Fitch downgrades Milwaukee County’s financial outlook from “stable” to “negative” (emphasis mine):
WHAT COULD TRIGGER A DOWNGRADE?.
–Inability to maintain already modest fund balance at current levels and generate balanced operations on a GAAP basis;
–Lack of success in implementing cost-cutting measures and revenue enhancements sufficient to eliminate both near-term and outer-year structural deficits.
So if Scott Walker couldn’t leave Milwaukee County in a better financial situation than he found it, then how can anyone in their right mind expect that he’ll leave the State of Wisconsin in a better financial situation than the one he inherited?
Look at the proposals Walker has made. Anyone who has ever read a balance sheet or an income statement knows that he will be faking a balanced budget even more than Doyle or Tommy did. It would be interesting (though based on their history very surprising) if the GOP in the legislature actually tried to balance the budget.
Yeah, not to mention Walker left Milwaukee County with unsettled lawsuits because of his issues with the unions as well as a bond rating lower than when he took office. That’s not exactly a record that inspires confidence.
It is also worth noting the freaks (Lee Holloway, Chris “Sticky Fingers” Larson, Peggy “If this was Texas” West, Martina Dimitrijevic, John Weishan, Elizabeth Coggs, Johnny Thomas, and many others come to mind…so use of the term “freaks” is certainly appropriate) on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors that were overriding his budget vetoes.
Since when is it the county’s job to run a fish hatchery? Or how about blowing almost half a million dollars on bike racks on buses that have had usage of barely 10% of the estimates.
Walker worked time and time again to privatize public operations such as contracting custodial duties in the Milwaukee County Courthouse to a company that would not saddle the county with pension obligations. He also tried to cut the fat in the amount of useless services for which the county was on the hook.
The people that solely blame Walker for the dire state the county is in financially have tunnel vision. The unfunded obligations that are directly related to the pension scandal are going to haunt the county’s books for years. Walker fought the good fight and even made some progress in cutting the fat, but a hostile County Board was not going to allow much of his reforms to go through.
Fortunately, he will not have a legislative body that is the polar opposite of his ideology at the state level come January. 🙂
“Fortunately, he will not have a legislative body that is the polar opposite of his ideology at the state level come January.”
And he’ll have no excuses when he fails.
If he fails, you are very much correct. That is what responsibility comes with the office.
Unfortunately, the left is still blaming Bush despite having EVERYTHING.
That’s funny…He took all the credit for the things that he said went right. So I guess he did all of the good stuff on his own and rest is everyone elses fault.
so cameron none of the problems we are going through right now have anything to do with Bush?
Proud Progessive, I never said that nor implied it. I happen to be one who believes that Bush was a rather disappointing president on most fronts. I merely stated that for two years, the Obama Administration has pointed a finger at Bush despite control of the White House, the House, and the Senate for the past two years and control of both houses of Congress for four years. That, however, is an entirely different discussion.
A major player in the sagging financial situation with Milwaukee County is the unfunded liabilities that are directly and indirectly related to the pension mess that got Tom Ament thrown out of office (oddly enough, Lee Holloway is still there…). Lots of County workers are retiring or are on the verge of retiring which is going to significantly increase the financial obligations Milwaukee County will need to meet.
Walker tried to deal with this and did make some progress (not without resistance at nearly every turn from the County Board of Supervisors and the mainstream media) and yet he still won re-election at Milwaukee County Executive.
As Zach said, it will be on him if he and the incoming legislature do not leave the state better than they find it. There will be no excuses unless the State Supreme Court attempts to stalemate him, although that is unlikely. He said it himself when he said it was time to put up or shut up.