HIGHLY POLARIZED WISCONSINITES SPLIT OVER WALKER PLAN Substantial support expressed for compromise

[kpete]

Source: WPRI

March 6, 2011

HIGHLY POLARIZED WISCONSINITES SPLIT OVER WALKER PLAN
Substantial support expressed for compromise

Wisconsinites are deeply divided over Gov. Scott Walker’s plans regarding public employee benefits, wages and unions, according to a Wisconsin Policy Research Institute poll showing 51 percent somewhat or strongly opposed and 46 percent somewhat or strongly in favor.

While support for Walker in general has held fairly steady in comparison to last November, in the meantime, opposition to him has solidified and increased. A slight majority of the public disapproves of the actions taken by Senate Democrats to prevent passage of the budget repair bill and overwhelming numbers want public employees to contribute more to their pensions. The public has a favorable opinion of public employee unions, including teachers unions. Most want Walker to compromise with Democrats and union leaders.

The poll of 603 Wisconsinites was conducted between Feb. 27 and March 1, the day of Walker’s budget address, and has a margin of error of 4 percent. The survey of randomly selected adults included cell phone-users and was directed by Ken Goldstein, a UW-Madison political science professor on leave who is also the co-founder and director of the Big Ten Battleground Poll. It conforms in full with the disclosure requirements of the American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) Code of Professional Ethics and Practice and the AAPOR Transparency Initiative.

Asked what they think the top priority of the governor and the legislature should be, 27 percent said balancing the budget, one percent higher than said improving the state’s economy and protecting jobs. In the November, 2010 WPRI poll, 49 percent of the respondents said that state government’s top priority should be jobs and the economy.

Read more: http://www.wpri.org/polls/March2011/poll0311.html

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[Thornleylv]

B.S.

I have heard nothing like this from any other poll even very conservative poll show completely different results. I would like to know more about who did the poll. Right now they are not to credible with me.

[boppers]

3. It has two sources:

http://www.wpri.org/pages/about.html
http://www.aflcio.org/aboutus/index.cfm

[Thornleylv]

1. B.S.

I have heard nothing like this from any other poll even very conservative poll show completely different results. I would like to know more about who did the poll. Right now they are not to credible with me.

[aquart]

2. It say " Democrat" for party. There is no Democrat Party.

[socialist_n_TN]

7. GOOD catch. This poll is DEFINITELY..........

a contrast to ALL of the others I've seen. Good to know it's a RW plant.

Hey! It's a "troll poll"! :rofl:

[droidamus2]

4. A little quick research

shows that the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute is definitely right leaning (though they claim to be non-partisan of course I guess you could claim no connection to the mepublican party and still be far right wing). Of the people on their home page on is a conservative talk show host and what little I could find on the others seemed to point towards them being conservatives as well. In this day and age any numbers put out by any conservative/mepublican groups have to be questioned.

[think]

5. It's time for the AFL-CIO to unfurl their flag!

The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations

The Koch Brothers and Dick Armeys of the world have learned to wrap themselves in their false flag of patriotism in the name of $$$. The billionaires are flying their flags mighty and high.

Freedom Works!

Americans for Prosperity!

The Tea Party! (Which they stole from Ron Paul who is just too much of a gentleman to care regardless of politics.)

Isn't it time the true patriots to unfurl their flag.....

The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations

[sabrina 1]

6. His poll numbers have been dropping steadily since this began

He is now down to 43% overall from the time of his election when he was, inexplicably around 52%.

Each day that passes shows his numbers dropping.

[quakerboy]

8. I am struck that once again I think we should adjust the whole frame

I hearken back to the health care debate. People get health care from their company by and large, and so the issue isn't real to them. Same seems true of pensions and benefits in general.

I am starting to think that we should adjust our whole way of doing business here. Lets do away with all benefits for all employees in all jobs, and just pay people the money instead. You work and you get paid a fair hourly wage, and your employer gets no say in how you choose to devote your resources from that point on. No semitangible "benefits" to be hung over our heads.

[Enthusiast]

9. False poll. nt

[Snoutport]

10. Compromise?

The Union already agreed to everything Walker asked for except bargaining rights. What else do they want? Blood? First born? Oh, no, they just want our civil right to ask for a raise.

[WinkyDink]

11. I'm sick unto death of "compromise."