ON WISCONSIN – AT 9:10 A.M. ET:  The People's Republic of Wisconsin is becoming a big story.  The Republican governo's austere budget plan, which will require public employees to give up collective bargaining rights, has brought on a firestorm of indignation, centered in the state capital of Madison.

Madison, of course, is Berkeley, without the good weather.  Teachers called in sick to protest the new budget plan.  State workers gathered at the capitol building, and there were the expected signs comparing the governor, Scott Walker, to Hitler.  Walker is not impressed.  From The Hill:

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) says his party has been emboldened by massive protests against his controversial budget plan.

Walker said demonstrators who filled the state Capitol building in Madison and the boycott by state Senate Democrats — some of whom fled the state in protest — have steeled the resolve of members of his party.

"If anything, I think it's made the Republicans in the Assembly and the Senate stronger," he told Fox News's Greta Van Susteren in an interview Thursday night. "They're not going to be bullied. They're not going to be intimidated."

The unrest in Wisconsin has attracted attention from national lawmakers and political figures, who have incorporated the state's tussle over Walker's budget proposal into the debate over the federal government's fiscal woes.

Public-sector workers are upset with the plan, which calls on them to pay to receive pension and health benefits and removes collective bargaining rights for some.

President Obama has weighed in on the side of the public-service unions, which have been among his most loyal electoral supporters.

Walker is doing what Chris Christie is doing in New Jersey, and what other governors must do to save their states from fiscal insolvency.  In Illinois, of course, the fiscal problem has been addressed by a huge increase in taxes.  Why, look at all those businesses now rushing to Illinois. 

Governors are taking action.  At the same time, we point out that they must be careful.  Good budget cutting is done with a scalpel, not a sledgehammer.  And it is simply wrong to demonize all public-service workers.  I've met very fine public employees, and some who weren't so fine.  We've all had wonderful public-school teachers, and some who shouldn't have been teaching at all. 

I have serious doubts about removing collective bargaining rights from public-empoloyee unions.  We, as a nation, are careful about withdrawing rights already won.  Both political parties have historically embraced collective bargaining.  The idea is to get concessions from public unions through tough negotiations, and the threat of layoffs if budgets aren't brought into line.

The request of Governor Walker that public employees pay a part of their pension and medical plans makes sense to me.  The payments would still be far below that paid by employees in private industry.

We must remember that public cheers today can easily turn to boos if services the public expects are suddenly cut off.  The truly obnoxious and gluttonous behavior of some public unions does not justify reckless or poorly thought out actions by budget-cutting elected officials.  A careful pattern of cuts, layoffs through retirement and reasonable givebacks by public employees will win out over chest thumping, which, I guarantee you, will wear thin.

As an example of good governance, look no further than Republican Mitch Daniels in Indiana, who has run his state superbly with quiet competence and a lowered voice.  He might be president, and probably deserves to be.

February 18, 2011