By Cliff Montgomery – Mar. 3rd, 2011
One thing is clear about Wisconsin’s budget impasse: Gov. Scott Walker’s attempt to deny the natural rights of assembly and speech to public-sector workers–rights unions normally refer to as collective-bargaining–is not about balancing the budget.
In fact, the state’s public-sector unions already have agreed to make large financial concessions. Gov. Walker has flatly rejected those offers.
It is a simple case of the Shock Doctrine on full display. The doctrine is a brilliant analysis from The Nation journalist Naomi Klein. The American Spark explained Klein’s thesis a few days ago.
The current example in Wisconsin thus is simply “a power grab,” recently stated New York Times reporter Paul Krugman. It’s nothing but “an attempt to exploit the fiscal crisis to destroy the last major counterweight to the political power of corporations and the wealthy,” he added.
That’s not all. A deeper read of Walker’s union-busting bill tells us much about the man’s true plans for his state.
Let’s offer a telling example. Walker’s legislation would allow the governor’s hand-picked officials to make drastic cuts in health plans which currently keep alive low-income families. How would this be done? By giving Walker’s appointees the power to bypass normal legal channels.
And Krugman appears to have discovered this gem:
“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).”
It seems that “the state of Wisconsin owns a number of plants supplying heating, cooling, and electricity to state-run facilities (like the University of Wisconsin),” stated Krugman.
“The language in the budget bill would, in effect, let the governor privatize any or all of these facilities at whim,” added the Times journalist.
“Not only that, he could sell them, without taking bids, to anyone he chooses,” continued Krugman.
“And note that any such sale would, by definition, be ‘considered to be in the public interest.’ “
As Krugman pointed out, “this sounds…like a perfect setup for cronyism and profiteering.”
It’s also interesting to note that Koch Industries, a massive Kansas-based conglomerate “owned by [two] billionaire brothers who are playing such a large role in Mr. Walker’s anti-union push,” recently felt the need “to issue a denial that it’s interested in purchasing any of those power plants,” stated Krugman.
The Koch Brothers have a long history of financing reactionary, far-right initiatives. They also appear to have been instrumental in getting Scott Walker into the governor’s mansion of Wisconsin, as we made clear in a recent article.
We at the Spark feel sure the billionaire brothers have no interest in profiting from activities they’ve long worked to bring to fruition…
