Dear Editor,

In your March 4 issue, former Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry misinterpreted the core issue at the heart of the Wisconsin standoff. The main conflict is not about money. It is about freedom of association.Senator Penry and his party can twist the debate every way possible, but federal law is supposed to allow people to legally join groups to protect their interests and improve their circumstances. If you really believe in the basic foundations of what this country stands for, it should not matter if that interferes with your political ideology. If it is OK for business owners to join the Chamber of Commerce and negotiate contracts on a regular basis, then employees should have similar rights on a reasonable level. The Senator’s trickle down world view of socioeconomic privilege and blanket embrace of authority is typical of right-wing thinking.

That is not to say that government budgets should never be cut. Both parties have to take responsibility. We cannot however, continue to ignore the conversation about a fair tax structure. Using public employees as scapegoats is another false Republican mantra that amounts to a shameful attack on middle-class Americans.

Sincerely,

Timothy D. AllportChair, Labor Initiative of the Colorado Democratic Party

P.S. My opinions are my own and do not necessarily represent the views of the groups I represent or belong to.