Why Walker Had to Cut UW Funding
His presidential ambitions left him with no other option.
Gov. Scott Walker at the executive residence, Dec. 30, 2014. Photo by Kate Golden/Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism.
It was just a year ago that Gov. Scott Walker was pushing the legislature to pass a second round of tax cuts, this one totaling about $500 million. Democrats carped that it was nothing but an election year gimmick and his gubernatorial opponent Mary Burke said the state couldn’t afford it.
State Sen. Dale Schultz, the rebellious Republican who did not run for reelection, predicted Walker was “recreating the problem” of the deficit he inherited. “The tax plan sets us up for a very bad time in the future,” Schultz said.
In less than nine months the prediction came true. By September the Legislative Fiscal Bureau estimated that state now faced a $1.7 billion budget deficit.
Sen. Rob Cowles (R-Green Bay) and then Senate President Mike Ellis (R-Neenah), part of a group of Republicans who raised concerns that Walker’s tax cuts went too deep, said the report validated their fears. “A number of us were concerned,” Ellis said, “But we (Republican senators) voted for it.”
In retrospect, Walker must have been very worried about getting reelected, so worried that he was willing to give himself a huge budget problem in his second term. Just as his naysayers predicted, and as Fiscal Bureau figures suggested was inevitable, Walker has been forced to slash state spending, and has stirred up a hornet’s nest of opposition from defenders of the state’s universities.
Walker has proposed a $300 million or 13 percent cut in state funding for the UW System, the largest such cut in history. He’s also proposed cutting state aid to the K-12 schools by $127 million, cutting Senior Care by $15 million (though the full impact of that cut could be $100 million), cutting 66 positions from the state Department of Natural Resources and using a new funding formula for state voc tech colleges that could cut their funding. Walker has also proposed the state borrow $1.3 billion to finance the transportation fund, which means an unprecedented 23 percent of taxes for roads will pay interest on bonds by 2016.
Walker has always had impeccable timing politically, but not this time. His announcement about the UW cuts came just after his proposal to help pay for a new NBA arena, leaving critics to charge he was cutting education to fund a sports palace for rich owners and players.
Adding insult to injury, we learned Walker and his staff wanted to harpoon the century-old “Wisconsin Idea,” to obliterate statutory language saying the mission statement of the UW System is “to extend knowledge and its applications beyond the boundaries of its campuses” and that “Basic to every purpose of the system is the search for truth.”
All of which has put Walker in a very uncomfortable — and ironic — position. He has been outed by Politifact as a “pants on fire” liar for claiming it was “a drafting error” that led his staff to strike such language as “the search for truth” from the UW System mission. And he has opened the door to sniping that a college dropout is slashing funding for colleges and decimating the scientific staff in the state Department of Natural Resources.
The change in the UW mission statement was a huge overreach — and political miscalculation — by Walker. It has provided ammunition for UW-Madison chancellor Rebecca Blank to rally influential alumni, students and their parents to oppose the funding cuts. The proposal “puts at risk the investment that generations of Wisconsinites have made to create a highly ranked university in our state,” she has declared.
Yet none of this had to happen. All of it was unnecessary, and driven by Walker’s vast political ambitions. Back in 2013, Walker could have accepted the expanded federal funding for Medicaid, as eight other Republican governors did. Instead he rejected it, thereby giving him a stronger platform from which to run in the Republican presidential primary, but leaving him with a $500 million hole to fill.
Had Walker accepted the money, he could have made the second tax cut to help assure his reelection and would still have had $500 million more to play with, making the UW budget cut unnecessary while even leaving room to avoid cutting K-12 funding or reduce the amount of borrowing for the transportation fund. And if Walker hadn’t been so distracted by the huge amount of time he’s devoting to running for president, he might have reconsidered his ham-handed attempt to change the UW System mission. The situation couldn’t be clearer: Personal ambition is the cause of his current problems.
