RE Walking all over WI Workers

A few Thoughts on Krugman's piece in the NY Times...
Dateline: Stolen Treasure, FLA-Duh

PK: "What’s happening in Wisconsin is, instead, a power grab — an attempt to exploit the fiscal crisis to destroy the last major counterweight to the political power of corporations and the wealthy. And the power grab goes beyond union-busting. The bill in question is 144 pages long, and there are some extraordinary things hidden deep inside.

For example, the bill includes language that would allow officials appointed by the governor to make sweeping cuts in health coverage for low-income families without having to go through the normal legislative process."

Krugman points to the hidden nasty nuggets in the WALKER draconian agenda - passed without the clumsy encumbrances like the stumbling block of a democratic debate or pesky journalists.  Another hot one is this PRIVATIZATION HO!

PK: "And then there’s this: “Notwithstanding ss. 13.48 (14) (am) and 16.705 (1), the department may sell any state-owned heating, cooling, and power plant or may contract with a private entity for the operation of any such plant, with or without solicitation of bids, for any amount that the department determines to be in the best interest of the state. Notwithstanding ss. 196.49 and 196.80, no approval or certification of the public service commission is necessary for a public utility to purchase, or contract for the operation of, such a plant, and any such purchase is considered to be in the public interest and to comply with the criteria for certification of a project under s. 196.49 (3) (b).”

Sounds like the selling off of state enterprises to their favorite cronies, like the Russian economy - does this fall into the category of "you become what you hate?" Or is it just old fashioned greed and corporate over-reach.

PK: "The language in the budget bill would, in effect, let the governor privatize any or all of these facilities at whim. Not only that, he could sell them, without taking bids, to anyone he chooses. And note that any such sale would, by definition, be “considered to be in the public interest.  If this sounds to you like a perfect setup for cronyism and profiteering — remember those missing billions in Iraq? — you’re not alone.

It interesting to see in "The Times" what many of us, have known for sometime now. The deficit, and the tax cut mantra, that we've been receiving like the benediction from the KOCH juiced up Murdock mouthpieces, is part and parcel, of the old Gingrich/Norquist fable where they said, the plan is "to make government small enough to drown it in a bathtub" ... as long as it can still underwrite International Bankers and Stock traders and bail out Mortgage Brokers and Insurance Emperors... They just insist on keeping the public away from the Federal teat, and to make room, for just a few more RED BLOODED-CAPITALISTS. 

Pass ME... that welfare check Jeeves. We be, too big to fail!