, Secretary-Treasurer of the Milwaukee Area Labor Council. “They call us special interest, well they are right, we do have the special interest of the working people of Wisconsin in mind.”
A local steelworker activists spoke to the amount of momentum building for working families as we head into the final 13 days to recalling “The Walker 6” on August 9. “In the last two weeks alone I have seen a huge uptick in momentum for the people of Wisconsin. People are getting on our train.”
The Wisconsin Truth Tour will continue criss-crossing the state with stops in La Crosse, Hudson and Eau Claire next week.
Click here for TMJ4’s coverage of the event
Upcoming Stops on the Wisconsin Truth Tour
Monday, August 1 - La Crosse: 5:30 pm. Rally, Cameron Park, Corner of King & 4th Street
Tuesday, August 2 - Hudson: Meeting with local activists, 5:30 p.m., 901 4th Street #10 Wednesday August 3 - Eau Claire: Meeting with local activists , 5:30 p.m., Eau Claire Labor Temple - 2233 Birch Street
It's nice to see everyone coming together, one step at a time.
Posted by: De | 07/31/2011 at 09:39 PM