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Is everything Walker does now aimed at voters in Iowa as opposed to the state he governs? Sure seems that way. And considering the importance of research at UW and the job growth in Dane County that UW is directly and indirectly responsible for, why would you cut so much from UW? It’s obviously routine for Dems to criticize him, but with the casino decision and the arena funding plan and the UW system cuts, it seems like he is getting more criticism from the right than he ever has before.
The third paragraph mentions a “$1.7 million budget deficit.”
Isn’t that a typo? Don’t you mean “$1.7 BILLION” (with a “B”)?
Yes, Tom, should be billion. Thanks, we fixed it.
Strange, I have a different take. WE cut taxes based on the fact that Wisconsin has been one of the top taxed states in the country for decades, we should have done it sooner.
We kept the property taxes the same cause our property taxes have gone way up over inflation and people were losing their homes.
There is not any danger of the U system losing its homes as its spending has gone up way over the inflation rate the last 50 years. Tuition has gone up 65 times and not cause the state help has gone down but because the spending has gone up.
The U system has forced our kjds into huge debts and makes them go five years and they do nothing to change that.
We need public employees to pay the same amounts into their pensions and health that the rest of us do. Why should public employees get better salaries and bennies than we get?
The tech schools have been out of control, in Milwaukee, for decades. Teachers make more than U professors and do little work.
We know that there is no limit to what our left would tax the public, but they see the limits and have voted that way.
This Arena is a bust deal and unless Milwaukee comes up with money, there will be no deal, and most of us think that there should not be any deal. If Milwaukee can blow 200 million or even a billion in future more for these trolleys, they must have money for the Bucks.
At some time we have to examine what the U system is for? Is it to create more government jobs for the statf and admin or is it to educate our kids? From what the Chancellor and the President say the U system is for their benefit.
I moved back to northern Wisconsin after spending the past twenty years in D.C. I started my own business and am bringing money into this state. Yet, I am so appalled by this state’s constantly choosing the wrong side on issues which would help keep younger people from moving to Minneapolis, Chicago or the coasts like I did.
Slashing the UW system which brings in research dollars and helps to create jobs is the most moronic idea Walker has had yet, but obviously it’s politically based, not rationally based. I called my state rep. and senator for the first time ever, to voice my opposition to these horrible proposals. I even told them I would rather pay higher taxes than see these cuts made. I would rather invest in this state and what we have left, than decimate it all. Otherwise, people like me, entrepreneurs and young people are going to be leaving taking our jobs and resources with us. Enough with going backwards already.
The great irony is that what he has done here will, under the
scrutiny that comes with national coverage of presidential
politics, destroy his candidacy, even in the Republican
primaries, including Iowa, where higher education, resource
protection and clean government still have value in the caucases.
Republicans here are going to turn on him, too. Maybe, if it can
still be done, I dunno, there will be a walk(er)-back on Medicaid
$$$ from the feds.
Doyle cut far more from the U system than Walker has cut and no one hardly said anything.
“Doyle cut far more from the U system than Walker has cut and no one hardly said anything.”
Maybe that is because this is an assertion with no facts to back it up.
I’ve never trusted the man’s judgement, and in political terms I wish him the worst. but I think he really must be taking only the advice of one or more national consultants (ones with no touch at all for Wisconsin) and letting his current ambitions and evident GOP contender success go to his head.
He could have hit a political triple play today and looked almost competent to his British hosts. He blew it, completely, as far as I can tell just to court a handful of influential Baptists or what have you in the Iowa caucus. Someone is telling him “You just have to win in Iowa”.
Just by considering the “gift” of Menomonee/Seminole/Hard Rock money for the the new Bucks arena (and eventually accepting the deal) he could have restored 2/3rds of the UW money, done Milwaukee and Kenosha a decent, and avoided the coming legislative headaches of a state-funded Bucks deal. His decision is stupid on so many levels that with the Mission mis-step and the “first” casino nix, even Talk Radio is calling his judgment into question. Imagine if he “wins” Iowa and then loses the Wisconsin primary? Assuming he gets that far, he may be one of the first to tumble out of the clown car.
