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Many Minnesotans are watching what's unfolding in Wisconsin and have strong feelings about it. This is understandable since we are right next door and have similar financial problems in our state. However, are you getting the right information to form your opinions? I don't think the majority of the media is covering this fairly.

I have heard many people tell me they vote Democrat because they are union members. This is appalling to me that anyone would let someone else tell them how to vote, but that's beside the point. On the other hand, I know many staunch Republicans who are current or former union members. This rift between the unions and the Republican Party has always puzzled me.

I've been told that Republicans are anti-union, but this simply isn't true. Republicans want jobs for both union and non-union workers and they want these employees to have a choice about union membership. Actually its the unions who are decidedly anti-Republican. They don't want workers to have a choice so they can collect more union dues. They use these dues to donate millions to Democrat candidates and use their organizations to stage anti-Republican rallies like the one going on in Wisconsin and spreading to other states. Instead of negotiating they use strong-arm tactics to bully politicians into going along with their demands. In New Jersey, Governor Christie wanted teachers to contribute a small percentage of their health care costs. The union workers were willing to do this, but their union bosses refused. As a result, 10,000 teachers lost their jobs and the unions tried to blame the governor when it is quite evident that the unions themselves were to blame.

Another disturbing aspect of the Wisconsin protests is the radical socialist groups and communists that are there to lend their support. Are the teachers, firefighters, law enforcement and other union members comfortable with being associated with organizations like SDS? There's also evidence of drinking, smoking pot and vandalism in the state capital building. That's just wrong and many in the media are not reporting these things.

I have nothing against union workers personally, and I think they should try to find out what their dues are paying for. This is not an easy task since unions are notoriously not very forthcoming in their financial reporting. I've heard of instances where unions aren't even filing the financial reports that are required by law.

I also hope the people of Wisconsin will settle their differences peacefully and that the cowardly Democrat state senators will return to fulfill the responsibilities they were elected to do. The Democrats are accusing the GOP of not participating in Democracy while their own senators are the ones stalling the process. I have news for them. We do not have a Democracy in the United States, we have a Republic, and the Republican government of Wisconsin has my wholehearted support.



Jan Schultz

Remer MN[[In-content Ad]]

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