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11/20/2009
Democrat end-of-year talking points. Troublesome.
A 1,660 word newsletter. Wow. Representative Bernard Schaber includes lists and lists of stuff the Democrat-controlled legislature supposedly got done this year. Take it with a grain of salt. The claims are ridiculous, distortions at best, and quite a bit of hyperbole if truth be told. Or perhaps it’s just the error by omission that’s so galling.
Missing from this 1,660-word tome is, for example, absolutely no mention of the Pew Center on the States report that puts Wisconsin right up there with the disastrous fiscal condition of California, for gosh sakes. A real distinction that you’d think you’d want to let your constituents know about.
Funny too that here’s not even a passing mention of a biennial state budget passed by Democrats in the early hours of a Saturday morning and crafted in secret the night before. It’s a budget that passed only because a piece of the budget specifically exempts the budget from current law that requires that revenues exceed expenses. Not a balanced budget, despite Democrats’ attempts to call it such. And cuts so deep in municipal and school state aids that property taxes for many in the state will increase by double digits to make up for the shortfalls. And billions in tax increases. Billions.
Ok, back to Bernard Schaber’s talking points, divided into several categories. Below is just a sampling. (Here’s the whole thing if you’d like to wade through it.)
Economy
A whole litany of claims about tax credits are included here. The tax credits are helpful for some businesses, but Bernard Schaber fails to mention massive job-killing tax increases ($3 billion worth) in that dreadful budget mentioned above. Those tax increases included hundreds of millions of dollars for Wisconsin employers, a retroactive hike on capital gains taxes, higher income taxes on some small business owners and increased telephone fees, garbage fees and utility fees.
The talking points proudly tout the passage of the Wisconsin First Act and the America Jobs Act. Oh brother. AB1 and AB2 – pushed through the Assembly with a public hearing and a vote the same day in January – with a pressure-filled sense of urgency. These bills are so important that the Democratic-controlled Senate has yet to vote on them!!
Education
More ridiculous bragging about passing once again urgent legislation in early morning hours to supposedly allow Wisconsin to apply for big federal ‘Race to the Top’ education bucks. It’s an effort I surely wouldn’t brag about – and neither would the State Journal.
… the Wisconsin Legislature barely approved a bill allowing student test scores to be used in teacher evaluations - something Obama specifically called for. Obama's Education Secretary Arne Duncan had called Wisconsin's ban on tying teachers to test data "ridiculous."
Unfortunately, the Democratic-run Legislature watered down repeal of this law Thursday to the point of jeopardizing Wisconsin's chances of winning some of the $4.35 billion in "Race to the Top" innovation grants Obama is offering the states. Under the Legislature's bill, schools would still be forbidden from factoring test data into discipline or dismissal of teachers. And any teacher evaluation changes would have to be negotiated with unions.
Criminal Justice
Hmmm. No mention of all those great new OWI laws. Jim Rowen helps us understand why.
Don't bother getting excited over the so-called OWI reform measure working its way through the Legislature that will make a 4th conviction a felony.
…. Wisconsin law enables drunken drivers and repeat offenders the freedom of the road with minimal consequences. Everyone else is endangered, thanks to weak-kneed legislators and influential lobbyists.
Hmmm. And no mention of the roiling MPS governing situation or of BadgerCare oversubscribed by thousands or state budget revenues already short by hundreds of millions. All in all, a truly unproductive session for those Democrats.
Update: Oh my. How could any end-of-year report miss discussion of the first state in the country to have an official bacterium and a state motorbike? Oh brother. I kid you not. The State Journal details bills currently wending their way throught the legislature.
Jo Egelhoff, FoxPolitics.net
COMMENTS
Well, at least the legislature dealt with real issues and prevented for now a collapse. What was the legislature doing under the Republicans all those years other than passing an anti gay constitutional amendment? I didn't see seat belt laws or any change in drunk driving laws under the Republicans. In short they didn't do a damn positive thing for those times or the future of our state. I abhor the fiscal chicanery going on in Madison but it won't end until people allow the spending that benefits them to be cut. The Town of Grand Chute can't even have a joint police department with Appleton in part because officer friendly from Appleton will be considered part of Them and not Us. We have seen the enemy and it is Us. Every citizen is getting exactly what they want, their piece of the pie and their local services and government and it is always someone else who is wasting money, not me.
dave allen (Fri Nov 20 07:12:25 2009)
Dave Allen has a right to his opinion but when he starts talking about the Town of Grand Chute and the police situation he better know more about it. It died because it was not in the best interest of the town and the town can do very well without being part of Appleton.
Richard Griesser (Fri Nov 20 08:10:30 2009)
Occasionally, I agree with BHO. Not often, but in the instance of using student performance to grade teachers, he is correct. However, it should be noted that "The race to the bottom" of academic achievement coincided with a. growth in the strength of teachers' unions, and b. the use of federal funds for K-12 education. The "one size fits all" approach apparently does not fit anyone very well.
Not to mention that there is no constitutional authority for Congress to provide such funds. Is it not an amazing coincidence that many of our problems (huge deficits that threaten our prosperity, decline in quality of "public education") can be traced back to our ignoring the constitution? Want a race to the top, not only in education, but the economy? Shrink the fedgov to its constitutionally authorized size. And a considerable bit less meddling by the state would help as well.
Ken Van Doren (Fri Nov 20 09:33:31 2009)
Sour grapes? Maybe just a little? It's more appealing to let other people savage those who have soundly beaten you in elections.
Really? (Sat Nov 21 11:28:54 2009)
No, not sour grapes at all. Sour grapes might be someone leaving a comment, anonymously, about sour grapes. Sour grapes might also be leaving the political scene after losing an election. No, that's not I.
I'm informed about the issues and some would say, am perhaps a very appropriate commenter on Ms. Bernard Schaber's work in the 57th. I'm pleased to keep her accountable, and welcome others to do so as well.
Jo (Sat Nov 21 12:10:56 2009)
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