Monday, August 11, 2014

The Walker Agenda Is Still Working! Part CCXXIX

As I have repeatedly pointed out, when Scott Walker signed off on Act 10, he took billions of dollars out the state's economy either by slashing the take home pay of public sector workers if not causing them to be laid off.  This had a ripple effect on the private sector as the public sector workers were forced to cut back on their spending.

This ripple effect was seen in businesses cutting their workers' pay if not laying them off altogether.  Sometimes the businesses had to close, causing mass lay offs.  If the laid off workers were lucky enough to find a job, it was for much less money than they were making before.

Walker apologists would dismiss my arguments out of hand and blame the loss for other reasons if not deny it altogether.

Sadly, the proof is in the pudding, and what a sour pudding it is:
New federal data shows consumer spending in Wisconsin grew slower than the national average and slower than personal income from 2011 to 2012.

The U.S. Department of Commerce released its first state-by-state breakdown of consumer spending on Thursday. It shows a 3% increase in Wisconsin from 2011 to 2012. The biggest jump was in spending for motor vehicles and parts. That grew 6%.

Nationally, consumer spending grew an average of 4.1% from 2011 to 2012.

But income gains in Wisconsin have been slower as well. Nationally, personal income increased 4.2% from 2011 to 2012. In Wisconsin, it grew only 3.9%. Real personal income, which takes inflation into account, grew even slower.
Keep in mind that these pitiful numbers are from only Walker's first year in office. I have no doubts that the following years will show that these numbers have only gotten worse, meaning that people are making even less and subsequently spending even less.

No, Walker's agenda is most definitely not working.  He needs to be removed from office with all due haste and real change needs to happen before we can even hope that things get better.

20 comments:

  1. Voodoo Economics practiced by Republicans never worked in the real world.

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  2. Most certainly it will show to be worse. Many school districts were still under contracts after the first year, like Milwaukee, and it was only in the 2nd and 3rd year that those school districts felt the joy of A10 as well. There's no doubt that SW has been a train wreck of a governorship.

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  3. Walker "took billions of dollars out the state's economy either by slashing the take home pay of public sector workers if not causing them to be laid off."

    What layoffs? How does reducing government spending "take money out of the economy?" Doesn't that leave that money in the economy? Even Mary Burke says she would require government employees to pay more toward their retirement pensions and health care. (Altho the state unions refused to settle with Jim Doyle pre-Act 10.)

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    1. Typical of a mislead, ignorant and gullible Walker supporter. No matter how many verifiable facts are presented showing what this idiot's terrible decisions have done to ruin Wisconsin, you will ignore them and dutifully repeat the lies. He's an idiot and a disaster. Wake up.

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    2. dave for someone who claims to be a political pundit how can you get so many things so wrong?

      How does reducing government spending take money out of the economy? Who has reduced Government spending?

      The unions couldnt settle with doyle....well they actually did but Jeff Plale took a bribe instead

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    3. Not to mention Dem Senate majority leader Russ Decker. The unions settled with Doyle only AFTER a certain Scott Walker won election. How can you get so many things wrong?

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    4. Taking the spending out of the government simply lets the sources which may pay more into the government keep some of that money.

      It's not you, Mr. Blaska, that pays any significant amount, especially if one sticks to a progressive taxation bracket. You're low end. What did you do with your $16 in income tax savings?

      Rather, the top "earners," the new aristocracy of born to wealth, who won't ever need to worry about working, get to keep more of "mommy and daddy's" money now. Not to mention the grandparents, and great parents wealth all of which is inherited, too. (But these Walker supporters all "earned" it, because they are better than you, David Blaska, simply because they were born.)

      These top fat cats do not put that money into such things as, for example, building roads. Or paying people to teach the children of the temporary workers in the WMC manufacturing companies of Wisconsin.

      This is where the government spending pays off and makes life better for the most.

      The people who really benefited from Walker's cuts get to now hide that money even further in a variety of funds, churches, and overseas locations.

