President Obama Could Learn From Scott Walker's Leadership

Governor Scott Walker from Wisconsin has a budget crisis on his hands due to his predecessor spending large amounts of money on wasteful projects and giving public sector union members many benefits.  Wisconsin has $137 million shortfall in the current budget and a $3.6 billion in two years.  In an attempt to balance Wisconsin’s budget Governor Walker proposed legislation that would make public union employees pay 5.8% of their salaries towards pensions and 12.6% towards health care.  The normal private sector employ spend about 25% of their salary on retirement and healthcare. 

            A large proportion of those protesting in Wisconsin are teachers.  Many teachers are claiming that this law will force them to find part-time jobs and will hurt their families.  You could be thinking as well that teachers do not get paid enough and Governor Walker’s bill will hurt them.  Well Wisconsin teachers have higher wages and better benefits than almost any other state.  The average Wisconsin teacher makes about $50,000 a year and gets about another $40,000 in benefits.  As of right now teachers as well as public sector employees contribute only .2% of their wage to pensions.  Everyone knows how important teachers are and how valuable a good education is.  This bill Governor Walker proposed is not an attempt to demonize teachers and public sector employees.  What the bill is trying to do is balance a budget that is producing an un-sustainable debt that will move on to kids and grandkids in Wisconsin if not dealt with now.

This is the same story line that Republicans all the across the country are discussing.  We are all worried about an un-sustainable debt that will be passed on to our kids and grandkids.  Governor Walker as well as Governor Christie, Kasich, and many others are tackling the issue of the debt.  President Obama could learn a lot from these men, especially Governor Walker.  Governor Walker is doing what he believes will help balance the budget, he is not worried about public opinion or what others say about him.  President Obama take notes and see how a true leader acts by taking the issues head on, using sensible reasoning to solve problems, and not worrying about your own image.

            Michael Lesko
            SUR Contributor
       

Egypt the Next Iran?

In recent days protests have broken out in Egypt.  Initially this was a pro-democratic movement; however it is in the process of being hijacked by radical groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood.  The Muslim brotherhood does not want to make Egypt not a democracy but a theocracy and one that looks very similar to Iran.  Of course we as Americans want democracy to spread to other nations especially the Middle East but this movement does not look friendly to democracy.  If the Muslims Brotherhood takes control and creates a theocracy this will de-stabilize the Middle East and will pose a threat to Europe and the United States. 

            The United States needs to back our ally, President Mubarak.  Yes he is a dictator and yes he has limited speech and shut down the internet but the U.S. has made a pledge to him that we will support him in good times and more importantly tough times.  What will U.S allies think if we suddenly abandon President Mubarak and support the protesters?  The answer is simple, they will not trust the U.S to be there when times get tough.  Normally nations look towards the U.S. for help but if we start betraying our allies then they will look to other nations for help.  Jordan, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia are all allies of the U.S.  What will these three vital Middle East allies think once we have turned our back on Egypt?  They could possibly look towards Iran for help or look towards terrorist organizations.  We cannot afford to have our Middle Eastern allies turn towards Iran for help.  This will further de-stabilize the region and terrorist organizations will have safe havens to plan for attacks against our allies in Europe and ourselves.

            The best course of action to take right now is to wholeheartedly support President Mubarak and assist and advise him on how to maintain control.  Once President Mubarak has regained control, then we need to advise him and convince him to implement democratic reforms slowly.  The U.S always wants democracy to spread to other nations but this “pro-democratic” movement is starting to look and feel more like that of a pro-theocracy and pro-sharia law movement.  Supporting President Mubarak in these troubled times and then convincing him to bring democracy to Egypt is a win-win situation.  The U.S continues to have a strong ally in Egypt and a democracy could be created in the Middle East. 

Michael Lesko

SUR Contributor

             

Betty Ireland Campaigns For WV Governorship In Eastern Panhandle

Betty Ireland Campaigns For WV Governorship In Eastern Panhandle
See SUR president Jessica Fancher on NBC 25's report covering Betty Ireland in Martinsburg, WV.