Foe the past 5 years I thought Walker did more right then wrong. With this current budget I am honestly completely shocked especially the proposed changes to long term care in the state specifically IRIS which provides some od the best care to the physically disabled, frail elderly and especially the developmentally disabled and at a much lower cost.
Or, have we a case of starving the beast, Cut taxes, create deficits and cry poverty. Republicans have followed the advice of David Stockman, Reagan’s hatchet man for years. Note the programs that get cut and compare them to the donor list, but folk’s government is not for sale. It’s letting the free market guide our future with it’s invisible hand. However, if the hand was visible you could see the cash for the payoff’s
Jeff, is that why Doyle cut UW $250 million?? No the problem is what is the U system going to do to modernize and update is business plan so that kids do not have to go 5 years fro a degree in Econ or go deep into debt.
This doesn’t smell of lobist at all….”the Governor proposes expanding a new version of Family Care to all 72 counties, while moving administrative functions to the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance”
That’s what the people of WI want…for their family member’s care to be administered by the insurance branch rather than the Department of HEALTH services.
Walker is a proven liar more than 75% of the time according to Politifact and cannot be trusted. All the chaos he has left the state finances in and bottom standing in the Midwest compared to other states had been predicted. Walker left Milwaukee County in crumbling shape with Courthouse fires (worthless emergency action plan and removal of code circuit breakers for the building), and O’Donnell Park in disrepair that killed a person, and a pension budget problem that was shifted to the future with bonds and leave the mess for the next guy. All his former key staff went to prison. Walker is deft with shifting burden and mess to the future for somebody else and he hopes to escape before he is discovered for the fraud he truly is.
One key piece of data I read, it would cost taxpayers $5 a year to make up the cut in the UW system. That is how stupid this all is and could be avoided. I have no problem paying for great benefits to our communities like the UW system.
Many of us know him for the incompetent, corrupt, sleazy, repulsive, divisive, stooge for the powerful, human being that he really excels at.
Dvid not only are you hopeless lair, but hatersmake good Liberals. It so hurts you people to lose.
Scott Walker is a god among men. As long as he punishes liberals and suppress the vote I’m for the white power conservative.
Its obviously all the democrats fault they forced walker to blow a hole in the budget and made him and his conservative backers look like hypocrites when it comes to fiscal conservatism. Do you execpt him to raise revenue from the rich? The paid in campaign dollars!
@Wisconsin Conservative Digest, you quite clearly have absolutely no understanding of how public employees work. People working in the 2
-year UW Colleges schools did not receive any raises for almost four years, and when the first round of cuts it, they were finally allowed a raise…and they were the ones who had to fund it. Additionally, it’s quite common knowledge public employees make way less than their counterparts in similar positions in other states do, less than even the minimum of the low range for the average. Our benefits are fantastic, yes, but it’s because public employees (both in the UW system and outside) are paid poorly. It’s so easy for the public to attack the UW system because we seemingly have all this money to spare and cutting 13% of the budget means nothing. That’s just not true. I both work and attend school in the UW system, and I am absolutely terrified about losing my job and having significant cuts made to the school I attend. These cuts mean a lesser education for me and the possibility of me being unemployed. Walker has a lot of shortcomings, and cuts to education, whether higher ed or public schools, is just plain wrong. Students attend college to learn skills necessary to better themselves and become better citizens, not “get some government job”.
The last sentence says this is “his” problem. This isn’t his problem as much as it is our problem.
Scott Walker is selling Wisconsin for his own political gain. That said, this isn’t strictly the fault of the conservatives. Liberals in Wisconsin have failed to put up good candidates and get the message out.
More importantly the Democrats and state workers failed to get out of their bubble and reach the poor and lower-middle class who are angry about high taxes and job instability while watching state workers in their comparatively well paid jobs, benefits and stability.
Cutting the university isn’t likely to lead to a better situation for the lower-middle class but they
don’t particularly care. If they can’t get any economic relief they might at least get some satisfaction by sticking it to the state worker.
