"Walker pushes for reforms that give municipalities more control."
That's the title of this article in the Appleton Post-Crescent that discusses the governor's wish to give local governments a stronger position in dealing with public workers.
But the hand that giveth taketh away. How can the governor say he is offering cities and counties more control when he's also proposing to put in place revenue caps that limit their ability to raise taxes to fund services?
"If we do that, we can not only balance the state budget, we can make sure that local budgets are balanced and have done so without raising property taxes and still maintaining core services."
The debate about what "core services" means is a fair one to have; it is the question that lays the foundation of almost all state political dialogue. However, for Walker and legislative Republicans to insist that their agenda includes giving more power to local governments is disingenuous. Too disingenuous, in fact, to grace the headline of a newspaper.
Walker may be offering local governments a tool to deal with their budget gaps, but he is hardly offering them flexibility. Flexibility would indicate the presence of options. In this case, the only option available is the one Walker is dictating.
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