Just Read It

“Throughout six years of deficit spending and fiscal mismanagement, Governor Doyle left us with a state deficit…” – {source}

"We are broke in this state. We have been broke for years. People have ignored that for years, and it's about time somebody stood up and told the truth. The truth is: We don't have money to offer. We don't have finances to offer. This is what we have to offer." – {source}

Wisconsin’s deficit is ranked 4^th in the nation.” – Scott Walker

“This is 100% about balancing the budget.” – Scott Walker

Walker's bill to fill deficit this year would push debt payments into future

{headline source}

“The state would delay debt payments to help pay for rising costs for prisons and health care for the needy, under Gov. Scott Walker's bill to balance the state budget this year.”

“In a desperate attempt to remedy a $6 billion deficit.” – {source}

Walker says the changes will help balance a $3.6 billion shortfall for the 2011-'13 budget. – {source}

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities And the Wisconsin Taxpayer’s Alliance, Wisconsin’s projected deficit will amount to $1.8 billion.

Wisconsin's Water Cooler

Once we’ve drafted our NCAA bracket winners, it doesn’t matter how, we want our teams to advance.  Maybe we can win our $5 pool at our place of work.

Once in Cleveland, we’ll wear dog masks to Browns games, sit in the dawg pound, and bark at the opposition.  And, once in Oakland, we’ll paint our faces to demonize our game personas…anything to win.

Once we’ve chosen a side, “just win baby” – right Al Davis?

Problem is that the Browns and Raiders stink.  Problem is hardly anyone on this planet picked the Final Four.

We’ve chosen our side, now what?

In Wisconsin, we’ve chosen our sides as well.

This week it was reported that Governor Walker decided he doesn’t want to wait for the courts.  He wants his budget money now.  So, he’s taking it now. 

In response to the news story, over 1644 comment were made representing their side…comments which used words like “knuckleheads”, “peons” and “union thugs”.

This morning, it was reported that schools in Milwaukee’s school choice program performed worse than Milwaukee’s public schools in reading and math scores.


Public response included words like “your side”, “greedy”…comment accusing teachers, others blaming Republicans.

It was also reported that over the last six years, scores on statewide reading and math tests have increased and the achievement gap between minority groups and white students has narrowed.

Public response?  “dead beat teachers”…etc.

Here’s the thing: We’ve painted our faces to demonize our public personas and, in truth, our team stinks.  We’ve put on our dawg pound masks.  And, we’ve begun cheering against our co-workers in our office pools in hopes of making pocket change or bragging rights at the water cooler.

We’ve become these people – people who have enclosed themselves in their ideological boxes to such a degree that we know longer can appreciate the game that needs to be played.  The integrity of the game is sacrificed because of our desire to come out on top.  In the end, once the integrity of the game is gone, the game will go with it. 

We don’t need to look much further than the NFL today, stuck in a battle which has brought an end to the game.  I can only imagine that football as we love it will resume once we step out of our boxes, clean off our faces, and begin to participate in the process as fans should. 

Read the Simpson-Bowles budget report.  Find an impartial site and read their suggestions. 

What you’ll find is that the Simpson-Bowles commission suggests for us to 1) reduce defense spending; 2) reduce the size of government and the federal workforce; 3) pay a .15 cent/gallon tax hike on gasoline and restricting home mortgage tax deductions; 4) maintain Medicare costs; 5) reduce entitlements like farm subsidies, government pensions, and student loan subsidies; 6) increase social security payroll taxes and increase the retirement age. 

At the federal level, projections show close to $4 trillion in debt reduction. 

Consider, as we look to pay our debt and grow our economy, the federal government spends $4 on elderly people for every $1 it spends on those under 18. 

Our country can’t afford to reduce funds for education, science research and infrastructure projects if it looks to grow our economy in the long-term.  The Simpson-Bowles report is non-partisan and more worthy of our consideration.

Wisconsin’s solutions are equally accessible.  Let’s step outside of our boxes and find them.

Looking for a Few Good People

To date, the public perception has been that teachers make too much and have a benefits package that is far superior to the private sector.   

This perception has been promoted by republican governors across the country, including governors Scott Walker and John Kasich.

In fact, Kasich went so far as to say that he was going to “break the back of organized labor in schools” because teacher unions became too powerful.

Fact checking organizations like Politifact.com would contest the promotional efforts of these governors and of public perception.  According to this source, a Pulitzer Prize winning network, “state employees typically earn salaries 11 percent lower than their private sector counterparts.”

However, I’ve been told repeatedly that the public is beyond facts and their ideological allegiances trump information and data.  If that is the case, simply pay attention to one of the republican mouth pieces.

In an attempt to justify why the state of Ohio is giving his staff raises, the governor explained that workers in the private sector simply don’t want to work in the public sector – they can’t make enough money.  "We’re fortunate that we’re getting a lot of good people to come in. Salary is an issue. So what we’re trying to do is call people to service."

Not only did the governor offer raises, but bonuses as well.  One his staff members will receive a bonus of $50,000.  The average teacher in the Fox River Valley doesn’t get paid that much for a year’s salary.