      And they probably bought another yacht. From Italy.

      Where's yours, David Blaska?

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    5. Oshkosh Truck's government contracts for military vehicles slowed down. Oshkosh Truck laid off workers. The businesses that the laid off workers shopped at lost business. Same goes for the teachers laid off or not replaced after Act 10.

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    6. Actually, they make yachts in Sturgeon Bay and Manitowoc, WI. Harley Davidson motorcycles are expensive luxury items (I have two). Expect to pay six figures for a new Case-IH tractor made in Racine. Snap-On tools out of Kenosha are top shelf. ... You're not blaming Oshkosh Truck's decrease in military sales on Scott Walker, are you? I thought you wanted the peace dividend.

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    7. You have created an example of a strawman argument, David Blaska. The effect of government contracts, big government spending, is evident using the Oshkosh truck example. Thus, cutting education spending in WI has and will continue to have a negative effect on the economy. Iraq and Afghanistan are a separate argument: Oil, corporations, a world built on cheap oil, $$$, and the power of having greedy hands on the tap. There are plenty of books at the library that will help you see this as well as good books on how to debate.

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    8. Blaska, Harley is more Japanese parts simply assembled in Milwaukee...... until they pull a Mercury Marine and find cheaper labor south of the Wisconsin border.... or until they bully the state into paying people to work for the profit of shareholders ..... or until they rewrite laws like MBC.

      Blaska thinks Harley is a luxury item. Ha!

      Buy into "you're special" brand, bro. Just like a junior high kid, Blaska buys the brands to think he stands out as something special.

      This guy is great, Blaska got all the cool logos on his stuff like he's a part of the "member's only" club. Ha!

      Do you have a "members only" jacket, bro?

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  4. The numbers for the past 2 1/2 years are likely much worse than these 2011 numbers. The first year of Act 10, it was difficult for people to truly comprehend how much income would be taken away each year. The deductions have increased annually and it gets worse each year- really a devastating blow to the economy when you take away around 20% of the take home pay of that many middle class and lower middle class people.

    No matter how they spin it, it was devastating for the state and it didn't need to happen. If Walker wins, we are looking at a Walker/ALEC takeover of the state employees health insurance plans and very likely the etf. That's when things really fall apart. There will be a ripple effect that will drag most of the state down, down, down. But of course the right wing machine will direct the resulting fear and anger towards the state workers, teachers, the poor, immigrants.... while cronies and contributors laugh all the way to the bank.

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  5. Blaska and the Walkerites need to change the kool- aid they are drinking! When you reduce the purchasing power of 250,000 people in the state you are sure as hell going to shrink the economy. Blaska says "What lay offs?" The state lost 3,600 jobs in education between 2010-2012....does he think all those employees fell off the edge of the flat earth he lives on! Good God every economist in the world reports that when you cut government spending you automatically shrink the economy!!!!!!! The $1 billion that left the wallets of public employees left Wisconsin as it went into the portfolios of the insurance companies and the employee trust fund and that's why when you drive through small towns such as I live in you see empty mom and pop stores or business for rent signs. Walker's conservative experiment as Vos proudly called it and said it would be a model for the federal government is a dismal failure unless you are a corporate CEO or you 've been blesses to b among the top 20%. Demand creates jobs not tax breaks and de-regulation and the past 4 years make that crystal clear.

