Rep. Hesselbein: Scott Walker Ignores the Real State of our State in Annual Address

Madison – Assistant Assembly Democratic Leader Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton) released the following statement reacting to Governor Walker’s 2017 State of the State Address before a joint session of the Wisconsin State Legislature:

“With Governor Walker beginning his seventh year in office, it is clear the state of our state is not as strong as it should be and that there is much more lawmakers should be doing to unleash the full potential of our state’s workforce. Walker and Republican leaders have failed to lead on the state’s biggest challenges and have continually chosen to put the power of lobbyists and capitol insiders above the needs of working families in Wisconsin.

“We begin the new year with the governor’s own administration in disarray. In recent weeks we have seen the state’s transportation secretary and veteran’s affairs secretary leave their job amidst reports of gross neglect and political infighting. How can the governor stand before the taxpayers of this state and pretend like none of these problems, which he is solely responsible for, currently exist?

“Our roads are terrible and the governor’s only solution has been to max out the state’s credit card with irresponsible borrowing.  Our state’s economy continues to sputter and poverty across the state has reached a thirty year high. Tens of millions of taxpayer dollars are flowing to the wealthiest 1% in our state while our middle class languishes. This is all a result of Governor Walker’s misguided priorities.

“Legislative Democrats will lead the way this year in offering an alternative agenda that will work for Wisconsin families. Our agenda will prioritize helping middle class Wisconsinites and ensure they are getting a fair deal. We will work to invest in our public schools and the UW-System – which provides Wisconsin families and students with a great return on their investment. We will prioritize tax breaks for the middle class, not millionaires, and we will propose legislation that will ensure our state’s senior citizens can enjoy their retirement with independence and affordable healthcare. Finally, we will work to honor and protect the dignity of our state’s aging veterans who deserve the best care possible from state leaders. There is much work to do in 2017 and I can assure you it will be Wisconsin Democrats working on the people’s agenda in the State Legislature.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.