This email comes from a Baraboo resident, and was included in a Sauk County Democratic mailing.
I post it here as it underscores what is happening across Wisconsin.
Did State Senator Luther Olson think about these matters before casting his vote that assaulted workers across the state?
“(My husband) just got notice. Effective April 21st our income will decrease by $304 a month. To add insult to injury, something that has not gotten any press – public employees must use their unpaid furlough days by June 18th. Which means they have to use one year’s worth of unpaid time in 6 months. Which means, in addition to losing $304 a month in income, he must work 1 1/2 weeks unpaid in the next three months…I am so sick I cannot even tell you – I feel like I am in a nightmare. How many families these days can absorb an immediate $3600/year pay cut? His salary was in the low 30s, and now is in the upper 20s, and he’s a health care supervisor! I see on the news that unions are negotiating contracts into the future, so it sounds like some union members will not have their wages cut for a couple more years. My husband is non-union, so we have a month…How are single parent families coping with this?”
CAFFEINATED POLITICS 
It won’t be $3600. Starting in fiscal year 2011 there will be no more furloughs, so the salary for those days will be restored and that needs to be taken into account. It should cover most of the increase in pension contribution, so the comparatively small increase in health insurance premium payments is all that’s left.
Gov. Walker’s assertion that these health care costs will be lower than the average private sector worker is ridiculous. I pay $363 every three months. Also, I wonder how many “private sector” service industry workers don’t have health care at all because they can’t afford it.
I don’t think the increase is all with regards to health insurance, Jesse. Much of it is because state workers are now REQUIRED to contribute a certain amount to the retirement fund. The health insurance increase is relatively small compared to the retirement increase. I’ve never worked anywhere that required me to contribute to a retirement fund beyond Social Security, which I still have to contribute to as well. For me, also, I’m looking at around a $4,000 pay cut.
EVERYONE CAN HELP WITH WISCONSIN RECALL
You don’t have to live in Wisconsin to help with the recall. You can volunteer by signing up here:
http://defendingwisconsin.org/…
If you don’t live near Wisconsin, but would still like to help run those greedy, anti-American, working-class hating, republican pigs out of office, you can donate here:
http://defendingwisconsin.org/…
A SUCCESSFUL RECALL EFFORT IN WISCONSIN WILL HAVE A RIPPLING EFFECT IN INDIANA, OHIO, MICHIGAN, AND PENNSYLVANIA.
IF WE KEEP FOCUSED, WE CAN TAKE THE GREAT LAKE STATES OUT OF REPUBLICAN REACH FOR THE NEXT DECADE.
On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Plunge right through that line!
” I wonder how many “private sector” service industry workers don’t have health care at all because they can’t afford it.”
That’s exactly why they created BadgerCare. Although, he’s not exactly leaving that alone either.