CNN 2011-02-22

Now for protests in our own country. Protests over deep budget cuts may be coming to a state capital near you. Center stage for the drama right now, Wisconsin.

State capital on Thursday was jam-packed with these protesters. We're likely going to see more of this today. State workers, a lot of them teachers, furious over Governor Scott Walker's plans to cut their benefits and collective bargaining rights. They claim his budget repair bill is really a union buster. Walker says Wisconsin's budget is broken and some tough choices have to be made. A lot of schools are closed again today. And teachers say they are not budging¹ until they can get some answers that they can live with. CNN talked with the head of the teachers union just a little while ago.

Taking away bargaining rights is a nonstarter. We have reached out time and time and time again since November 3rd, since the day after the election his people have refused to return a single call. They have never even acknowledged the unions except to give us notices of termination of contract extensions. They don't want to come to the table and bargain.

CNN's Casey Wian is actually in Madison right now. And you know, Casey, this is the kind of loud passion that you usually see from Packer fans at Lambeau Field.

Absolutely. Over the last few days, there have been a lot of angry voices here. In fact, some of those teachers and other sympathizers, 500 or so of them, spent the night behind me inside the state capital on the floor. We're expecting thousands more folks to show up later today to protest these proposed cuts. Teachers say they are angry about the proposal that would require them to pay more for their health and pension benefits and would severely² limit their collective bargaining rights. We talked to one counter-protester who is definitely not sympathetic to their cause.

"Shame on you for abandoning our children today. At least there's a few teachers out there who have the guts³ to stand up against you union thugs and actually teach our children. Yep, you're AWOL. You're AWOL. You're AWOL. I have a right to be here. "

In his words, those teachers will continue to be AWOL today. Schools in many parts of the state are closed because of these protests. And I have to tell you that the protesters are very encouraged by the fact that state Democratic lawmakers have left the state to deprive the state legislature of the quorum⁴ it needs to move this legislation forward.

So, right now, the legislative⁵ process, Kyra, is at a standstill but we're expecting a lot of loud voices here at the capital later today to protest this proposal.

Now, Casey -- Casey, many of these protesters are arguing this is just a temporary solution even if these cuts go into effect, it's not going to be enough in the end.

They seem to be convinced that this is an effort to just limit the power of unions. In fact, many of the union leaders have said publicly -- and it's remarkable⁶ to hear this -- that the governor is going to get his money. They are willing to give concessions⁷, financial concessions, but what they don't want is an end to their hard won collective bargaining rights that are very generous compared to what public sector⁸ -- public union workers enjoy in other states. They don't want to give those up. They say that this is not necessarily about money. There are other ways to cut this budget deficit⁹ but they don't want their collective bargaining rights to be taken away from them.

1 budging   

v.（使）稍微移动( budge的现在分词 )；（使）改变主意，（使）让步

参考例句：

• Give it up, plumber. She's not budging. 别费劲了，水管工。她不会改变主意的。 来自互联网
• I wondered how Albert who showed no intention of budging, felt about Leopold's desertion. 对于从未有迁徙打算的艾伯特来说，我不知道它会怎样看待利奥波德这样弃它而去呢。 来自互联网

2 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

3 guts   

v.狼吞虎咽，贪婪地吃，飞碟游戏（比赛双方每组5人，相距15码，互相掷接飞碟）；毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的第三人称单数 )；取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 )；内脏；消化道的下段；肠

参考例句：

• I'll only cook fish if the guts have been removed. 鱼若已收拾干净，我只需烧一下即可。
• Barbara hasn't got the guts to leave her mother. 巴巴拉没有勇气离开她妈妈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 quorum   

n.法定人数

参考例句：

• The meeting is adjourned since there is no quorum.因为没有法定人数会议休会。
• Three members shall constitute a quorum.三名成员可组成法定人数。

5 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

6 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

7 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

8 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

9 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。