Are we still critical of Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker for eschewing federal bailout money? To refresh your memory:
This is Eugene Kane in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel a year ago:
Walker has some people in town - both allies and opponents - scratching their heads over his stated reluctance to seek millions of dollars in federal stimulus aid. ... In Walker's case, his desire to be governor seems to be clouding his judgment regarding what's best for county taxpayers. That makes him both a bad parent and a county executive who isn't doing his job.
Cory Liebmann, founder of the shadowy One Wisconsin Now liberal front group, jumped up and down that Scott Walker was "boarding the Crazy Train." I guess that's what you get when you don't board the federal gravy train. It's "free money."
Blogger Gretchen Schuldt wonders "Has Walker totally lost his mind?" One of her readers offered "Walker is an anarchist and a social and economic terrorist."
Liar, liar, pants on fire. Oh, that would be Abdul Mutilated Bob.
Democrat(ic) Party warhorse Bill Christofferson compared Walker to Herbert Hoover. Chris Liebenthal wanted to recall Walker from office. Twelve months later, the people of Milwaukee County still have not responded.
Now it turns out that the Madison School District has pretty much the same concerns as Scott Walker. They may say no to $8 million in "free" government money. Why? They're worried about the federal red tape and the hooks. Federal funding can be addictive and when Uncle Foolish runs out of supply, the local junkies get the shakes.
La Crosse has already turned thumbs down on the "free" federal money.
"There are too many negative conditions and too much political red tape." [Wisconsin State Journal: 01-07-10]
Walker had laid down three basic rules that would allow him to accept one-time federal money:
1. There be no local match required.
2. There be no long-term commitments mandated by the federal government.
3. There be no future operating costs or maintenance expenses.
And how is that job market a year later?
CNN reports that job losses for 2009 came to 4.2 million jobs, the most in one year since the government started tracking payrolls in 1939.
Cousin Johan and Scott Walker Thursday night in the Town of Sun Prairie.
Takers growl, makers cheer
I got to think the residents of Milwaukee County appreciate that the budget Walker sent to the liberal-county board did not raise the tax levy. Hear this, now: not only did it not raise the tax rate, his submitted budget did not raise the levy. The county board ultimately added spending by overriding some of Walker's vetoes but even then, the levy went up by only 2.3 percent compared to Dane County's 7.9 percent.
Walker was in rural Sun Prairie Thursday night and yes, (FULL DISCLOSURE!) I am supporting him. As Gomer Pyle, USMC, used to say, "Surprise, surprise."
Walker told a very large crowd at cousin Johan's The Oaks country club that his budget "sent a message that this is a place to stay and live in and grow a business."
His emphasis in the governor's race is something that the chastised Sen. Ben Nelson just discovered when he returned home to face the wrath of Nebraska, that the federal government should have focused on jobs, jobs, jobs -- not health care. That is a subject the current Democrat(ic) controlled state government is only now attending to.
Walker has been on that message for years. "If we get jobs right, everything else is easy to do," Walker said in Sun Prairie. A healthy economy and strong employers provide health care and provide the tax dollars for a healthy environment, the arts, parks and recreation.
Walker said something else that I believe myself: "What is failing us is not our people but our government."
Even you liberals -- how many think today that government is working?
There is an arrogance about the government class, an inflated importance that afflicts mortal men soon after their election to office that they are smarter than the average bear.
And that is the great debate engaging the nation right now: do you trust government or the people to do the right thing. Do you trust a government that has trouble plowing snow (Madison) and resorts to accounting tricks to balance a budget (Wisconsin) and can't distinguish between an identified jihadist and a 70-year-old grandmother.
Unexciting the base
My take is that Scott Walker is exciting his base and winning converts. On the other side of the track, I don't see too much genuine excitement over Tom Barrett, for whom the Obama White House cleared the decks by maneuvering Babs Lawton out of the race.
Even liberals were underwhelmed by Barrett's performance at a public hearing on the proposal for the Milwaukee mayor to take control of Milwaukee's failing public schools. He left the bully pulpit empty. This is Ed "Teachers Union" Garvey:
They listened carefully to the mayor, and his grade would be a "C" or lower.
I still like the proposal. The Milwaukee mayor MUST take control to restore accountability -- but perhaps not THIS mayor. Tom Barrett is by all accounts a nice guy. He just may not be up to the job.
Yes, there was 'some maneuverings'
The screwing that John Scocos is getting at Veterans Affairs is what the libs want to do to the DNR Secretary. So here is Lukas Diaz at Forward Our Motto (Backwards Our Politics):
As you also probably know, Governor Doyle veto'd the bill to establish an independent DNR head. There hasn't been much movement on that, but there have been some goings on with removal of the head of Wisconsin's Department of Veteran's Affairs. ... there were some maneuverings before the head of the state Department of Veterans Affairs was ousted: E-mails show contact between vets board, gov's office before firing. As stated, it's hard to say who's right or wrong, but those e-mails...maybe it's not just the DNR that should be freed from political interest. [Forward Our Motto: Politicization of state departments]
Um, the Veterans Affairs Board is already "freed from political interest" under your definition, Luke. Its board appoints the veterans secretary just as some of you want the DNR board to appoint that secretary. But the governor appoints the board members. That is what is happening to the veterans secretary. Doyle has now appointed all of the board members who now are doing what is expected of them and sacking a secretary who was appointed by a Republican board.
Why not take all of the foolishness out of the equation? If a Democrat(ic) governor wants a Democrat secretary, he ought to be able to appoint one. Who, after all, voted for John Scocos?
As for a board-appointed secretary... hopefully free(ing) the DNR head from political influence and allow(ing) him/her to operate purely on what they think is best.
Who is this savant, this environmental czar, this wise Solomon who can operate independently of the people's will as expressed in the ballot box? Would it be James Watt, Reagan's Secretary of the Interior? Would be it the current head of PETA? Earth First? Who decides?
I say, let the people decide.
Transparency my ass
It was always a foolish pledge but then, Obama's supporters are foolish people.
It seems as if many of the elites in Washington, D.C. were for transparency before they were against it. [Big Government: ObamaCare Transparency Promise Broken]
Thanks again to Moonbattery
