Children were front and center during Monday’s inauguration ceremony, in which Gov. Scott Walker and other elected officials took the oath of office. The sons and daughters of Walker, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and Attorney General Brad Schimel introduced their parents, calling attention to their “family values.”
We agree that kids should be the governor’s top priority. Like Walker, we think the state should focus on improving access to high-quality education. Unfortunately, Walker believes the best way to do this is to send historic levels of taxpayer dollars to unaccountable voucher schools that are no more likely to provide a top-notch education than our public schools. Instead of channeling taxpayer funds to vouchers, let’s support our public schools, which educate the vast majority of Wisconsin kids—especially those with special needs.
We’d also like to see Walker address gun violence, since kids in Milwaukee and around the state are threatened by easy access to guns. Let’s implement a common-sense background check system for all gun purchases and raise the penalties for those who illegally possess firearms. Responsible gun owners won’t be affected at all, but kids will be safer.
In addition, let’s help kids’ parents, especially those who have been hurt by the Great Recession and Walker’s economic policies. Let’s raise the minimum wage to at least $10.10 an hour—something that Walker could do on his own, without legislative approval. According to a February 2014 report by the Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS), raising the minimum wage would help roughly 234,000 Wisconsin kids whose parents earn low wages. Even better, raising the minimum wage requires no new taxes, will reduce the burden on the taxpayer-funded safety net and will stimulate local economies throughout Wisconsin. In addition, Walker could do a 180 and support paid sick days protections for working parents.
Last but not least, Wisconsin kids would benefit from fully implementing the Affordable Care Act, including expanding Medicaid coverage for low-wage residents as many Republican governors have done. Looking toward his 2016 presidential bid, Walker famously refused full federal funding of expanded Medicaid, creating a more than $200 million hole in the previous state budget. Walker shouldn’t turn his back on parents who are earning some income but not enough to pay for all of the out-of-pocket costs that come with insurance policies bought on the state health insurance exchange. Entire families will be healthier if parents can address their medical concerns early, before they become a crisis. Taking the expanded Medicaid funding would create more jobs in Wisconsin and would lower charity care for hospitals, which would reduce the current cost shifting by hospitals, thereby lowering the health insurance costs for all Wisconsinites.
|
|
Walker and his fellow Republicans vowed to keep children in mind as they lead Wisconsin in the next four years. We hope they’re sincere and not just using kids as props to conceal their true agenda.
