Wednesday Hero

 

Cmd. David John Sperling
78 years old from Pensacola, Florida
Attach Squadron 153
April 3, 1929 – March 17, 2008

From the citation upon being awarded the Silver Star:

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Commander David John Sperling (NSN: 0-555189), United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action as the Pilot of a jet aircraft while attached to Attack Squadron ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-THREE (VA-153), embarked in U.S.S. CORAL SEA (CVA-43). On 25 October 1967, Commander Sperling flew as a major group leader in a coordinated Air Wing assault on the Phuc Yen Air Base near Hanoi, North Vietnam. Being the prime operating base for MiG fighter aircraft, Phuc Yen was defended by the most concentrated and formidable array of surface-to-air missiles, anti-aircraft artillery and automatic weapons to be found in all of North Vietnam. Courageously leading his group of attack aircraft over 120 miles of hostile territory into this bastion of defensive armor, Commander Sperling exhibited outstanding airmanship and unwavering determination while maneuvering for the highly vulnerable attack position. In spite of the unprecedented barrage of surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft fire, he calmly established the essential bombing pattern and delivered his ordnance with exceptional accuracy on the revetted enemy airplanes to destroy or damage several parked MiG aircraft. His resolute actions and professional skill set the tone for the remainder of his force and succeeded in turning a potentially disastrous situation into a highly successful assault on the enemy. Commander Sperling’s gallant and inspirational leadership upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Cmd. Sperling’s obituary.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

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Governor Walker on sick leave

Governor Walker is continuing to show resolve when it comes his BOLD proposal for putting Wisconsin back on the path of fiscal stability.

Any public employee who “called in sick” to protest should be severely disciplined and that includes termination.   Any doctor who issued “fake” excuses should also be severely disciplined for engaging in fraudulent activity.

Related articles

• Walker’s Budget Repair Plan: FACTS (freedomeden.blogspot.com)
• GOP governors stand with Wisconsin’s Scott Walker – USA Today (news.google.com)
• Rasmussen Poll: American Voters Support Wisconsin GOP Gov. Walker Over Unions by a 48% to 38% Margin (scaredmonkeys.com)

Irresponsible to run away

Great editorial from the Wisconsin State Journal.

They made their point.

Now it’s time to get back to work — in Madison, not Rockford, Ill., or Chicago.

The Senate Democrats who fled Wisconsin for Illinois last week need to do the jobs they were elected to do at the state Capitol in Madison. Running away from their problems won’t solve them.

All 14 Democrats in the 33-member Wisconsin Senate staged a walkout from the Wisconsin Capitol in Madison on Thursday.

They bolted to prevent the 19 Republicans who control the Senate from potentially voting in favor of GOP Gov. Scott Walker’s controversial budget repair bill. The proposal, which the Democrats adamantly oppose, includes sweeping limits to collective bargaining for public employee unions.

So the Senate is now stuck because it needs at least 20 members for a quorum before it can vote on fiscal matters.

And that’s one more senator than the Republican majority has.

State law allows the Senate to use law enforcement to force absent members back to the Capitol. But because all of the Democrats are apparently holed up out of state, they’re outside the jurisdiction of Wisconsin law enforcement.

So Wisconsin sits and waits. For how long? Until Walker apologizes for winning the last election?

Like it or not, the majority of Wisconsin voters elected Walker and other Republicans to run the statehouse for the next two years. The Democrats can’t change that until subsequent elections.

The runaway 14 have a responsibility to represent their constituents.   That means going to work and doing the job they were elected to do.  Even when it means voting on a bill that you don’t like.

Related articles

• Open Letter to Wisconsin Dem Senators (freedomeden.blogspot.com)
• Wisconsin Assembly begins debate on union curbs – Reuters (news.google.com)

Wisconsin Unions going all in

When it comes to opposing the BOLD budget repair bill put forth by Governor Walker the public sector unions are putting all the cards on the table.

The 97-union South Central Federation of Labor voted Monday night to prepare for a general strike that would take place if Gov. Scott Walker succeeds in enacting his budget repair bill, which would strip most bargaining rights from most public employee unions.

The strike would call for union and non-union workers in large swaths of the workforce to stop working, said Carl Aniel, labor federation delegate from AFSCME Local 171.

…

The strike could affect schools, governments and private businesses, but crucial life-and-death services would not be interrupted, Aniel said Tuesday morning.

“It doesn’t mean that everyone is going to stop working on a particular moment or day,” Aniel said. “It means that we are preparing so that the decisions are made in a very significantly different way so that it protects the people of Wisconsin.”

But some services would be shut down, he said. The labor group would still have to determine which services would be shut down, he added.

And according to BizTimes Daily:

other labor unions that would be affected by Walker’s bill also are pondering going out on strike if the proposal is approved.

Considering that Governor Walker has said layoff notices could start next week if the repair bill isn’t passed by Saturday is this idea supposed to change his resolve to restore fiscal stability to Wisconsin?

Perhaps the “rank and file” need to ask is this truly worth it in the long run?

Related articles

• Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker warns of layoffs as unions step up efforts – CBS News (news.google.com)
• The Wisconsin Union Battle is About America’s Future Generations (redstate.com)
• Wisconsin Unions Calling for a General Strike if Walker Plan Passes (redstate.com)