One People, One Voice
By Thursday, the protests had captivated the attention of everyone in Madison and far beyond, and it was clear this was history in the making.
Especially touching is the solidarity from Egypt, where people are fighting for democracy too. Their fight is far steeper and more intense than ours, because they’re trying to establish a democracy while we’re trying to keep ours from crumbling. So it felt deeply moving to see the viral photo of an Egyptian protester’s sign: “Egypt Supports Wisconsin Workers; One People, One Voice.”
All week, I’d been constantly amazed and uplifted by the energy and solidarity of the protesters and felt deeply proud to be one myself. Seeing the swelling crowd chanting and singing outside the Capitol in freezing weather, or gathering inside and packing the rotunda with bodies and signs, always gave me a warm upwelling of feeling; I knew I was part of something much larger than myself.
My Testimony at the Listening Session
Thursday evening, I returned to the Capitol after dinner and learned that the listening session was still going strong—by now, the public had been testifying without pause for 80 hours. I entered my name, was called 2.5 hours later, and spoke at 9:25 pm.
By this time, the listening session had moved to a smaller room. The room had a round table, around which maybe 20 people sat, including a few Democrats who were patiently, sympathetically hearing the public. Behind the round table, chairs lined the walls on all four sides of the room, packed with another 40 or so people. On the floor between the wall and the round table, another 20 or 30 people were squished. A small cluster of people stood perpetually outside the double doors, waiting to get in whenever some people left the room and made space. A table was set up just outside the doors, too, where a steady stream of people was still filling out cards to speak.
I’m not sure if I was eloquent, but I told my own story: I make very little money in the public sector, but I believe in what I do as a stream scientist at the Department of Natural Resources. I can’t easily transfer to the private sector for lack of jobs in my field. This bill feels like a slap in the face, because we state workers haven’t been listened to, despite our years of dedicated service to the state.
I ended by saying that Governor Walker talks a lot about investment, making Wisconsin’s economic climate inviting to businesses. But what about us, the public sector employees? We are another kind of investment. If our jobs become unlivable, we will leave for other states. Is that good for Wisconsin?
Here’s a clip of my testimony:
(This and the clip below are from the website WisconsinEye, a C-SPAN-like organization that produces and archives important footage from Wisconsin’s Capitol and civic events. A paid account is necessary to view most footage. For account holders, here’s the link to a longer version of this clip.)
The last time I checked was today, Monday the 21st, almost a week after the public hearing began. The listening session is still going strong!
Beyond the Pale
On Friday evening, with the senate Dems absent and the protests continuing, the assembly Democrats met in caucus all day until 5 pm. At 5 they were scheduled to convene with the Republicans and vote on amendments to the Budget Repair Bill. One problem: assembly Republicans called the meeting to order earlier than scheduled and began voting before the Dems arrived.
This breach of protocol outraged the Democrats, as you can see in the video clip below. You see the Republicans in the midst of a hurried vote on the bill’s amendments, which they had begun five minutes earlier, while the Democratic side of the aisle is a ghost town. Then the Dems arrive, wearing orange shirts in solidarity with public workers, and try to stop the proceedings.
The Republicans would eventually try to play this incident off as a misunderstanding, but that doesn’t explain their blatant disregard for the Dems’ initial requests for the floor. It’s obvious, after watching the Republican response to the Democrats’ entry, that the Republicans have total disdain for their counterparts.
I’m represented by Mark Pocan, one of those Democratic representatives. How will my voice be heard in this assembly?
After hearing about assembly Republicans trying so hard to shut down my voice, I was especially glad I had testified at the listening session, where I could be heard and recorded. I can’t force Republicans to listen to me, but I’m so glad that people across the country and around the world are listening.
