Unfortunately this perception has longbecome the reality of Scott Walker’s time as Milwaukee county executive. Walker has been on all sides of many issues,including the two that he has made central to his campaign for governor: taxesand spending. While Walker wants the voters toperceive of him as a no-tax-increase budget hawk, the reality is that Walker has allowed thecounty’s spending to swell by more than a third, and its taxes to increase byalmost 20%.
Scott Walker’s proposed budget for 2003—hisfirst as county executive—suggested $1,100,274,125 in county spending. Hisproposed budget for 2010 suggested $1,481,577,120 in government spending. Thatamounts to a 35% increase in spending during his time as county executive.
Even looking at his budgets from one year tothe next reflects a significant spending increase. In his proposed 2009 budget Walker suggested spending$1,426,815,877. In his 2010 budget, Walkersuggests spending a total of $1,481,577,120. That is a 3.9% increase in Milwaukee County spending from one year to thenext. Such an increase in spending could be completely necessary, butadvocating for it in your budget while at the same time attacking it on thecampaign trail is the worst kind of double talk.
A recent analysis by One Wisconsin Now foundthat Walker’sdouble standards on government spending go way back to his days as a staterepresentative. The group found that he “voted for five straight state budgets,which increased state budget spending from $26.6 billion to nearly $49billion.” That Walker-approved spending was an increase of more than $22billion, or 84%. Once again, even the slipperiest politician may find itdifficult to explain Walker’santi-spending rhetoric with that kind of big-spending record.
Walker Approved Tax Increases
Any Scott Walker campaign speech will alsoinclude a full dose of bumper-sticker slogans against higher taxes. But Walker runs into aproblem between his talking points and reality on that issue as well. In hisproposed budget for 2003, Walkersuggested a $218,708,524 tax levy. In his 2010 budget he suggests $257,637,284.That is nearly a $40 million (18%) increase over his time as county executive.These are his own numbers from his own proposed budgets and he should have toexplain them to his supporters.
Even when you look at his tax levy proposalsfrom one year to the next, you see that he is playing a shell game. He spendsmost of the previous year fighting the Milwaukee County Board on their slighttax levy increase, which he and everyone else realizes is necessary in order tobalance the budget. To prove that point, in the following budget cycle Walker goes back not to his tax levy, but to the realisticone from the County Board as the startingpoint for his next budget. It is a behind-the-scenes admission that the slightincrease that he fought the previous year was actually necessary in the firstplace.
Given the kind of economic hardship thatmany are facing in our community, the last thing we need is another politicianwho is perfectly willing to say anything to get our vote. This is a serioustime that requires serious leaders who are willing to level with the public andmake the hard decisions. There is no time for double talk and slippery talkingpoints because they only complicate the problems that we already face.