There was a time, not that long ago that politics wasn’t this divisive in Wisconsin but that’s what outside money from the Koch brothers and political ambition have brought us.
Looks like Walker supporters are turning on him in droves. I am not going to say “we told you so” but I would at least ask that you weigh what is best for our state in the future rather than vote GOP automatically. If a thinking, non quid pro quo Republican like Dale Schultz runs for gov, I would give him my vote.
Why do public employees get better salaries, pensions, health, dental, days off, holidays, vacations etc and you cannot fire one, then we do. That is the problem. ?Everyone knows that public employees, often rude and difficult to deal with, do not die from over work.
Anyone remember the last one that got fired? Those salaries and bennies make up about 80% of our property taxes. Time to bring them in line.
Pay 35% of your health and move to 401ks. WE are tired of picking up your freight.
Across the country liberals and Conservatives are demanding that the U system come out of the 19th century, battleship mode, into the 21st century. They must streamline, dump worthless courses and get their tuitions and costs inline.
There no reason that tuition has gone up 65 times and spending three times the rate of inflation except they college boys know that they can stick the kids and their parents with big fat loans. And keep them in school five years. It is a racket. Your whining does not impress anyone.
How many public employees do you actually know WCD? Your unhinged rants against them make it seem like you don’t actually know any but hate them because right-wing radio told you to. And do you think your whining impress anyone? Do you actually believe you change minds or inspire deep reflection with your rants?
Truth hurts, all you have to do folks is take out your property tax bills from 1964 and compare them to now. 80% of that bill is employees and bennies, salaries. ” Money talks and BS walks “PMD
Yes you already mentioned property tax bills. If one is looking for the truth, the first place they’d avoid is one of your posts.
As a Milwaukee resident, I would like Act 10 to apply cops and firemen. I would like their pension taken away and their benefits reduced. Police a fire account for most of our budget. I like how sharrif Clarke buys a radio add telling us that our police are under attack and to stop a cop and tell them how much they’re appreciated. Right wingers have been bashing teachers for over a decade.
Our high property taxes in Milwaukee are a product of Wisconsins tax code and shared revenue. The Public Policy Forum did a study on per capita spending in Milwaukee and found that we spend less per capita here than just about all the peer cities. We just lump everything on the property tax bill. The city has no way of raising revenue other than increasing the tax base. The state takes all of our sales tax revenue, all of our income tax revenue and a chunk of our property tax revenue and returns less and less in real dollars every year. We don’t need Walker to give us a $50 tax break, we need real tax reform. Instead he and his henchmen (WCD) demonize teachers, Madiso and Milwaukee as the root of all our fiscal issues. They do this for political reasons as well as to take are attention off the real problems. And to make matters worse, the sate tries to micro-manage local affairs. They’re tyrants.
Sorry for all the typos above. Almost as bad as WCD.
Milwaukee alone and its Leftists can take full responsibility for being top ten in violent crime, worst schools in country, 57% unemployment for youth, heroin epidemic, worst poverty, corruption, worst managed cities,abandoned houses, incompetent Milwaukee county govt., high taxes cause the public employees unions backed by the Leftists have feasted at the pot for decades. Can’t even fire them. as long as the Leftists like David, PMD and others retain control they will consign Black and Hispanic kids to a life of poverty drugs and illiteracy. They are the white, liberal racists that run Milwaukee. Their answer to these problems is a trolley and a basketball court.
Tipos are signs of extremed intelignece, look at Einstein’s works.
I worked with several teachers who were fired. The notion that you can’t fire teachers is totally false.
WCD, do you think ACT 10 should apply to police and fire unions? Do you hate their unions as much as you hate the teacher’s union?
I apologize for my typos as well…that’s what I get for typing on a smartphone…
Anyways, thank you for the balanced and reasonable comments, David and PMD.
WCD, provide evidence of all of the claims you make, and I might agree with you. And not stuff spewed from skewed websites. Give me evidence straight from a government website. Hard evidence is what convinces people, not aimless, unsupported rambling like what you’re doing. As far as tuition goes, UW-Madison’s tuition rate over the past five years is fairly low considering the rest of the country (to see what I mean, go here: http://trends.collegeboard.org/college-pricing/figures-tables/2014-15-in-state-tuition-fees-public-four-year-state-five-year-percentage-change).
