Sitting next to a fireplace at the governor's mansion, Gov. Scott Walker defended his budget repair bill as necessary to correct the deficit while Democrats countered that it is just about suppressing worker's rights.
""The bill I put forward isn't aimed at state workers, and it certainly isn't a battle with unions,"" Walker said. ""If it was, we would have eliminated collective bargaining entirely, or we would have gone after the private sector unions. But we did not, because they are our partners in economic development.""
In addition to making workers contribute 5.8 percent to their pension and 12.6 percent to their health insurance, Walker said he needs to reform collective bargaining because the union system is broken and costs local governments serious money.
State Sen. Mark Miller, D-Madison, who gave the Democrats' response from an undisclosed location in Illinois, said the debate was only about collective bargaining rights because unions already conceded the new payment scheme.
""Wisconsin has one of the longest traditions of workers' rights in the country,"" Miller said. ""We were the first state to have workman's compensation. We were the first state to have unemployment insurance. We were the first state to recognize public employees' right to bargain. These are rights that should not lightly be thrown away.""
Miller defended fleeing the state, which prevents a quorum necessary to vote on the bill, in order to have a proper public debate and accused Walker of trying to ram through the legislation.
Walker commended the protests as a passionate yet civil debates about finances, but warned of outside influence.
""As more and more protesters come in from Nevada, Chicago and elsewhere, I'm not going to allow their voices to overwhelm the voices of the millions of taxpayers from all across this state who know we're doing the right thing,"" Walker said. ""This is a decision that Wisconsin will make.""
