Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Scott Walker Republican Extremist!



By Jeff Simpson

Scott Walker recently made headlines by trying to rewrite the Wisconsin Idea.  He wanted to strike truth from our state(he already has a very good start) but was caught and called on it!

After his typical pass the buck, it wasn't me explanation, even Scott Walker friendly Politifact gave him a pants on fire!

Walker said fundamental changes to the language describing the Wisconsin Idea in the University of Wisconsin System's mission statement were the result of a "drafting error" in his state budget proposal.
But Walker’s administration had insisted to UW System officials on making the changes, giving detailed instructions on passages to be removed from state law. And eventually Walker himself acknowledged that the UW System had objected to the changes before his budget was put into final form.
His original claim was not only inaccurate, but ridiculous. Pants on Fire.
Pants on Fire!


Mr. Walker has already shown that the people of Wisconsin do not care that the truth and facts are his mortal enemies, they love him anyway.  However that will change when he steps outside his Waukesha safe zone.

The New York Times has been paying particularly close attention:

All of that may be red meat for conservative zealots in the caucus and on the presidential primary circuit. Yet it is hard to see such a clumsy attack on education going far with a general electorate concerned about their children’s chances in life. If nothing else, Mr. Walker is sharpening the debate within the Republican Party about whether it can win despite its own extremists.

Why yes, that is the National paper of record calling Scott Walker an "extremist".  his days of hiding behind friendly and timid "press" are behind him.  As he steps on the national stage, we will see that the Emperor truly has no clothes!  

 


1 comment:

  1. Here's another Walker whopper on the UW that needs some more attention...

    Last week Walker issued a string of tweets attempting to minimize his proposed cuts to the UW, including this one:

    Our budget changes are only 2.5% of the total UW System operating budget. 2.5%. In return, they get long-term flexibility and savings.
    https://twitter.com/GovWalker/status/564175720956854272

    On its face, that sounds kinda reasonable. A $150M/yr cut out of an annual UW System budget of $6B = 2.5%. And one would think your average $6B business could find 2.5% in savings somewhere.

    However, the UW System is not funded like a business. The vast majority of its funding comes with statutory or contractual strings attached. Per the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, in 2014-15, the UW Board of Regents only had discretion over $2.2B of its budget.
    http://legis.wisconsin.gov/lfb/publications/Informational-Papers/Documents/2015/32_UW%20Overview.pdf (see pg. 25)

    So, in practice, Walker's $150M cut is more like a 7% cut. You can't just make that up by finding a better deal on office supplies.

    As for that "flexibility," it won't really kick in until 2017, and it will hardly do anything to expand the Regents' effective discretionary budget, other than giving them the ability to raise tuition without legislative oversight. Strings attached to federal, corporate, and gift money will remain.

    The major "string" currently attached to state funding is the requirement to spend $250M/yr on debt service. And it turns out that once that string is removed in 2017-18, state funding will drop from $1B down to a $753M block grant. Amazing how that works out.

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