It seriously sounds like you have a vendetta against public employees? Why is that? Why are you against UW System employees, teachers, police officers, firemen, and everyone who help run this state and make it a good place to live? It sounds to me like you’re one of those folks who doesn’t think that you’re receiving enough from the government. Sometimes it pays to not just think of yourself.
Funny how WCD just implied the Milwaukee County govt. is incompetent when Scooter Walker came through there himself. Why didn’t HE fix it then? WCD…go away!
@WCD… I think most would argue that tax code and shared revenue reform are not “lefty” positions. And niether is applying Act 10 to cops and fire. You’re so black and white because this just a game to you. It’s all politics… you’re just a goon for the Republican party. You don’t really care about what works or doesn’t, you just want to win. Demonize Milwaukee, Madison and teachers…. divide and conquer… blah… blah… blah.
So I guess we can blame the dynamic economies and the excellent quality of life in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisianna on the Republicans. We’ve tried over and over to get you to expand on your comments and to respond in a thoughtful manner but you refuse. You need to up your game a little. You’re not representing very well.
The Left does not have any answers. Why can only 30% of the tenth graders read at MPS, ranked as one of the worst systems in country. 57% unemployment, worst poverty, worst segregation, is well documented. Heroin epidemic is well documented. FBI shows that in our population size we are in top ten most violent. All you have is lame excuses and lies about Scott Walkers college years. Funny. You made Milwaukee’s bed. Population has gone from 750,000 in 1960 to 541,000 today. Where did they go? Waukesha with their businesses as Waukesha had more than doubled in size escaping the left and its nutty leaders. The white liberal racists have run every black leader from office unless they become a house boy. Clarke has fought that and got 80% of the vote last fall. You have no answers but finally great leaders like Kooyenga and Darling have come up with a plan for Milwaukee, all the Left has is a trolley and a playground for NY billionaires and some guys who dribble.
Another thoughtful and reasonable reply from WCD, with all new ideas and nothing repeated from earlier posts.
WCD…. you are wacked.
Redlining, block busting white flight had nothing to do with the exodus to Waukesha I’m sure…. just as poverty has nothing to do with MPS academics. ….. Love your fact that Milwaukee only has 540,000 not the nearly 600,000 as reported by the census.
Redlining, block busting that is stuff from the 60s. People left in the 80’s almost 25% of population. As for poverty the white liberal racists keep the Blacks and Hispanics in poverty as long as they are in charge. Plus they teach kids to read in China, India and Bangladesh, do better job than our left wing Unions. Feds and unions have ruined education in Milwaukee. CHOICE, Charter, Private schools do much better job. Where are your answers? Clarke, Frankovis have answers for crime, There are many places around the country where inner schools do quite well. Why do you think parents want CHOICE so that they can escape the Liberal, Racist schools. All Left can do is make excuses. They are either incompetent or are doing this on purpose. Thank God for Alberta and Dale Kooyenga, plus Paul Ryan, are looking for answers. Left fights for trolley for yuppies and place to dribble, while the neighborhoods fall apart..
Redlining and block busting continued well into the 70’s. My family wanted to purchase a home north of Capitol but were not allowed. Bought a similarly priced home off of Vienna. First black family on the block. This was in 72. 8 years later just about all the original families were pursuaded to move with the exception of two elderly German brothers.
Because of this disinvestment along with the crack epidemic is the reason for the lost of population but not nearly as significant as other rust belt towns.
Also- look up literacy rates in predominantly white schoold districts with similar poverty rates and you’ll see similar results.
As for other countries…you might be on to something there but probably has more to do with culture and hunger. Most of the 1st generation Mexicans I know are poor as all get up but the kids do very well in school.
What do you like about Darling and Kooyenga’s plan WCD? What do you think are their best ideas and why?
