The Shepherd Express is endorsing state Rep. Sandy Pasch, a Democrat, for the Eighth Senate District, which encompasses Milwaukee's North Shore suburbs, in the Aug. 9 recall election. Pasch will look out for the best interests of these residents and be a much-needed voice of reason in a state Legislature run by Republicans drunk on power.
Since Gov. Scott Walker took office eight short months ago, Wisconsin has become unrecognizable. Instead of continuing Wisconsin's tradition of being a moderate, tolerant swing state, Walker has imposed his extreme right-wing ideology on state residents. In short order, historic protests shook Madison. Elected officials isolated themselves. Neighbors turned against neighbors. Some folks even refuse to talk about politics anymore because it's simply too hot to handle.
But Scott Walker didn't “drop the bomb” on Wisconsin alone. He had a majority of Republican legislators who went along with his plans, no matter how unethical—how un-Wisconsin—his agenda was.
Alberta Darling was one of Walker's leading legislative followers.
Actually, Alberta Darling led the charge to implement Walker's radical agenda. Using her position of power as the Senate co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee (JFC), Darling was a leader in crafting a state budget that includes historic, damaging cuts to public education, from pre-kindergarten to graduate school. She's granting the unelected Department of Health Services secretary unprecedented, unchecked power to make $467 million in cuts to BadgerCare and Family Care. Darling has gutted public transportation around the state at the same time she's filling the coffers of the road builders, who are major contributors to Republicans. Darling even cut funds for the state's vital family-planning program. Alberta Darling also introduced an amendment that would force Milwaukee taxpayers to pay cops after they've been fired. After getting blowback from constituents, she then had to ask the governor to veto her own budget item.
When she wasn't designing an un-Wisconsin budget, Alberta Darling voted for concealed carry and was an enthusiastic union buster. She was also a strong supporter of Congressman Paul Ryan's plan to privatize Medicare—until she realized Ryan's plan was a liability. Then she began to backpedal.
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Even worse, since January Darling has raised more than $1.1 million for her recall campaign, opening her up to charges of abusing her power as JFC co-chair as she crafted a budget that suited the financial interests of her wealthy donors. If a Democrat had done this, you know there would be howls of protest on right-wing talk radio and in the pages of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. But when “Walker's Darling” does it, the right-wing echo chamber is silent.
Fortunately, voters in the Eighth Senate District can put an end to Darling's unethical stint in the Legislature and one-party rule in Madison. A highly qualified challenger, Democrat Sandy Pasch, is challenging Darling in the recall election to be held on Tuesday, Aug. 9. Pasch is committed to restoring some civility in the Capitol, as well as a much-needed check on Scott Walker's totalitarian rule. A nurse turned legislator, Pasch is eager to provide a common-sense voice on health care and mental health policy, and help the state's students—and their families—survive and thrive in this recession. Pasch is the best choice for the voters of the Eighth Senate District. Vote for Sandy Pasch on Aug. 9.
