Respectfully submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty (rafflaw) Weekend Contributor
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the massive cuts to education and programs for the poor by the new Governor of Illinois, Bruce Rauner. In that article, I mentioned that Gov. Rauner seemed to be parroting the budget methods of Governor Brownback in Kansas and Gov. Walker in Wisconsin, both of whose state economies have been floundering under their respective austerity programs.
Well, it seems that in Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker has gone even farther in his attempts to balance the budget on the backs of the middle class by proposing massive cuts to the Department of Natural Resources, while attempting to wrest control of various agencies from the public domain and capturing them in the Executive branch of government.
“The DNR is full of scientists who grew up hunting, fishing, boating, or otherwise recreating in Wisconsin and then found a way to turn this into a living. It just so happens that the work they do benefits those of us who love the state’s great outdoors. Perhaps some other lucky state will get the benefits of their knowledge? We can hope so. We won’t know for some time what these cuts mean to the small businesses that are kept alive by people being able to hunt, fish, or recreate in the areas where projects took place. Estimates put the direct cuts to DNR positions at 66. Their knowledge and the research lost, however, are irreplaceable. ” Crooks and Liars
Gov. Walker is cutting 66 different positions and programs at the Wisconsin DNR in an attempt to balance his budgets without having to raise the taxes on the wealthy and on corporations that he cut when taking office. You can find a partial listing of these program and position cuts here. While the cuts are devastating, Mr. Walker did not stop there.
” Of course, these cuts don’t even BEGIN to make up for the giant budget hole Walker’s dug for himself. And also of course, he wasn’t finished yet. The bigger prize was wresting control from the good people who, in a non-partisan manner, have tried to preserve the environment for future generations by stripping the citizen-governed Natural Resources Board of its authority. It’s now a powerless “advisory panel”, something Tommy Thompson tried to do but was stopped because back then the Republicans were not yet a wholly owned subsidiary of energy companies and other major donors. A few even seemed to understand that you couldn’t continue proud hunting, fishing and other outdoor hobbies without things to hunt or fish!” Crooks and Liars
Cut taxes on the wealthy and corporations and prevent the University of Wisconsin system from raising tuition to make up the shortfall from the cuts, all while increasing money to voucher and charter school programs. I wonder who benefits the most from that plan?
If Walker’s economic vision had been successful in adding jobs and cutting deficits, his austerity program might be something worth crowing about. However, his programs seem intent on cutting any and all programs he needs to, just to make sure he can keep cutting taxes on the wealthy and on corporations.
However, the result of the Walker “austerity for everyone else” program is Wisconsin is near the bottom in job creation.
If these austerity programs had an equal impact on all citizens, they might be more acceptable to the vast majority of citizens who are negatively impacted by them. Shouldn’t the wealthy and corporations be required to pay more when ordinary citizens pay with the loss of their jobs and loss of benefits due to the various cuts by Gov. Walker? Wouldn’t that be equitable?
In light of how poorly Wisconsin’s economy has been doing under Gov. Walker, I can’t understand why our Governor here in Illinois, Bruce Rauner, would want to emulate those programs?
By the way, how is Wisconsin’s economy doing when compared to its neighbor, Minnesota?
“The views expressed in this posting are the author’s alone and not those of the blog, the host, or other bloggers. As an open forum, weekend bloggers post independently without pre-approval or review. Content and any displays or art are solely their decision and responsibility.”
Happy:
Just blindly following that great Amerucan philosopher, PT Barnum, who reminded us that ” no one ever lost a dime un estimating the intelligence of the Amerucan people.” Some of them, that is.
mespo727272
You are an interesting person. I knew that was a magic square on your moniker up there lol. un estimating lolol 😉 That is such a beautiful State too. I remember visiting it as a child and watching the black bears and walking 2 miles away from my parents in the woods. 😉
Mike Appleton,
“Like it or not (and I do not), the 2016 election will feature Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton.”
I got a polling call recently asking me that if I had to vote for president right now, would I vote for Hillary Clinton or Jeb Bush. I said neither. The person conducting the poll chuckled a wee bit.
Both candidates are power-hungry oligarchs vying to see which family will regain the throne. 🙁 War of the Roses, American-style?
Stupid is as stupid says.
mespo727272
I can’t believe this thread is still going – Stupid is as stupid does -says – the people are stupid – “How stupid are they?” lol Honestly, when I think of Scott Walker I think of that protest and then him getting voted in again by more of a margin than the first time!!! wtf?? Seriously What’s wrong with you guys mespo? And they give us crap in Mo over that dirtbag Nixon
Yes, Elaine, there seems to be too many of that sort. I guess they don’t hold with no book learnin’, so they think someone like Walker is jest fine n’ dandy.
Inga,
It appears that some politicians like Walker are proud their stupidity.
Nick’s not big into research. He’s big into saying whatever comes into his mind via his tuckus.