And while your addressing PMDs question….. why shouldn’t Act 10 apply police and fire?
Yeah you keep dodging the Act 10 WCD. Why are you afraid to answer it?
FBI stats who that violent crime in Milwaukee is 40 times West Allis, which is poorer community, and 75 times Waukesha.
Why?? jobs and eduction would cure that but the Left keep the Black and Hispanic population in bondage. Their programs destroyed the Black families and now they fail to educate the kids. These kids are not dumb, I have worked with them every day. It is the white leaders that are dumb. If they put the same energy into the schools as they did into this dumb trolley things would change. YOu guys are more worried about a place to dribble then they are about broken families. Income inequality is directlyproportional to the breakup of families.
You are so full of s*&t WCD. You rave about Darling & Kooyenga and their proposal, but you can’t even share a single reason why. You love them and their plan simply because they are suburban Republican politicians. It has nothing to do with their proposal and its quality. It just allows you to bash “the left” and Milwaukee.
“…a place to dribble…”
Oops…your racist side is showing again Bob.
Only racists around here are the white liberals that keep Blacks and Hispanics in bondage as long as they vote right. Toss them food stamps and some free phones, but no jobs, no education, leadership.
Then destroy every Black or Hispanic that does not become a Steppin Fetchit for them, Look at what they did to Clarke, Pratt, Holloway, Stamper and others.
Darling, Kooyenga and Ryan are only people around here with a way out of this mess that the Left has created in the last 50 years. Unless we have some leaders we will come back 50 years from now and it will be worse. Only Tommy and co. cared enough about inner city kids to try to get them decent education.
And you still haven’t listed a single reason why Darling and Kooyenga’s plan is a good one that will benefit Milwaukee. Because you have no clue. You just know they are suburban Republicans and talk radio loves them and that’s all you need to know. You are full of crap.
Seriously, WCD, reading your comments makes me laugh. You know nothing about good political debate, and instead you spew demonizing lingo with no substance. And what’s even funnier is the fact you’re the only person in this entire thread who has done so.
So, please, keep making my day. Keep sounding like an uneducated loony.
Thanks A, coming form a white liberal racist, I believe I will take that as a compliment.
You sure play the race card a lot. Anyone who disagrees with you on anything is a racist. I’ve never come across anyone before, liberal or conservative, who calls people racist so much. It’s weird and sad.
What if it turned out I wasn’t white? How am I a white liberal racist then?
@WCD Yes or no. Should Act 10 apply to the fire and police departments? Where do you stand on police disability claims? Oh, and I’m not white either and I remember the Wauwatosa sunset laws so you, of all people should not preach about racism.
Biggest jerks are white. Had black Hispanic kids staying at out house for 40 years, working with every color imaginable and live in my apts.
Black people easier to get along with than whit people
Hey WCD….. we’re just messing with you. We all know why you won’t address Act 10 for police and fire and you why you won’t comment on the Darling / Kooyenga plan. We also know why you’re not interested in discussing the real issues, but thats ok. AND…. we know you’re smarter than your rediculous posts would indicate. With that, I believe that drawing a circle around Milwaukee and demonizing it is a political tactic adopted by the right and it is lower than low and absolutely destructive. WCD is a voice in this effort and it’s pretty disgusting. It’s funny because all the soldiers of this dark army use the same words and try to advance the same agenda. It’s not by accident – it’s about elections.
Milwaukee is not alone. Many other post industrial cities are facing similar, if not worse socio-economic conditions. The de facto segregation we face in Milwaukee is really the problem of our metro area and ultimately the nation. Wauwatosa, WCD’s hometown is over 95% white. Other communities outside Milwaukee have similar percentages of minorities. It’s all about isolation. Move away from brown people then construct real and psychological barriers to keep undesirables out.
Let’s not pretend that liberal policies alone have created the problems we see today. And it’s even more dubious to blame the city of Milwaukee for the problems. Forced busing was a federal mandate, many of the entitlement programs we see today are federal and state programs, shared revenue is Wisconsin tax code and a majority of the housing subsidies we see today are federal programs.
