Tony Evers
On Election Day, the people of Wisconsin can decide if our state will, once again, lead the nation in education, equity, public service, health care and creating good-paying jobs. That should not be a Democratic vision or a Republican vision; it’s a Wisconsin vision we need to focus on again. Over the last eight years, however, political ambition—with an eye on the White House and a desire to please billionaire donors—has caused Gov. Scott Walker to move Wisconsin in a different direction.
Walker turned down $810 million in federal dollars for high-speed rail between Milwaukee and Madison and, eventually, to the Twin Cities. He also declined the Medicaid expansion that would have provided health care to hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites, brought more than $1.1 billion dollars into the state and created thousands of jobs. He severely weakened our educational systems from kindergartens through the UW System. He seriously cut back on environmental protections and has stood firm against innovative policies such as medical marijuana for alleviating sickness.
We are providing you with the top-12 reasons to make a change in our governor’s office, but the final choice is up to you.
Why does Tony Evers deserve your vote to be the next governor of Wisconsin?
1. Every kid deserves a good school.
Remember when our public schools were tops in the nation? Who better to fix the disastrous mess Walker has made of our public education system than a former teacher, principal, district superintendent and Wisconsin superintendent of schools? Evers is an educator so talented that former President Barack Obama tapped him for advice on public education. We will take a career in education over a career politician. As Evers says, “What’s best for our kids is what’s best for our state.”
2. Balance.
Republicans have a stranglehold on state government controlling the governor’s office, the State Senate and the State Assembly, and they have abused that power by fixing the game in every way—from crippling opponents, to gerrymandering districts for a ridiculous, undemocratic advantage, to ramming through big handouts to special interest donors who, in turn, keep them in office while disenfranchising voters not likely to support them with various voter suppression laws. Even the conservative Republican Wisconsin State Journal, the state’s second largest newspaper, agreed in its endorsement of Evers: “Change is needed at the top after eight years of Gov. Walker sowing division, undermining good-government protections and skimping on basic services such as roads while running up debt.” We agree.
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3. No border wall between Wisconsin and Canada.
Evers is a class act. He does not embarrass himself with ridiculous answers or dodge simple questions with excuses like, “That’s a federal issue,” or “I’m going to punt on that one,” as Walker said when asked if he believed in the scientific fact of evolution. Walker is king of staged spotlights and refusing to be pinned down on. The reason is obvious when he had to answer questions about foreign policy while running for president and endorsed a Canadian border wall and compared fighting teachers and other workers to fighting the Islamic State: “If I can take on 100,000 protestors, I can do the same across the world.” You’ll never hear words like that from Evers.
4. Better roads.
Evers will take the high road when it comes to working together, and he’ll focus on rebuilding and repairing our roads. Walker’s excessive use of a state airplane funded by taxpayers even for short trips proves he is not fiscally conservative when it comes to taxpayers funding his lifestyle. Lack of familiarity with “Scott holes”—as ubiquitous potholes are now called in Wisconsin—may mean he has no clue how badly Wisconsin needs better infrastructure. Evers drives our roads and knows what Walker’s neglect costs us in terms of safety, economic development and wear on our vehicles.
5. Honesty and hard work beat fake bravado.
As the Dairy State, Wisconsin recognizes that true dedication and quality beat showy and fake any day. Republicans who accuse Evers of being vanilla or boring can just leave the state along with Walker as he jets off to boast of a “bold” national image in his second run for president, which, according to close associates of the governor, Walker said he is definitely planning, despite what he is saying on the campaign trail.
6. Tax relief for the middle class.
Evers plans to make sure it is the middle class—and those aspiring to join it—that get a break from the tax burden. Under Walker, corporations like Foxconn have virtually zero in tax liability, and a small handful of the wealthiest in our state, those who need them least, got the real tax breaks. Meanwhile, almost a hundred communities across the state have had to vote to raise their own taxes to fund their schools and pay thousands of dollars more to repair cars driven on pothole-filled roads, just so Walker can boast he didn’t raise taxes.
7. Proven bipartisanship.
Democrats who have worked with Evers like him and trust him as a man of his word—and so do Republicans. Evers has been endorsed by Republicans, including several former members of Walker’s cabinet and former State Senate Republican leader Dale Schultz.
8. No dodging problems.
If a vital issue is messy, controversial, unpopular, likely to bring up uncomfortable questions or risk public exposure, Walker stays miles away. To wit: Even after being confronted with proof that a judge had warned him about a dangerous situation that was harming both juveniles and staff at Lincoln Hills youth prison, Walker ignored the warnings for years. Only after his neglect showed him to be an uncaring, hands-off governor did he claim he had a plan in the works to address it. Still, he has refused to visit the state facility or talk to people who have been harmed there and who have asked to meet with him.
9. A healthy state.
Tony Evers believes every Wisconsinite deserves to have high-quality, affordable health care—even those with pre-existing conditions. Walker and his GOP legislators have sided with insurance companies over Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions over, and over, and over again. Now they want you to believe they won’t do it again. We are not that easily fooled.
10. Mandela Barnes.
The lieutenant governor post is on the ballot with the governor, so a vote for Evers is also a vote for his running mate. A former state representative from Milwaukee, Mandela Barnes brings legislative experience to the ticket, along with a deep knowledge of his community. He describes himself as born in the state’s poorest zip code but given opportunities that he wants others to have as well. He was elected at age 25 to the State Assembly, where he championed such issues as criminal justice reform, closing the gap of income inequality and health care. We endorse Mandela Barnes as a major asset—not only to the ticket, but as a leader who will benefit our state’s wellbeing.
11. Halting corruption.
Walker did not end up in jail as a result of the John Doe investigations, but six of his close associates did, and he was never willing to say who funded his criminal defense fund. Despite past corruption on his team, he’s flooded taxpayer-funded jobs with his own political cronies. Not only did he replace public servants in dozens of top state jobs, he hired cronies who were completely unqualified at outrageously high salaries. By comparison, Evers has had three successful terms as State Superintendent of Public Education without a hint of a scandal.
12. Science is real.
Evers is a former science teacher who is not afraid to say that climate change is real and is an environmentalist who will address the issue. “I know we have work to do to mitigate and adapt to it in Wisconsin,” says Evers. “As your governor, I won’t bury my head in the sand or play politics with our future.”
The Shepherd Express wholeheartedly and enthusiastically endorses the true education governor-to-be: Tony Evers. Please Vote: Evers/Barnes.
Read the rest of our endorsements for the 2018 midterm election here.
