Is There Anyone Or Anything Walker Won't Sell Out On?

Unless you've been living in a cave (or a mansion in Pakistan) or only get your news from talk radio and Faux News, you're probably aware that Scott Walker has been selling out everything and anything he can, from workers' rights to voters' rights to public safety to the environment.

Bruce Murphy, of Milwaukee Magazine, takes note that Walker is selling out the poor and his promise to not raise taxes:

Figures from the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau show that 77 percent of those who qualify for the EITC make so little money they pay no state income taxes. But Walker seized on this to argue he was not increasing taxes, merely taking away money that is given to taxpayers by other taxpayers.

One sign of how radical a measure this is comes from the critical response of Todd Berry, president of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, which routinely praises any move that cuts government spending. “I think it’s good tax policy and good social policy because it rewards work rather than discouraging it,” he said of the EITC. “I would have looked for savings somewhere else. “

Nearly as bad is Walker’s decision to reduce the amount of the Homestead Tax Credit by $8.1 million. This measure, too, was seen as a way to help low-income homeowners and renters, helping buffer the latter from increases in rent by landlords.  To claim the credit last year, filers had to have household income of less than $24,680. Most taxpayers aren’t eligible. Only 247,000 people claimed the credit in 2010; the average credit awarded was $520.

My retired father takes advantage of the Homestead Credit. When he found out about this, who prides himself on being a neocon, said he wants to sign a Walker recall petitions as soon as they come out.

If Walker is so bad, that my dad and I agree on the fact that he is bad for the state and needs to be outed, that speaks volumes in itself.