2011 – A Year of Living Dangerously Under Scott Walker
By Representative Brett Hulsey
2011 will be remembered as the year Gov. Walker and his corporate-backed legislative allies divided our state and attacked the middle class families like never before, and the people fought back. As we reflect on 2011 in Wisconsin under Governor Walker and the corporate-controlled legislature, many songs and movies come to mind.
The Great Train Robbery
Even before being sworn in, Governor Walker started killing jobs by giving this $810 million federal train upgrade money to Illinois, Indiana and other states, resulting in a loss of 2,300 jobs for six years. But Governor Walker didn’t stop there giving away almost $500 million more in healthcare and Internet upgrade money to other states totaling $1.3 billion in losses to our state, costing thousands of more jobs.
Will you be my Valentine?
Governor Walker celebrated Valentines’ Day by taking away workers’ freedoms and giving a mandatory pay cut. This sparked record numbers of people to converge on the Capitol and our Democratic Senators traveled to Illinois in search of clean government. Assembly Democrats debated the bill a record 62 hours before Republicans shut down and voted in 17 seconds.
Gone with the Wind
Walker’s “Open for Business” moniker failed to create jobs as we list 35,000 jobs after his budget passed. “Wisconsin has the worst job creation record in the nation and much worse than neighboring states,” said Dr. Steven Deller, UW Professor of Applied Economics.
Doctor, Doctor
Governor Walker wants to celebrate the holidays by taking healthcare away from 65,000 people, including 29,000 children. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s editorial said Walker’s healthcare cuts “…risk hurting too many of Wisconsin’s poor – especially kids…”
Coal Miner’s Daughter
Governor Walker pledged to weaken our state’s already weak mining laws to allow an out of state coal strip mining company in. He finally got a bill introduced just before Christmas written partly by mine and polluter lobbyists. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial said “No” to Gov Walker’s strip mine giveaway bill.
Total Recall
And we end with hope for 2012 with the total recall of Governor Walker and enough of his Senate colleagues to restore honor and balance to Wisconsin government. Walker and his corporate-backers ignored the laws of the land and physics, namely that “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”
Our best hope for 2012 is to retire Governor Walker and his corporate cronies to get Wisconsin working again.
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