Walker is nothing more than a puppet whose strings are being pulled by some very rich and powerful folks. If he would make it so far as the Republican nomination, Hillary Clinton would have him for lunch. Now that Wisconsin has morphed into Mississippi, it may never come back to the once vibrant state it was for so long. MN is moving up, while Wisconsin is being sucked down into the Mississippi delta mud.
Watching Scotty Blow, Cont’d: School’s Out Forever
In which Scott Walker guarantees that Wisconsin’s children will be as academically challenged as he is.
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a33746/scott-walkers-school-daze/
Excerpt:
For those of us who lived five very happy years there, and who still remember the state with great affection, mere mockery occasionally does not suffice to deal with the depredations of Scott Walker as he swings the corpse of a great state that he’s killed as a truncheon to beat his way into the White House. Nowhere are those depredations less funny than in the field of education, at all levels, which once had a proud tradition in Wisconsin, and which now is a pile of smoking meat by the side of a county road in Fond du Lac.
Funding at UW-Rock County would be stripped back to levels not seen since 1998, and the school’s dean has said faculty layoffs are almost certain. The situation appears even more dire at UW-Eau Claire, where administrators have offered buyouts to a record 325 faculty and staff members — about a quarter of the campus’ employees. These so-called “go away packages” have been offered to nearly half of the school’s political science department. UW-Stevens Point reports they will eliminate several entire majors, even for students currently enrolled in them.
That’s OK, though, because Walker and his pet legislature are working to guarantee that nobody will come out of the Wisconsin public schools smart enough to get into college anyway.
Elaine M. Regarding Scott Walker and the Education System
Look at it this way. You can create your Magnum Opus about Wisconsin after her Reconstruction of the blight of Scott Walker and name it Thank Gods and Glaciers for Fracking Sands no? well, how about Frozen in Time don’t like that either? Well, How about The People are Stupid. I like that one.
This is how I feel about the ACA, which you probably think is a great thing. So now you know how I feel because I don’t think the taxpayer should be highly burdened with public servants. It is out of hand imo and not only mine.
Now, I am joking up there and this is how I joke around and if you think not I am sorry to have upset you. But I have a sense of humor and I think that there comes a time that if we can’t laugh at these idiot politicians and ourselves at how angry they make us because they make a hash out of our lives by walking over things we consider important, then we are in trouble.
Okay?
I don’t think Walker is cutting enough. The numbers should be much higher.
Nick,
If they are merely propaganda then you should have no problem finding “facts” to dispute the numbers. Are you suggesting that Walker is not cutting the Education budget in those numbers??
rafflaw,
Some people don’t deal in facts–just opinions.
Thinkprogress is aa left wing propaganda website just like the Daily Caller is a right wing propaganda website. Duh!
Nick,
Please share what evidence you have that the linked article is propaganda? Are the numbers being cut wrong? Are the plans of the state universities false? Please enlighten us.
Propaganda 101.
Here is an update on the real world impact of Gov. Walker’s massive budget cuts to pay for his massive tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations:
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/03/18/3634306/students-teachers-brace-scott-walkers-devastating-education-cuts/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tptop3
Wait, Yeah, I did. I just wanted to do the thumbs up button too because I know that you don’t get me all the time. it’s not a personal thing. It’s a stand. Let me know if you got the star that time?? Okay? 😉 I am working with someone else right now.
Happy,
I haven’t heard any Democratic Party spokesperson comment on the stupid movie. I haven’t read the book or seen the movie, sounds like a waste of time. I think Hillary stayed with her husband for her own purposes, agree or disagree with her it’s her business, who knows, maybe they had some agreement. Feminism hasn’t a thing to do with it. I don’t understand what you find so prurient about poor Ken, I think he was simply good naturedly teasing. I think he’s got a great sense of humor and is pretty darn respectful, considering. He not like that Anarchist guy, there’s that.
I didn’t mean to click on yours sorry 😉
I bet there will be a stampede of angry women who will therefore vote Republican, because the Pubs soooo exemplify the party that holds women and minorities in such high regard. Yes siree.
Inga
If Fifty Shades of Grey is what the Democrat Party Holds with Alcohol being served on Valentines Day in Idaho as a Slippery Slope Argument for Free Speech and Hillary Clinton stands by Bill Clinton as a Feminist, I will take my chances with those who will outright say if they don’t like the Gays or the Abortions rather than cover up prurient interest like Ken Rogers does over and over and over again 😉
That is not to say I have a problem with gay people because I don’t. I love all people even when they make me furious. ;-p
” I am tired of being walked on as a second class citizen. I think I will vote Republican this time.”
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Did you intend this to be as LOL funny as it truly is?
I would never vote for Hillary. She “stood by her man” What an abject failure of a feminist she is. I am tired of being walked on as a second class citizen. I think I will vote Republican this time.