UPDATE: Poll Finds Even Split on Walker Recall Question

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UPDATE: Poll Finds Even Split on Walker Recall Question

UPDATED Thursday, April 21, 2011 --- 3:30 p.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- A new poll suggests Wisconsinites would be about evenly split on the question of recalling Gov. Scott Walker.

The idea of recalling the Republican governor arose during protests over his efforts to remove collective-bargaining rights from most public employees. The question is moot for now, since lawmakers must be in office for one year before they can be recalled. Walker was inaugurated in January.

Still, if there were a recall election, Thursday's poll suggests a tight outcome. It says 48 percent would vote to keep Walker in office, while 47 percent would vote to remove him.

The poll was commissioned by Wisconsin Public Radio and performed by St. Norbert College. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points and was conducted from April 5 through Monday.

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Posted Friday, February 18, 2011 --- 3:30 p.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- All those angry protesters calling for a recall election to replace Republican Gov. Scott Walker will have to wait a while.

According to the Wisconsin Constitution, an elected official must be in office for a year before someone can launch a recall petition against him or her. That means the earliest anyone could mount a recall petition against Walker would be January 2012.

Organizers would need signatures totaling 25 percent of the votes case in the last gubernatorial election. In Walker's case, that translates to about 540,200 names.

Thousands of people have gathered at the state Capitol for a fourth straight day to protest a Walker bill that would all but kill public sector unions.

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by Tori Rader Location: United States on May 1, 2012 at 05:56 PM

There is no such thing as a right to collective bargaining. It's a benefit that can be given and can be taken away. Rights are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Big difference. Stop using the word right when referring to union benefits. Wise up, people.

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by Darlene Denton on Jan 21, 2012 at 12:46 AM

If Wisconsin gets rid of Governor Walker, they deserve what they get.

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by Jim Location: Milwaukee on Jan 19, 2012 at 04:36 PM

It is the belief by many voters whether union or non-union supporters, that Governor Walker would never have made it to the governor's office if he had been honest with voters about his intentions of destroying collective bargaining in Wisconsin. Certain law enforcement agencies and fire-fighters were exempt and permitted to have collective bargaining rights. The majority of government workers truly did see their collective bargaining destroyed. My prediction is even if Walker is lucky enough to be able to hold onto his Governor title, there will be definite change in state government in the near future with all the other senators up for recall elections. Time will tell

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by Bruce Location: Milwaukee on Jan 19, 2012 at 06:22 AM

It must be remembered that Gov. Walker, when first elected, but before inaugurated, did try to have the unions voluntarily agree to hold off on their contracts until after he took office. He did this precisely because he wanted to renegotiate the the issues of contributions to pensions and health care costs. He was spurned in that attempt, and it had to go to a floor vote in the Legislature. In every case, save one that I know of, and particularly here in Milwaukee, the unions promised they would renogiate on those issues and then later did not. I therefore do not believe the unions are entitled to be believed on the subject and limiting collective bargaining (he did not eliminate collective bargaining), was the only answer to save the debt situation. I do not believe the Governor was dishonest, frankly I beleive the public employee untions were disingenuous. Given what had to be done to protect the taxpayers from a looming 3 plus billion deficit, and the fact that his reforms actually saved union jobs that would have otherwise been eliminated, I think he is doing a fine job and certainly does not deserve recall.

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by Jim Location: Milwaukee on Jan 6, 2012 at 07:16 PM

I agree with you Jillian about the importance of having unions. Without them, people in the workforce are much more at the mercy of their employers. As we all know, there are good and bad employees. However, there are also good and bad employers. Without the support of a union, a bad employer can practice favoritism and mistreat employees. Without a union, employers/management have greater ability to abuse their power. Unions give the "middle class" workforce the ability to have a voice and be heard. It gives them protection, rights and value as an employee. Employers are important but so are the employees. After all, employers would cease to exist without an employee workforce. Each compliments one another and having the ability to be able to have to listen to one another causes/forces both sides in the workforce to respect one another. I have been a strong supporter of recalling Governor Walker. I am a state employee and I did not have a problem with contributing more toward my retirement or health benefits but rather his aggressive, dishonest, union busting measures with the destruction of collective bargaining has me hoping to be able to go to the voting booth this year and reverse my previous vote for Walker as governor.

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by Jillian Location: stevens point on Jan 1, 2012 at 10:33 AM

well as someone who has seen first hand both points, i have to say that neither side is exactly right. many of you look at this as fair, but when you make less or the same and now have to put money to your own benifits it affects the quality of life in which many have struggled to get and maintain. dismembering the unions however, is also not very smart because people need a voice to be heard and some people dont have the influence for it to happen, but being a member of a union gives them that. public and private sector employees should have the same benifts, pay increases and health benifits just a a couple examples. but legally if the citizens are not happy about the job someone is doing in office they can recall them. it is their right if they do not believe they are being represented the way they should. if you dont like that then change the constitution. and if you feel you can because theres nothing you can do? well thats how these union workers felt, before. handle it the way they are and see who really if for and against this when it comes down it actually mattering. and mind u my arguements be shakey but i am 17 and in one short year will have to deal with what is happening now. ive done my reading and gotten the facts of both sides. maybe some of you should also do the same? just a suggestion thanks have a pleasant day.

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by Jim Location: Milwaukee on Dec 21, 2011 at 07:06 PM

It is very unfortunate that there is the belief by some that state employees were long overdue for paying more toward their benefits. If we are to compare the private sector employees with the public sector then it should be an apples/apples comparison and not apples/oranges comparison. In order for state employees to receive better benefits, they have given up annual pay raises that the private sector employees typically receive. I know this first hand for I have been a state employee for 14 years and the comparison I have observed over the years is a majority of my friends in the private sector have received very healthy annual raises 3-5% while I, as a state employee, have obtained an average of 0-2% per year. There are many years no raises were given to the state employees. I do not begrudge them for I have made the choice to be a public sector employee much like they have made their choice to work in the private sector. It would be nice if the private sector remembered the public sector during healthy, economic times as much as they do the poor economic times.

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- by Tori Rader on May 1, 2012 at 06:00 PM in reply to Jim
  
  Jim, there should be no such thing as public unions. Unions negotiate with legislators, many of whom depend on these legislators for votes. So the people who pay for these public union benefits (the taxpayers) are left out of the picture. And that's why the unions got so big and so out of control. Think about it. Franklin Delano Roosevelt agreed with this, and he was a big Democrat. But he got it.
  
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by Chris Location: Waterford Wi on Dec 19, 2011 at 01:02 AM

It’s about time we had some one with the guts to get this state government back on course and it’s good to see NBC tell the truth about the poll numbers. The Dems will get their recall and we will once again turn back the liberal agenda.

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by Anastasia Gilberry on Nov 30, 2011 at 12:33 PM

o really...well here let me tip those scales towards a non-recall then. Hey u got that Madison? Put me down for "Walker is doing an excellent job". kk tyvm

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by rick Location: janesville on Oct 11, 2011 at 07:14 PM

Governor is doing what should have done years before, balancing the budget is a good thing for state economy. The state employees now have to pay for what I've had to pay for many years. Now maybe my back can heel from the extra load of paying for my ins. & retirement & there's

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