Wisconsin Legislature sets just one work day this month

[hue]

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Madison - "Republicans who run the Legislature say they are putting jobs at the top of their agenda for the fall, but they are getting off to a slow start.

Little is planned for Tuesday, their first day back since a wave of unprecedented recall elections narrowed the Republican majority to one vote in the Senate. Two new Democrats will be sworn in on the Senate floor, but that house will not approve any legislation. The Assembly has a light agenda that day and will not be back again until October."

Read more: http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/129628318.html

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Blaming the recall elections in Wisconsin the legislature plans only ONE DAY of session in the month of September!!
This is a prime example of how the Repubs (don't) work!

[HereSince1628]

1. Fearing loss of the senate WI-r's pressed their work last winter and spring

They got WAY ahead, now there is nothing to do until ALEC can write them some 'model' legislation.

[ixion]

2. They'll still get their paychecks, though

so I'm sure they're not concerned with actually doing something.

[hue]

3. of course they're "entitled" to their pay checks for doing nothing..n/t

[Oceansaway]

4. K&R...n/t

[CarmanK]

5. A new meaning to FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, the GOP way!

this is typical, the GOP doesn't want to do anything that will advance the welfare of the people or protect the common good. I would be aware, by not going into session, that gives WALKER a lot of room to exercise his unfettered power to dispose of public assets including the three power plants. And with a shrunken Senate, it could mean they don't have to take action against his misuse of power, nor will they have to ACT to mitigate the ramifications on the public and price of utilities. Remember, Walker is a college drop out with ego and power to match, he will use it, because he will be recalled in January and the Kochroaches are anxious for him to move on the power plant issue while he can.

[sybylla]

6. And they want us to think teachers don't do anything...

Fugging idiots. When will people wake up and see how allergic to actual work Pukes are?

[Downwinder]

7. Teachers should keep the same schedule.

[saras]

8. Every worker in the state should keep the same schedule

[Yon_Yonson]

9. Since Feb I and many upon many others have spent more time in Madison than ...

.... our elected officials. As a self proclaimed activist I am now spending at least half of my days figuring out how to be a pain in these NEOCON SLUG’S arses. All they are waiting for now is to see who will be our next governor and the ALEC game plan.

[Plucketeer]

10. Mind-boggling

that they STILL have those of the "commoners" who support these phonies! :crazy:

[PotatoChip]

11. You guys do realize that legislators work 24/7, right?

Constituent work is generally more tiresome then session days. All state legislatures are different therefor it may be much easier in Wisconsin then the state I live in... Legislators in my state do not have their own staff, they share one aide among 8 or 9 other legislators, so these folks pretty much do all of their own constituent work. And calls for help from constituents can come anytime of the day or night. Session days for them is often somewhat of break in comparison.

Not defending the Pukes. Just saying. I'd point this out even if Dems were in charge.

[charlie and algernon]

12. In the blue State of Maryland, the legislature is only in session for 90 days out of the year

Mid-January to Mid-April. A lot of the legislators have second jobs, or keep the job they had before getting elected, for the rest of they year.

[PotatoChip]

13. Yup. It's pretty much the same here.

It's called a 'part-time citizen legislature' in my state for a reason. Unless retired, legislators here cannot afford to be politicians only. 12k per/yr really doesn't cut it. So they work regular jobs, on top of doing their own constituent work.

Session days are often a break from that routine and are helpful when trying to get caught up w/the mountains of constituent work.

[Thor_MN]

14. Yes, I'm sure that one can call one of their State legislators at 3AM Saturday morning

and talk to them. :sarcasm:

[PotatoChip]

16. Actually they can

One would hope that they would have enough sense NOT to call at ridiculous hours, but it does happen.

A close friend of mine was a legislator for many years. She once got a call at 1am from one of her (inebriated) constituents. He wanted her to pick him up from a bar and give him a ride home. Seriously.

I'm aware of several other similarly bizarre incidents, but that one was the worst.

[Thor_MN]

19. So that is different from you and me, how?

Did the drunk even know who he was calling? How did he have her home number?