Governor Kasich continued to justify the raises and bonuses he gave by saying that high salaries “attract good people”.

All of you people in the private sector looking to improve your lives by joining the public sector, I advise you to visit Wisconsin's Department of Public Instruction for you to learn just how to do that.  Schools are always looking to attract more good people. 

A Two-Class State

In the mid-90s, America was to be first exposed to a car that could run on electricity.  However, Chevron bought controlling interest in the company responsible for the battery and made sure that didn’t happen. 

Since, gas prices have continued to spiral upward.

The man behind First Defense Nasal Screens, designed to reduce by 99% the respiratory exposure to viruses, germs, dust, pollen, pollutants, second-hand smoke and carcinogens, approached pharmaceutical companies in regards to his development.  These companies sought to buy controlling interest in his product and then shelf it.  Why?  These companies made much more money on nasal sprays and over-the-counter respondents.  In other words, these companies were getting richer on us being sick. 

Meanwhile, those who suffer from allergies, asthma, and cystic fibrosis will continue to suffer with minimal relief.

Corporations don’t guard over the public welfare.  Corporations don’t promote tranquility and justice among us.  Corporations don’t protect our liberties and our rights. 

The purpose of corporations is to guard over and protect their investors.       

The incorporation of schools will mean that inequality will grow to where we will fundamentally become a two-class society; principals will become like CEOs who must maximize profits by hiring a younger and cheaper staff; private sources of funding will mean inequitable distribution of monetary assistance; and the corporate goal of making profits will replace all public goals of learning, developing and growing.

The first step in such a process is to generate cash-strapped schools.  Welcome to Wisconsin!

People are Taking Notice

I've lectured: "Addressing the deficit now is not economically friendly nor will it create the jobs this state needs."

I've warned: "There is no budget crisis.  The debt the state has is manageable for now and once the economy is strong enough, the state will gradually have to generate more revenue and cut into entitlement programs.  For the last several years it's been the neo-conservative plan to privatize education."

I've complained: "The governor cannot possibly address billions of dollars of projected debt by taking solely from the public worker."

I've even pouted: "I've been married for sixteen years and could afford only two family vacations in that time - Shedd Aquarium four years ago and Mount Rushmore two years ago.  I can't possibly afford cuts to our insurance and a salary freeze.  Over the course of the next three years, I'll lose more than $18,000 out of pocket."

Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, the governor stated the following while trying to sell his "economic plan" in Wrightstown:  "For example, you can still have places that went to 15 or even 18 (percent) and still be below where the average middle-class taxpayer in this state is paying: 20 percent of their health care," he said. "We don't mandate what the amount is; we give them the tools to do that."  This was Walker's solution for how make up for the reduced state aid - municipalities and school districts can ask their employees to pay even more for health care.

Walker's "plan" leaves municipalities and school districts short money, even with public workers paying the percentages Walker has advocated.  In response to that shortage, Walker has proposed

1. Simply take more;

2. Increase class sizes (thus resulting in teachers without jobs); or 

3. Reduce the number of days in the school year (thus resulting in less and, therefore, worse education for children).

At what point will citizens see that there is no economic plan or plan to improve education?  There is no such plan.  

There is, however, an agenda.  And this agenda is to privatize public offerings and to promote the well-being of the well-off.

Slowly....people are taking notice. 

You and the Debt

Are you concerned with the state budget?  Stop complaining and slinging mud.  It's really simple.

At its highest projection, the number to which Governor Walker repeatedly refers, the state will owe $3.7 billion. In an effort to address the governor's estimate, (a number the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance would dispute with its $1.8 billion estimate) each state resident will owe $650. 

If you're a state resident and are concerned with the estimated debt, write your check of $650.  If you're the head of a household, each of your dependents will also owe $650.  Address your check to the "Wisconsin Department of Revenue".

Send to: Wisconsin Department of Revenue
              P.O. Box 268
              Madison, WI  53790-0001

Or, maybe the debt just isn't that important to you.

In the news today, "Twenty Wisconsin school districts were among 388 nationwide named to the AP Achievement List based on their ability to increase participation by students on Advance Placement tests without sacrificing results.  Only six states had more districts on the list than Wisconsin, including more populous states such as California, New York and Pennsylvania."

Simple Math in Balancing the Budget

During this tax season, my family of five was returned nearly $700.  Instead, in order to address the state deficit, we should have been asked to contribute our fair share (consider that a union term) and should have received $550.

Problem solved.

According to the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance:

"Wisconsin has taken a first step on the way to enacting a new state budget for 2011-13. Preliminary revenue forecasts and agency spending requests were released recently, yielding deficit estimates of $1.5 billion."

According to this same politically conservative group:

"The total amount of state income tax refunds paid has hit all-time highs in each of the last nine years, including a record $1.86 billion paid to Wisconsin filers during 2009."
 
Simple enough solution:  Deny tax returns for one year.

Could it really be that easy?  Yes!

Everyone would contribute - those screaming for a balanced budget.
Everyone would contribute - those demanding fiscal responsibility.
Everyone would contribute - those expecting more equity and fairness from their government.