We can debate about whether these programs are keeping minorities in invisable shackles but the argument is not that simple. First, these programs are not only for minorities. Why haven’t the subsidies kept white Milwaukee in poverty? Are their other factors like isolation of minority communities? Is isolation is furthered by racist suburbanites that don’t want their housing values to go down or have their children going to school with blacks (Unless they can play basketball – Wauwatosa)? If the jobs are out in Waukesha and other areas, why wouldn’t we connect those communities with those that are looking for jobs? Our suburbs are overwhemingly white, is that by accident? I don’t think so, nor does any thinking person believe that to be the case.
Why is it that conservatives always blame the individual with everything other than education? With education it’s not the parents or the the student….. it’s the liberal teachers. An unarmed, homeless, emotionally disturbed black man shot 14 times in broad daylight is condemned by the right. Also, if our liberal teachers are so terrible, why is it only a problem in Milwaukee. Where is the causual relationship?
I’m just saying that both sides of the aisle need to embrace this issue not just to win political points, but rather to solve the problems. And WCD…. you are part of the problem.
Funny every lousy city in this country has been run by the Left except NY, now run by the Left and heading dhill.
Rudy and Bloomie cleaned it up till now.
Mwkee has seen everything go down hill since looney left and now has a trolley,wants an arena not give a damn about MPS, the crime, abandoned houses, heroin, human trafficking, corruption of everyone, start with DA, 57% youth unemployment, worst poverty etc.
Plus the public employees are all over paid and screwing the pension system with help of the Mil cty toadies.
Thnk God for Clarke, one man who cannot be corrupted. every black leader has been taken down, Journal is gutless and goes along.
Time the Conservatives fixed things, gets rid of you creeps.
Wish Murphy had some balls, but he has been corrupted too, cant eve find the contract with NBA and Bucks spelling out terms of arena.
Police and Fire, Act 10?
@WCD, since you seem to think public employees are overpaid, take a look at this: “Are Wisconsin public employees overcompensated?” (http://50.87.169.168/Documents/EPRN/Are-Wisconsin-Public-Employees-Over-Compensated.pdf) Here a professor provides proof that Wisconsin public employees are NOT overpaid when compared to their private sector counterparts. Additionally, according to Biggs and Richwine (http://www.aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/-biggs-overpaid-or-underpaid-a-statebystate-ranking-of-public-employee-compensation_112536583046.pdf), Wisconsin public employees contribute over 30% of their wages to benefits whereas private sector employees contribute less than 15% of their wages. So, tell me again how I’m being overpaid?
Baloney, have seen dozens of studies showing that public employees salaries and bennies are way more than the average wage earner in this state and that is all that counts, especially the difference between pensions and 401ks.
Pretty convincing WCD…. very thought provoking. So WCD we police and fire pensions should be replaced with 401s? That would save Milwaukee millions.
Again I say, prove it. You’ve seen “dozens of studies”. From who, where? Your comments aren’t convincing anyone of anything except that you’re ill-informed and are only spouting party line crap.
I’m telling all my Black and Hispanic friends that they need to leave racist Milwaukee and move to Tosa where they will finally be treated to a colorblind society that WCD worked so hard to create. Oh, would you favor Act 10 for Wauwatosa fire and police? I realize now you are just uncomfortable giving us your opinion for Milwaukee fire and police..
Yeah WCD….. you’re not even trying. I see you mentioned that all the horrible cities in this country are run by lefties. You forgot such terrible lefty places as Mnpls / St. Paul, Denver, Boston, Seattle, Portland, Austin, Madison and San Francisco to mention a few. Yeah…. the left is really destroying this country.
You know that if you take gun deaths form chicago, NO, LA, DC, all run by the Left, away from our gun deaths we are one of lowest in world.
