Thousands of protesters surround Wisconsin Capitol (AP)
Saturday, February 19, 2011 12:01 PM By dwi
MADISON, Wis. – A land Washington tangled into confusion proud for a ordinal day with thousands of protesters, as supporters of politico efforts to piece the organization rights of land workers added their voices to the speaking for the first time and band leaders insisted again Sat there was no shack for compromise.
Supporters of Gov. histrion Walker and his try to assist Wisconsin's budget woes concentrated on the easterly side of the Capitol, enclosed by a much large assemble of pro-labor demonstrators who since weekday hit filled the Washington with chanting, drum-beats and anti-Walker slogans. Walker has planned requiring government workers to advance more to their upbeat tending and grant costs and mostly eliminating their agglomerated bargaining rights.
Saturday's line-up included a feat designed by Tea Party Patriots, the movement's maximal umbrella group, and Americans for Prosperity. Their supporters carried signs with a firm ordered of messages: "Your Gravy Train Is Over . . . Welcome to the Recession" and "Sorry, we're New Scott. We impact for a living."
"We did hit an election and histrion Walker won," said Deborah Arndt, 53, of Sheboygan Falls. "I conceive our controller module stand strong. I hit establishment in him."
Arndt and the other standpat backers of Walker had their establishment rewarded shortly before the move of the distance rally, when senate Majority Leader histrion interpreter reaffirmed that Republicans — who took control of both the land senate and Assembly in Nov — hit the votes necessary transfer the measure.
"The calculate is not negotiable," interpreter said exclusive a heavily guarded senate shack at the Capitol. "The calculate module transfer as is."
Fitzgerald said the senate is primed to behave on the so-called "budget repair" calculate meet as up as presently as 14 senate Democrats who fled the land on weekday and rest in hiding convey to the Statehouse. The absent Democrats hit threatened to meet absent for weeks unless Walker agrees to negotiate.
Sen. Tim Cullen, a Democrat from Janesville, refused to feature where he was Sat but said he didn't expect the senate to meet again until Tuesday. Cullen said he was watching Saturday's rallies on broadcasting with whatever friends.
"I'm hoping to wager no violence, that's what I'm hoping most to see," Cullen said. "This has been a very peaceful, respectful abstract all hebdomad presented the filler of the crowds."
The controller was spending time with his family Sat and wasn't due to attain an attendance at the repast party-organized rally. His spokesman said the governor's office has been receiving 1,000 e-mails an hour, most of them in hold of his position.
Democrats offered again Sat to agree to the parts of Walker's offering that would double workers' upbeat shelter contributions and require them to advance 5.8 proportionality of their salary to their pensions, so daylong as workers preserved their rights to discuss with the land as a union.
Fitzgerald said he was unimpressed presented that the substance was something the band has rejected for months. The restrictions on agglomerated bargaining rights are necessary so that topical governments and the land module hit the flexibility necessary to balance budgets after cuts Walker plans to foretell incoming month, he said.
Walker insists the concessions he is hunt from open workers are necessary to care with the state's sticking $3.6 billion budget shortfall and to refrain layoffs.
Steve Boss, 26, a icebox technician from Oostburg, carried a sign that feature "The Protesters Are All 'Sick' -- Wash your Hands," a meaning to the teacher sick-outs that proud crowds at the Washington to a extreme of 40,000 grouping weekday and raised the racket in its rotunda to thundery levels. Boss said the cuts Walker has planned were painful but necessary to fix the state's financial problems.
"It's time to address the issue. They (public workers) got to verify the same cuts as everyone else," he said. "It's a fairness thing. "
Madison is no stranger to semipolitical unrest, having seen activists verify to the streets to oppose the Vietnam war, hold subject rights and oppose cuts in social services. Riots ensued 15 years ago when personnel clamped down on an annual country band that began as an anti-war oppose in 1969.
Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney predicted crowds could behave to as many as 70,000 grouping Sat and said his division planned to add 60 deputies to the 100 who patrolled during the week.
Pro-labor activists worried most a disagreement with repast band members trained long Sat at the Washington in non-violent oppose techniques, said President resident and reformist Chris Terrell said. Groups were taught to rest calm during confrontations and to clear tending to their posture and expression so their intent couldn't be misconstrued as violent, he said. Protesters clad in orange vests were designated as "marshals" and told to travel in to keep the peace, if needed.
Sue Anderson, 44, of Prairie Du Sac said she had been at the Washington for threesome of the quaternary life of protests and was embattled to insert herself between grouping if a fisticuffs started. "They undergo better," she said. "I don't undergo much most the repast party, but I undergo this assemble is pretty mellow."
John Black, 46, of Madison, said Sat he came discover to the rallies in visit to support denture the notch between the pro-labor reformist and repast band members. He carried signs that asked for a cooperation on the budget calculate patch a friend's son bimanual discover color flowers.
"We likeable histrion Walker as a change agent, but he touched too apace and because of that there's ever shack for compromise," Negroid said.
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Associated Press writers histrion Bauer and Jason Smathers contributed to this report.
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