I think we all agree that Wisconsin has some work to do to balance the State budget, and we all will ( or should ) feel some pain.
So, it was interesting to note earlier this month that Citigroup reported that between 2002 and 2007, 65% of all income growth went to the top 1% of the US population.
It seems to me that this sector of the population should therefore be the first target for increased taxes to help balance the budget. Instead , our new Governor is aiming first at state employees.
Please join me in calling on Governor Walker to follow Mark Dayton’s example in Minnesota and tax the richest first.
Copyright Liberal Musings
Instead of calling on Walker, a pro-business, conservative Republicans, to morph into a progressive, liberal Democrat like Mark Dayton, why don’t you devote you time and energy to getting liberal progressives elected?
The local campaign offices where pretty quiet last fall, as Walker campagin telling us what he would do if elected. Well, he got elected and he’s doing it. What’s the big surprise?
Until Demcorats learn that electoral politics are more than getting all warm and runny of an inspiring guy with little or no political track record, you will be dancing to Walker’s drum beat. In fact, you can expect to see Walker in office for a long time…ala Tommy Thompson…because Democrats are to lazy and/or ignorant to get out the vote in the off-year elections.
Why should I get excited over the unions getting pinced? I would guess that at least 40 percent of the union members that will be feeling the pain voted for Walker and his legislative puppets.
You can say what you will about the TEA Party people — Walker is one of them — but they get out the vote and that’s what happens when you get the senate, assembly and governorship all under the same party. Why do you think the Republican’s want to get voter ID at the polls in time for the April election? They need to get David Posner re-elected to the state supreme court. What part of the checks-and-balances system do you think will be deciding the court challenges to Walker’s method of governing?
James
I think you are saying it is just a game and the whole objective is to get your folks in place so they can influence the rules so that your team stays in power for ever. Right?
A lot of folk at the last election voted for someone/anyone different in the hope that things would change for the better. I don’t think they voted for any particular agenda or ideology. I think we are now seeing a much more blatant set of moves to keep making the rich richer at the expense of the poor and middle class. My objective is to do what I can to make folks aware of this and to slow things down and hopefully change things again at the next election.
Oh and just in case the Gov is interested in a fair budget, then it is clearly absolutely fair to increase taxes on the rich now.
David, when you say “a lot of folks,” what do you mean. A lot of folks voted in 2008. A a lot of those 2008 voters didn’t show up. The Republicans generally get out the vote in the off-year elections.
Perhaps the poor and middle class need to get out and vote. Apparently they are too busy being poor to vote.
Though you objective is noble, I don’t think you will have much influence. Most of the people that take time to look at these blogs are already voting. Perhaps if you went out and knocked on doors, you would be more effective.
What the hell is a “fair budget” anyways? The Democrats have been blaming Bush for 2+ years since Obama took over. Perhaps you should be blaming the Democrats for the state budget shortfalls. We had a Democratic guv for the past eight years and the Senate and Assembly for at least a couple of years.
I bet you that 40 percent of the people I know that are in the public workers union vote straight ticket Republican. They are probably going to be happy when they don’t have to pay dues that get donated to beat the Republicans.
I always get a kick out of seeing a bunch of college kids protesting these cuts and telling us how the price of education is going starve them. Then on Friday and Saturday night they are spending Mom and Pop’s hard-earned money on partying…sorry if I’m stereotyping here.
Did you protest today?
James
I did not blame Walker for the state budget problems – just for his unfair choice of how to solve the problem. For at least the past decade , the vast majority of new wealth has gone to the richest 1% of the population. It is time for them to shoulder a large part of the cost of balancing our state budget.
David:
You are toalking about the Mark Dayton solution. If you wanted to move in that direction, you need to get people elected who embrace that approach. Walker has never advocated the take the rich path. He’s from the “everyone for themself” approach.
In his worldview, people how are not working or getting food stamps or healthcare help from the state are taking away his hard earned money (except that he’s been a career politician). His worldview is currently in the driver’s seat in Madison and the democratic potholes have been takend care or and its pedal-to-metal on his changes. There is not Democratic fiber in the legislative diet in Madtown. It straight Republican.
I’m confused as to why you don’t catch the Frisbee on why the problem isn’t being solved on the checkbooks of the richest 1%. Walker’s support doesn’t come from Milwaukee or Dane counties. He’s probably chuckling to his GOP pals about the loony liberals chanting all night at the Capitol.
How many members of the public unions voted for Walker? I bet you 40 percent did. If they didn’t see something like this coming, they must have been drinking too much Kool-Aid. I think it’s safe to predict that, if all the public union people who voted for Walker last November had voted for Barrett, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
Perhaps the union people will get off the asses now and start working to get union-friendly people elected. It was pretty quite at the local Democratic Party offices last fall. Perhaps, if they had invested their energies in the campaign last fall, those teachers, etc. protesting in Madtown today wouldn’t have had to take a sick day and spend that gas money. Perhaps…