Go to Crandon and find that gun ownership higher than almost anyplace in world, yet virtually crime free. All of the worst are run by the Left and take Milwaukee:” top ten, now top 5 in violent crime, heroin, human trafficking, top ten worst run, abandoned houses, MPS worst in country, worst segregation in country, corruption by DA, Milwaukee cty. govt. worlds ‘worst governmental body, 57% unemployment youth, high taxes, all created by the Left in Milwaukee. And they think that new trolley, Arena and casinos are answer. it is pity.
Do something
of value besides embarass whole state.
Oh no!! Now we’re top 5! Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!
So Milwaukee has the worst segregation in America. How does this compare to its suburbs? Or could it be that the suburbs are that segregated that when combined with the city , the Greater Milwaukee area then jumps out at you as being very poor when it comes to segregation. Um, Act 10?
WCD- when was the last time you’ve been in the northwoods and not just a little cute summer cottage? There is plenty and I mean plenty of crime up there. I feel safer in most of Milwaukee then I do around hwy 8.
Abandoned homes…go down just about any road and you’ll see trees growing through hold houses the were inhabited in the 80s and early 90s.
The difference is that it isn’t clustered together like it is down here. The natural beauty up north leaves us visitors with an overly romaticized notion of the place.
I’m also pretty sure that the rate of public assistance up there is similar to Milwaukees…and that’s without the segregation and division we have to deal with down here.
Casey, better to have people think that you are ignorant then prove it all the time. Our family homesteaded in Maribel in 1856, Grew up in LaCrosse, have farm in Antigo, cabin in Iola spend half my time out state besides having the biggest Conservative network in state. Check FBI stats dummy.
Milwaukee has far more than ten time the violent crime of WA and Tosa, check it out everyone unless you are too lazy.
@Observer, you can hangout in just about any Milwaukee neighborhood and see people of all races, rich, poor and everything in between. Youre right, our suburbs are are all white. It’s our metro area outside of Racine and Milwaukee that is segregated. This was and is by design. Remember the black family that was fishing in Waukesha that were chased out by police dogs and the sunset laws in Wauwatosa. If you try and get an MCTS bus route extended to Waukesha to help out their businesses watch how they all freak out. WCD is just a simple, self-righteous todie for the Republican party with no real interest in solving any problems…. just winning elections and further isolating Milwaukee and its residents.
WA and Tosa both have people of all sizes, shapes etc. We pushed for Chap 220 back in the 70’s but you continually BS your way past the important problems with really dumb talking points. dummies like you will never solve any problems, all you do is blame some
one else and whine cause Walker and Clarke have busted your butts.In bed witht the liberal white racists.
WCD…. I’ve never mentioned Walker or Clarke. And I haven’t blamed anyone for anything. However, I do believe you and people like you significantly contribute to the problem. I’m white, I’ve lived in both the city and the burbs and my views run the spectrum. I have enjoyed my team in both places – I’m from the burbs. However, based on my experience, the people in suburban Milwaukee are xenophobic, exclusionary and rigid. They surround themselves the same types of people and
turn to talk radio for marching orders. Of course not all – there are exceptions. You and your ilk pander to these people. There are people within the city that are similar to you, just on the other side. BUT please don’t pretend you are anything but a stooge for the right – It’s ok if you are. Just try to put forth coherent, understandable and constructive arguments.
One thing about white liberal racists, they never address or solve problems as those of that work on legislation, ideas, issues. They just bloviate along. On these sites I have repeatedly outlined the issues that Milwaukee has caused through its inept management that need to be solved. All these worthless talking points and BS mean nothing.
Let us address something simple like crime or the way the U systems have forced kids to go 5 years, forced them into debt, have raised spending way above inflation and porked up their budgets. The way that cities have addressed it like NY and reduced it. Clarke, Frankovis and many other have addressed the problems here yet the Left just ignores it cause it is only black kids shooting black kids, not their problems.
Why are you guys wasting time with this washed up, pathetic old man? Ignore the fool and he will go away.
Thanks, nicest thin that anyone has said to me today. I will go back to the biggest network of Conservative activists and forward your best regards and the fact that the white liberal racists create problems but can never fix them.
Stop off at our Conservative action conference on 4/11 in Olympia village.