Tufts University will break ground for the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center on Tuesday, April 12, 2011. The 42,000 square-foot center located on College Avenue in Medford, will feature a dramatic new central plaza leading into the heart of the new facilities, which will adjoin the existing Gancher Center and Cousins Gymnasium.
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Thursday, April 14, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Big Labor fights back in Wisconsin and U.S.
The battle between public unions and taxpayers will define the next decade in most U.S. states, and this past week the union empire struck back in Wisconsin. Big Labor went all-out to seek revenge against Governor Scott Walker's public union reforms, when they made a serious effort to take over the state Supreme Court in that states recent close election between Justice David Prosser and liberal challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg.
At this time it appears that Justice Prosser has won re-election to the state Supreme Court. Until Gov. Walker's collective bargaining reform passed last month, incumbent Justice Prosser was a heavy favorite. Unions then turned it into a grudge match, with the union-backed Greater Wisconsin Committee alone spending $1,363,040 for Ms. Kloppenburg, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. The voter turnout of 1.5 million was nearly double the usual number of voters in a state Supreme Court election. Union efforts were aided by an unfortunate Wisconsin law that lets voters register immediately before casting a ballot. A similiar Minnesota law helped elect Democrat Al Franken narrowly win a Senate seat in 2008. Because identification requirements are scant, the law creates different standards at different polling places and is an invitation to fraud. These problems were apparent long before this last election. In 2008, a 67-page Milwaukee Police Department Report chronicled potentional fraud in the state's tally of voters in the 2004 Presidential election. Questionable voting by absentee ballot, voting by felons and disparities between votes cast and those counted were part of "an illegal organized attempt to influence the outcome of the election," the report noted. Gov. Walker and the GOP legislature blundered by not repealing same-day registration as an early priority.
In the event of a recount, the very liberal state Chief Justice Shirley Abrahanson will decide which circuit court judge will hear the dispute-though she ought to recuse herself. Ms. Kloppenburg interned for her early in her career, and a spat between Ms. Abrahanson and Justice Prosser that included intemperate comments by the latter became campaign foder for Ms. Kloppenburg. The Wisconsin high court is ofter split 4-3, and a Prosser loss will put liberals back in charge. Some Republicans will interpret a Prosser defeat, if it occurs, as proof they should never challenge public union power, but that is precisely what Big Labor wants. Once Prosser began to fight back, he made the race exceptionally close. Unions are never going to easily give up dominence over the public purse. The lesson of Wisconsin is to retool the reform message so taxpayers understand the stakes. The various labor and election reforms being considered or acted upon in other states will clearly be fought across the country for some time to come.
At this time it appears that Justice Prosser has won re-election to the state Supreme Court. Until Gov. Walker's collective bargaining reform passed last month, incumbent Justice Prosser was a heavy favorite. Unions then turned it into a grudge match, with the union-backed Greater Wisconsin Committee alone spending $1,363,040 for Ms. Kloppenburg, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. The voter turnout of 1.5 million was nearly double the usual number of voters in a state Supreme Court election. Union efforts were aided by an unfortunate Wisconsin law that lets voters register immediately before casting a ballot. A similiar Minnesota law helped elect Democrat Al Franken narrowly win a Senate seat in 2008. Because identification requirements are scant, the law creates different standards at different polling places and is an invitation to fraud. These problems were apparent long before this last election. In 2008, a 67-page Milwaukee Police Department Report chronicled potentional fraud in the state's tally of voters in the 2004 Presidential election. Questionable voting by absentee ballot, voting by felons and disparities between votes cast and those counted were part of "an illegal organized attempt to influence the outcome of the election," the report noted. Gov. Walker and the GOP legislature blundered by not repealing same-day registration as an early priority.
In the event of a recount, the very liberal state Chief Justice Shirley Abrahanson will decide which circuit court judge will hear the dispute-though she ought to recuse herself. Ms. Kloppenburg interned for her early in her career, and a spat between Ms. Abrahanson and Justice Prosser that included intemperate comments by the latter became campaign foder for Ms. Kloppenburg. The Wisconsin high court is ofter split 4-3, and a Prosser loss will put liberals back in charge. Some Republicans will interpret a Prosser defeat, if it occurs, as proof they should never challenge public union power, but that is precisely what Big Labor wants. Once Prosser began to fight back, he made the race exceptionally close. Unions are never going to easily give up dominence over the public purse. The lesson of Wisconsin is to retool the reform message so taxpayers understand the stakes. The various labor and election reforms being considered or acted upon in other states will clearly be fought across the country for some time to come.
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