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A budget document isn’t just a ledger with numbers.
It’s a deeply moral document that reveals the values of its writer.
Which is why Scott Walker’s first budget as governor is so shocking.
This son of a preacher (who had the gall to visit black churches in Milwaukee to ask for support during his campaign) has introduced a budget that is deeply unethical. Instead of looking out for the “least of these” during a recession, Walker is slashing the security net and providing favors for his corporate donors and the state’s wealthiest residents. This, on the heels of his attempt to cripple the state’s middle class by gutting the state’s public sector unions.
Absolutely shameful.
Here’s what Walker’s got in store for Wisconsin:
It’s a deeply moral document that reveals the values of its writer.
Which is why Scott Walker’s first budget as governor is so shocking.
This son of a preacher (who had the gall to visit black churches in Milwaukee to ask for support during his campaign) has introduced a budget that is deeply unethical. Instead of looking out for the “least of these” during a recession, Walker is slashing the security net and providing favors for his corporate donors and the state’s wealthiest residents. This, on the heels of his attempt to cripple the state’s middle class by gutting the state’s public sector unions.
Absolutely shameful.
Here’s what Walker’s got in store for Wisconsin:
- Cut aid to cities and counties and school districts, while at the same time forbidding them from raising the property tax to make up for the shortfall. So not only is Walker shoving his budget problems on local officials, he’s prohibiting them from acting as they wish on their own budgets. Talk about a control freak. Ohsorry. Walker is providing them with “tools” to deal with their budget shortfalls. Tools like ending collective bargaining. Even though local leaders say that these "tools" won't offset the shortfall of state aid.
- Cut aid to public schools by $834 million over the biennium. At the same time, Walker wants to remove the enrollment cap on the voucher program and expand it to all of Milwaukee County. Even worse, he is trying to phase out income requirements for the kids who participate in the voucher program. That means that taxpayers will be footing the bill for students from wealthy families who go to private or religious schools. Is that fair?
- Walker has done nothing to change the school voucher funding flaw, which penalizes city of Milwaukee taxpayers. So much for looking out for the little guy.
- Cut $71.6 million from the Wisconsin Technical College System, which is a critical component of the state’s workforce training efforts.
- Cut funding for University of Wisconsin System schools 11% to 13%. Now, I know that Walker doesn’t value education because he couldn’t be bothered to earn a degree, but cutting the state’s university system (and terminating the right of employees to collectively bargain) is going to lead to a huge brain drain. If Wisconsin students can’t get a good education within the state they’ll leave. And they won’t return. And employers who seek out a well-educated and properly trained workforce won’t think about locating here, either. Looks like Walker is only interested in adding low-wage jobs that require few skills and qualifications.
- Decrease teacher qualifications by eliminating the requirement that they have a teaching license in addition to a bachelor’s degree. Great. Because I’m sure that parents were outraged that their kids’ teachers had a teaching license.
- Eliminate Title V completely. This is the state-funded family planning health care program for low-income men and women. He’s also trying to repeal the contraceptive equity law, which requires insurance companies to cover prescription birth control if they also offer coverage for other prescription drugs. So, let’s get this straight: more babies, more cancer, more…what? This is how you add 250,000 jobs in four years? I just don’t get it.
- Reduce the number of folks who are on Medicaid programs. Let’s seeBadgerCare covers folks who work but cannot afford their employer’s insurance, who don't qualify for their employer's insurance or whose employer does not offer insurance. Who are these employers? Wal-Mart, independent McDonald’s franchisees, Aurora Health care, Roundy’s, Manpower, Menards... I’m sure that they are delighted that their employees will be losing BadgerCare coverage. Think they’ll step up and provide insurance to maintain a healthy workforce? Ha!
- Jeopardize transit funds by moving them into the general purpose revenue fund. And jeopardize and additional $46.6 million in federal funding by gutting transit workers’ ability to collectively bargain.
- While Walker is weakening public transportation, he’s providing a big boost to the road builders, a huge source of campaign cash for him. He’s bumping up the reconstruction of the Zoo Interchange (with $225 million), expanding I-39/90 ($51 million) and protecting the transportation funds from raids. This on top of his rejection of $810 million in federal high speed rail funds. Looks like those campaign donations paid off. Wisconsinites will be dependent on cars for decades to come.
- Eliminate the requirement that municipalities and counties operate a recycling program. And eliminating the money the state sends for those programs. Why on earth would Walker want to increase trash? Doesn’t make sense. (I’ll look into it.)
Now that Walker has weakened the programs that your average Wisconsinite relies uponespecially those who have fallen on hard timeshe’s also found a way to reward rich Wisconsin residents and increase the gap between the rich and the poor.
On top of the $140 million in tax breaks given to corporations in January’s special session, Walker is providing $280 million in tax breaks to businesses, plus he would exempt investors in Wisconsin businesses from paying capital gains taxes.
Of course, the greatest gift that Walker could give state corporations is weakening the power of unions in the state. And he’s not budging on that one, even though public opinion is overwhelmingly against him.
