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?
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Olly, 250k MORE people voted for Walker when the hissy fit ilk recalled him. These tax lovers have turned an average politician into a national hero. And, w/ Hillary pissing on both legs as well as pooping her big panties, it is going to get really manic around here. There is a direct relationship between the failures of Obama, and now Hillary imploding, to the crazed attacks against Walker, a rising star. I don’t particularly like Walker, but I LOVE the way he drives these taxaholics nuts.
http://www.wisbar.org/newspublications/wisconsinlawyer/pages/article.aspx?Volume=87&Issue=7&ArticleID=11679
Wisconsin’s Frac Sandbox. Who is making out like a bandit in this industry? It isn’t Wiscosnin.
Talk to people who live in western Wisconsin and ask them how well they like the sand mines and what they’ve done to the farming community.
Republican Gov. Paul LePage has set off a firestorm raising a proposal to cut private sector taxes by taxing non-profits, hospitals and charities.
There’s a good deal of articles out now covering this perverse distortion, here’s one of them:
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2015/0307/Why-Maine-wants-to-tax-nonprofit-groups
I’ve lived in Wisconsin all my life, from three years old on. Walker most certainly IS an ideologue, when he’s pandering to his base, or maybe more accurately he’s an opportunist lackey of his Koch masters. Explain why MN is doing so well and we are not.
The Democratic governors of Wisconsin didn’t violate the constitution and they were no more corrupt than Walker, far less actually. The faux Koch phone call with Walker erased all doubt about Walker’s agenda, he was and continues to do the bidding of his masters, and that isn’t the people of Wisconsin.
Nick,
There is no need to call me “raffy”.
WI farming, healthcare profession Instructor 100% backing Walker. Try living here before you make proclamations. UW system hid slush fund of hundreds of millions of $ while raising in state tuition each year. Walker froze tuition and is deducting from that in budget. Property taxes down every year. I’m not forced to pay huge union dues, and local schools actually have two sides negotiating at the table & don’t have to buy grossly overpriced union run insurance since Act 10. The DNR has been a cesspool of radical rule making that hurt the small guy hunters, local land owners and citizens back the end of that mess. I’m sure Gov Walker is not perfect. Perfect isn’t even on the radar anywhere I know of left or right. But, he has addressed the issues Wisconsinites asked him to with their votes. He is not an ideologue is a pragmatist which is why he is supported by Dems/Reps/Inds or he wouldn’t have been able to win in WI 3 X in 4 yrs.
Olly,
For clarification sake, the economic issues are not constitutional ones. I have highlighted the bad economic numbers following the austerity program changes and the reduced taxes for the wealthy and for corporations. While there may be some constitutional issues concerning the take over of the citizens board, the main concern was the lack of economic performance. However, I apologize for having a law degree.
I wonder why it so bothers certain people that weekend bloggers write blog posts that reflect their politics and their philosophy? Should they be expected to write an article from the viewpoint of a rightist, if that isn’t what they are? This continuous carping at the weekend bloggers who don’t align with a rightist viewpoint is getting old. As long as JT gives them the forum to write their articles I think the complainers should button their lips.
Then Larry Rafferty should have no difficulty identifying where these governors have violated the constitution.
Nick,
My sister and her husband run a farm near Madison and my niece is married to a man who runs a farm also near Madison. They are full-on left of left politically as well as avid outdoor enthusiasts. My brother-in-law was a state employee and all of them are Scott Walker supporters. They are (were) tired of the corruption that was destroying their state. There may be hope for Illinois yet.
Larry Rafferty is a man of conscience who cares about working people, the environment, minorities and the less fortunate, people being treated equally under the law, etc. Would that there were more people of his “ilk.”
Olly, As you might expect, the DNR is Wisconsin are an environmental Gestapo. More than anyone, they harass small farmers. Govt. like to bully the little people.
Without knowing it, raffy has created Throw Back Sunday. He puts up posts that remind folks what it used to be like here w/ every weekend post. Not very nostalgic for most, but for some I’m certain it is.
Olly, Folks like raffy have turned Walker into a folk hero. Looks like that ilk will do the same w/ Rauner. Wisconsin just became the 25th state that gave workers choice in whether they want to join unions. Things are starting to look up.
“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.”
Good thing we have constitutions to determine the honorable from the dishonorable. Walker has succeeded in convincing a majority of the electorate that he “seems” to be doing the people’s business. Prove the people’s judgement wrong and demonstrate what “seems” wrong is unconstitutional. Otherwise, this is merely more sour grapes masked by a law degree.
66 positions is nothing. If he wiped out the entire department that would be another thing. As for the university system, they have bloated their budgets for years and it is time they went on a diet. I just got an email from the current president of my alma mater complaining that the governor was cutting his budget by 40 million dollars. Well, if he had not expanded to four campuses, become an empire builder and was paying the football coach 6 million dollars, it wouldn’t hurt that much. I guess they will have to increase parking fees again.
Voters in Wisconsin, or everywhere for that matter, should fear and resist a concentration of power as what appears to be the essence of what is happening here.
Having one in charge off everything has great disadvantages in most respects.
I my state, we have an elected position for Commissioner of Public Lands who is responsible for the areas mentioned in this article in our state. There is a definite separation of powers here where the governor cannot automatically exert full authority over the Department of Natural Resources. In fact, in the case of the state’s attorney general, the AG initiated legal actions that the governor vocally objected to but she had no power to prevent the AG from doing so.
I think in our state we need to remind ourselves of what the framers of our state constitution envisioned and stop trying to align ourselves to the federal example.
They are working out of the ALEC workbook. No original ideas. These are not particularily intelligent men, merely yes men, shrewd men, unscrupulous men. Until we can wrest the control of the state govern,ents away from Republicans we will only see this cancer spread. It will take a long time for Wisconsin to recover from Walker’s administration, if it ever does. We may as well be called Wississippi until then.