If one's home phone number is listed or even just known, anyone could call at any time of day or night. Does that mean that that person works 24/7? I would have to say that is stretching things quite a bit. I am on-call 1 week in 4, on top of my regular office hours. Does that mean I work 24/7 1 week a month? Not remotely. I did spend from midnight to 3AM dealing with a work issue last week (and it wasn't my week, that starts tomorrow) but I can't truthfully say that I work 24/7. With full pay, I'd trade one day of office hours against the random chance of getting a middle of the night call from a drunk in a heartbeat.

[PotatoChip]

21. Absolutely, he knew.

Legislators in my state don't have offices or staff. Their home IS their office when it comes to legislative affairs. Unless they happen to be self employed, and/or have very understanding employers, home numbers are what constituents rely on to contact them. Our State House and Senate publishes all legislator's home numbers, cell numbers, email accounts, ect. Plus legislators themselves make their personal contact info readily available on campaign literature, mailings, advertisements, on business cards at business' such as that bar... ect. It'd be political suicide not to.

As far as your other point, I stand by my 24/7 statement. Have you ever heard of that old saying, 'A man may work from sun to sun, but a woman's work is never done'? I never cared much for that saying, and it probably hasn't been true for half a century or more, but you likely get the point I'm trying to make here. Just as you chose to stay up till 3am on a work related issue, a legislator could do the same (if physically possible) 24/7 for their entire term yet still have more to do.

It's not just phone calls or session days, it's the constituent issues themselves, working their bills, the travel, the meetings, the parades, the ceremonies, the town meetings... all on top of their real jobs... and all this "fun" for 12/k per year. Oh and let's not forget having to fight to keep this 'lifestyle' every 2 yrs. I used to beg my friend not to keep doing this to herself, and at times, when really burnt out, I could almost get her to agree, but then when signature time would roll around, there she would be, knocking on doors again... I do have to say though that she did a lot of good things for the people of the district.

It's very clear to me from my time here on DU that politicians are not very popular. For the most part I agree with, and understand why DUers feel this way. But there are a few good ones out there. Sorry for the length of this. :hi:

[sybylla]

20. Lots of aides depending on who's in charge

In this case, the pukes have more than the Dems because they are in charge of committees, too.

That's point one.

Point two is that none of these "vacationing" legislators are holding listening sessions nor are they even doing all that much to respond to constituents who actually contact them. We know this because most of the Dems who post here are represented by GOPpies. Many of us contact them regularly and try to show up at every listening session just to hold their feet to the fire. Rarely do we get more than the usual talking points or a form letter, which most often has all the talking points found in said GOPpy's quarterly newsletter. Poor GOPpies/aides are working so hard for us.

Point three, when the Dems were in charge just 9 short months ago, they worked their tails off both in the Capitol and at home. Having worked full time for the reelection campaign of one and closely with several others, I can vouch for all the effing work they did, on call, 18/7 even during the election recess.

Point 4, they already had the entire effing summer off - since the beginning of May.

I know you're not defending pukes, I'm just saying the evidence is stacked against these pukes.

[No Elephants]

15. Proving their point that government cannot be trusted to spend tax dollars well,

[hue]

17. err the salaries of WI State legislature amt to higher than your example...

Re The salaries of WI State legislature from Wikipedia: "Senators elected or re-elected in the fall of 2008 will receive an annual salary of $49,943. In addition to their salaries, senators outside Dane County may receive a per diem up to $88 to cover living expenses while they are in Dane County on state business. Members of the Madison delegation may receive a per diem up to $44 to cover expenses. Each senator also receives $75 per month in "out-of-session" pay when the Legislature is in session for three days or less.

Over two years, each senator is allotted $66,008 to cover general office expenses, printing, postage and district mailings."

and the WI Repubs do not have a great record of taking calls from or spending time with their constituents here. So don't expect any pity from me for them....

[Evasporque]

18. That's all the time they need to give more tax cuts to the "Job Creators"...nt