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Walker Signs Wisconsin Austerity Budget

Posted by: Linda Carbonell on June 27, 2011.

06-27-2011 by Linda S. Carbonell

Gov. Scott Walker, by DonkeyHotey, Creative Commons, Flickr

Over 140 miles from the state capitol at Madison, where large-scale protests can pop up in under an hour, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed into law his two-year budget, to applause from the select audience inside the Fox Valley Metal-Tech plant in Ashwaubenon, and protests outside. In shirt-sleeves and khakis, surrounded by state officials, Walker was beaming in triumph over a budget that cuts $800 million from education, $500 million from Medicaid and $250 million from the University of Wisconsin system, while giving $2.3 billion to corporations and $160 million to roads. A provision in the budget severely limits the ability of local governments raising property taxes to offset the state budget cuts. Around $200 million was cut from support for counties and municipalities. It also cuts off all funding for Planned Parenthood riding the rightwing propaganda that Planned Parenthood uses tax money to pay for abortions.

Julaine Appling of Wisconsin Family Action said “If organizations want to do that, we’re not saying they don’t have the right to do that under the law. While we disagree with abortions entirely, they do have that right….we don’t have to use taxpayer money to do that.” They also don’t want to use taxpayer money to prevent unwanted pregnancies, which is what Planned Parenthood does, in addition to women’s health care. “It is outrageous that Governor Walker would take away health care from thousands of women and families in Wisconsin,” said Cecile Richards of the national Planned Parenthood organization.

Walker boasted that “Our balanced budget makes tough choices while also providing a path to recovery and prosperity for our state and our people…We can choose to take the easy path and pass this onto our children, or step up to the plate and make these tough decisions now.” In a written statement, Walker also said, “We may disagree on the issue of the day, but we always find a way to unite and reach out when it means helping our neighbors in need, or leaving our children a better state than we inherited. The recent debates in Madison found us spending too much time focused on our differences, rather than our similarities. But today we turn the page. Through honest budgeting, we’re providing an alternative to the reckless tricks and gimmicks of the past. To move forward together, we’re acknowledging taht we have to make sacrifices to protect the next generation.” It’s not certain how “we…unite” since the budget passed on a purely party line vote.

Assembly Democratic Leader Peter Barca described the budget thusly, “The theme of Governor Walker’s budget is that the middle class pays more and gets less. This budget will further Governor Walker’s reputation as the most polarizing governor in the nation. With $2.3 billion in tax breaks to wealthy special interests and expanded loopholes that allow out-of-state corporations to dodge taxes, Governor Walker’s budget is lavish in giveaways to large special interests, but out of touch when it comes to the concerns of Wisconsin’s middle class.”

It is also not certain how the budget will “protect the next generation….” when it makes such huge cuts in education at all levels. Green Bay area teacher Polly Reynolds said “You don’t cut money to things that are important to you. Wisconsin has some of the top schools in the nation. That’s not where you cut your money. When it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The United States is slipping further and further behind in education in comparison to the rest of the industrialized world. Without quality education, we cannot compete in the global economy. Scaling back our education funding and commitment leaves our children qualified for nothing more that a “fries with that?” or “Welcome to Walmart” job.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald was dismissive of concerns for education, saying “The sky is not falling and Wisconsin is going to be here and the schools are going to be fine in the fall, and I think people are going to see that and that’s the message we need to get out there.” The Republicans are going to have to haul it if they are going to get out the message that “all’s well!” since there are six Republican senators facing recall elections in July. The Wisconsin legislature may pass two-fiscal-year budgets, but it does not go into long-term recess. Their legislature meets year-round, with relatively short recesses compared to smaller states.

Walker vetoed 50 items in the budget, including provisions to allow bail bondsmen, a reduction in taxes on chewing tobacco, allowing fired Milwaukee police officers to receive their pay while their firing is appealed, restrictions on viewing politicians’ financial statements, allowing the UW chancellor to bypass the Board of Regents for pay plans, and requiring fingerprinting for child care providers.

He did not veto a measure that would have banned beer-makers from distributing their own product. The measure was supported by microbreweries that sought to put another layer of middle-men between major breweries and stores.

Rep. Barca’s statement also addressed the vetoes, saying they “don’t change the fact that his budget serves corporate special interests at the expense of Wisconsin’s small businesses and middle class. [He has] gone out of this way to limit public scrutiny of this extreme agenda and it comes as no surprise that the governor used many of his vetoes to take away public accountability.”

Wisconsinites have been fairly divided on many of the issues that Governor Walker has created such as public sector union rights, but his approval ratings are in the toilet and the Democrats had no trouble exceeding the necessary signatures on six of their nine attempted recalls. The Republicans barely made the minimum signature on three of the nine they were trying for, and the close call numbers are delaying certification for the new elections. The Republicans decided to muddy the situation by entering what they acknowledge are “fake Democrats” to force primaries in some of the recall elections.

The pre-budget bill whose public-sector union collective bargaining provisions were the cause of the winter’s protests including a provision to sell several of the state’s power plants to private investors without bids. It was suggested when that provision became public that it was included to allow Walker’s donor-buddies, the Koch brothers, to buy those plants at greatly reduced prices. Walker has sold this budget on the totally discredited idea that tax cuts will produce jobs. Right now, nationally, American companies are posting some of the highest profits in their histories while hiring is stalled. Unless companies in Wisconsin start hiring quickly and in great numbers, Walker will be facing recall petitions in January. Wisconsin’s unemployment rate is below the national at 7.4%, but will probably increase when local school boards start cutting positions, and county and municipal governments have to lay off workers. Walker will also have to pray hard that no one dies because they did not receive treatment for a curable infection in a timely manner due to the cuts in Medicaid.

The only good thing that should come out of these austerity budgets being passed in Republican states is an opportunity for all Americans to see that cutting taxes while cutting spending has never, ever resulted in a recovery or the creation of jobs. The cutting taxes part got us into this economic swamp. Cutting spending and jobs will not get us out.