Arrest Warrants Issued for Wisconsin Politicians

Quote from CaptainObvious:

This is a perfect example of how we've arrived where were at politically. When they have the power, both left and right, they then govern as if they will never be out of power again. They over reach, lose the next election, and the side that was banged up comes back with a vengeance. It just keeps ratcheting up every few years until it's a flat out hate fest.
Our politics has become very similar to those fighting in the middle east. They've been at each others throats for so long they don't even know why anymore. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? No one knows, and worse, no one cares. It's all about crushing the other guy.

So true, so sad.




c
 
So let me get this straight. It takes a quorum to pass the budget, but it doesn't take a quorum to order the Democrats to be put in detention or how ever the hell they worded it.
 
Quote from CaptainObvious:

This is a perfect example of how we've arrived where were at politically. When they have the power, both left and right, they then govern as if they will never be out of power again. They over reach, lose the next election, and the side that was banged up comes back with a vengeance. It just keeps ratcheting up every few years until it's a flat out hate fest.
Our politics has become very similar to those fighting in the middle east. They've been at each others throats for so long they don't even know why anymore. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? No one knows, and worse, no one cares. It's all about crushing the other guy.

Every generation talks about how bad things are now compared to how they use to be. Politics today is downright congenial compared to the past.

We had a Secretary of Treasurer shot in a duel by a sitting Vice President! Aaron Burr shot and killed Alexander Hamilton. Seriously, as much as the media likes to play up the excitement, the politics of today are really quite boring compared to the past.

Have you ever watched a debate in the House of Commons in England? I'm guessing you have not.

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TsAa9VmwOaI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
Quote from Maverick74:

Every generation talks about how bad things are now compared to how they use to be. Politics today is downright congenial compared to the past.

We had a Secretary of Treasurer shot in a duel by a sitting Vice President! Aaron Burr shot and killed Alexander Hamilton. Seriously, as much as the media likes to play up the excitement, the politics of today are really quite boring compared to the past.

Have you ever watched a debate in the House of Commons in England? I'm guessing you have not.

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TsAa9VmwOaI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

And England is an economic disaster as a result. You're talking about individual examples of our own government officials not getting along. I'm talking about collectively. At the end of the day those old timers got something done. We get nothing done and it's because their is a collective hatred for the other side to such a degree that we are now politically paralyzed.
 
What part of making Wisconsin viable by cutting spending and raising revenue don't you understand?

Benefits were unsustainable and Wisconsin is broke. So either they get it under control or it will correct itself as it did here:

Alabama Town’s Failed Pension Is a Warning
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/business/23prichard.html?_r=2&emc=eta1

As for giving the "big boy's" [sic] tax breaks, they were to attract businesses with future revenue the goal. For example one exempted companies that relocate to Wisconsin from income taxes for two years. I hate to break it to you but this is the real world, not some libtarded wet dream, and businesses will go where the environment is most conducive to them making a profit. Because that's why they exist, to make money, NOT to be captive piggy banks for union benefits exceeding those of the private sector.

Quote from CaptainOblivious:

They should have stayed and taken the beating, and then went out day and night telling the people that while the big boy's got tax breaks, which threw more fuel on the deficit fire, the budget got balanced on their nickel.
 
I agree with you that its no different now then it has ever been.... well maybe it is worse in 2010 then it was in say 2004 for example, but if you look at it through time, things always tend to get more heated during times of crisis. I think the reason people think it is worse now is because now we have a 24/7 news cycle, as opposed to having like 6 channels back in the day and a 1 hour nightly broadcast, politics didnt use to get covered nearly as much as they are now. Plus any news channel you go to now has a bias, as opposed to in the past anchormen just tried to report the news.

Quote from Maverick74:

Every generation talks about how bad things are now compared to how they use to be. Politics today is downright congenial compared to the past.
 
Quote from CaptainObvious:

And England is an economic disaster as a result. You're talking about individual examples of our own government officials not getting along. I'm talking about collectively. At the end of the day those old timers got something done. We get nothing done and it's because their is a collective hatred for the other side to such a degree that we are now politically paralyzed.

I'm sorry. I absolutely disagree with you. My beef with them is the left and right get along all too well. Sure on TV they put on a nice show, but behind closed doors they are all buddy buddy. Their kids go to the same private schools, they all live in Georgetown together. They attend the same parties. I wish these guys would really stand up for their beliefs rather then sellout.

A perfect example was how well the left and right got along during the Bush years. Bush got his money for Iraq and in return he gave the left all the spending they wanted for their programs. That was a disaster.
 
Quote from Maverick74:

I'm sorry. I absolutely disagree with you. My beef with them is the left and right get along all too well. Sure on TV they put on a nice show, but behind closed doors they are all buddy buddy. Their kids go to the same private schools, they all live in Georgetown together. They attend the same parties. I wish these guys would really stand up for their beliefs rather then sellout.

A perfect example was how well the left and right got along during the Bush years. Bush got his money for Iraq and in return he gave the left all the spending they wanted for their programs. That was a disaster.

Well I gotta' admit you make a couple of good points. They are mostly cut from the same cloth. It's complicated, much too complicated to try and sum up in a paragraph or two. All I know is that the vast majority of people in this country have no real representation in government, and we're all being sold down the river. We've got the best government money can buy.
 
If Senators Arrested, Fitzgerald In Contempt, Attorneys Say
Article | March 3, 2011 - 6:31pm | Claudia Broman

A Wisconsin legal firm has issued an opinion saying that if members of the Wisconsin Senate are arrested for non-criminal offenses via a warrant issued by Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, then Fitzgerald himself could be held in contempt of the Senate.

“The Wisconsin Constitution absolutely prohibits members of the Wisconsin Senate from being arrested for a non-criminal offense,” write Wisconsin attorneys Lester A. Pines and Susan M. Crawford of the Cullen, Weston, Pines & Bach law firm of Madison. “The failure or refusal of a senator to attend a session of the Senate is not a crime. Nor is it in contempt of the Senate.”

The attorneys also say that the Senate is limited to what constitutes contempt by state statutes – and none of the allowable offenses have been committed by the absent Democratic Wisconsin Senators, the “Wisconsin 14,” the legal firm suggests.

Though both the Wisconsin Senate and Assembly can compel attendance by legislators, “this power must give way to the constitutional protection bestowed on each member privileging them from arrest or civil process,” with the exception of criminal cases, the opinion reads.

“None of the fourteen absent Senators has been charged with a crime,” say the attorneys. “Nor has any crime occurred. The Wisconsin Senate has absolutely no authority to order any of its members arrested or taken into custody in order to compel their attendance.”

The opinion goes on to list how the Senators could be charged with contempt, though those potential charges are limited by Wisconsin statutes.

“None of these offenses has been committed by any of the absent senators,” the opinion reads. In fact, were one of the absent senators to be arrested on a warrant issued by Senator Fitzgerald, the action could very well result in Fitzgerald being held in contempt of the Senate, the attorneys say.

“While the Senate may lawfully impose penalties on its absent members, and may direct the Sergeant at Arms to proceed to find and bring in such members, the Senate has no authority to issue a warrant for the arrest of its members,” the document concludes.

http://ashlandcurrent.com/article/11/03/03/if-senators-arrested-fitzgerald-contempt-attorneys-say
 
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