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    1. I disagree with your comment about Dave and the other worshippers of Scooter. I don't think it is the "Kool-Aid", but they have something personal to gain. Many of the bloggers, op-ed writers, and radio bs'ers know what Walker is doing and that it is damaging our economy. The real issue is that they do not care because of a few issues that have to do with greed, jealousy and hatred. Some have a chance to make personal gains (do you think Rush and his ilk have not financially benefitted from their nonsense). Some are jealous because someone has something they do not such as health benefits, even though the bs'ers may make far more in salary. Many simply hate the public workers. Why, you might ask? It could be because they despise teachers because the bs'ers were lazy bums in high school who were yelled at. Maybe they were ticketed by a game warden because the bs'ers do not think they need a fishing license. Maybe the county plow driver doesn't plow their road first.
      No, they are not the Kool-Aid drinkers, they are the sidekicks handing it out. Unfortunately they have talked enough people into drinking the Kool-Aid.
      Maybe one of the bs'ers could explain to us one positive economic indicator for Wisconsin. O wait, I have one, we are 10th in gaining jobs. Whoops, I didn't read the fine print that says we are 10th out of 10 states in the Midwest.

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  6. Anon 3:42- Well said. People like WHAAA_ska, Chrissy Schneider and a number of righties that get media time say what they do because it's what they're paid to do. They're grifters with no real job skills, which explains why they're attracted to fellow con artist Scott Walker.

    As for the non-grifters still standing with Walker- it's envy and weak-mindedness. These people peaked in high school and resent anyone who kept working hard and getting better after age 18, and didn't accept mediocrity like they did. Instead of asking why their careers have been limited and wages cut, and demanding more, they'd rather complain and cut people down to their level. Such weak sauce.

    And last week gave irrefutable proof Act 10 hurt Wisconsin's economy. They had the lowest increase in consumption in the Midwest in Walker's first 2 years, and fell about $2 billion below what they should have had in 2012. That's the first year of Act 10, and it's $2 billion that wasn't going into shops and other Wisconsin businesses. And tell me what was gained out of it for 99% of us, especially with $2 billion in budget deficits looming in 2015?

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  7. My husband got a job in Minnesota after being laid off for so long here in Wisconsin. He has been there for over a year now. We have a home in Wisconsin and he just got an apartment in Minnesota after a long stay in a hotel. Who is getting our money now? Minnesota. He has to grocery shop there, the hotels had gotten a lot of money, now the apartment complex, Comcast, Xcel Energy, and any money spent on restaurants, gas, or recreational activities, etc. I don't have a car so I don't spend money on gas here. I retired from my job in a school district 2 years ago because I could see what was happening, then. I was in support staff and from what I have heard I would have probably been forced out this year anyways because of the budget issues. I spend quite a bit of time in Minnesota. Guess where I spend my money? The stores that I frequent haven't gone by the wayside like they have in Wisconsin. The stores and restaurants are busy in Minnesota and we look at the parking lots of businesses and they have a lot of cars in them. That means jobs. I walk into a store here and wonder where all the people are? Then, I remember I am back in Wisconsin. I grew up in Wisconsin and I have always loved it and this makes me really sad to see what has happened. We may eventually consider a move to Minnesota because we both love it there so much but for now our kids and our only grandchild are all in Wisconsin and that is what keeps me grounded here for now. The strong family bonds. So, I have lived the issues. The stress, the fears, and the tears of where the money is going to come from to pay the bills, and be able to have food to eat, etc.

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    1. My daughter moved across the River a couple of years ago. Doing the same job she got $4.25/hr raise plus a $5K benefit package. On the W side no benefits. Of course she did have one more day of experience than the day before to explain that.
      My wife & I visited this past week and I agree stores and businesses here do seem much busier than at home. Anyway good luck to you.

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    2. Thank-you, Jonathan Swift.

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    3. Anyone with eyes can see that Minnesota is doing much, much better than Wisconsin--the difference is evident the minute you cross the border (in either direction). The real irony is those signs at the border proclaiming that Wisconsin is "Open For Business." Coming here from Minnesota, the first thing you notice is the rotting animal carcasses along the road and the shuttered storefronts. Wisconsin may be "open for business," but after four years of Walker it looks like Mogadishu. Especially in contrast to our humming, jewel-clean neighbor to the west.

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  8. Politifact says it is the TRUE that Wisconsin tops its 12 Midwest neighbors in income growth. (Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota).
    Politifact: "When we looked at percentage income growth for both regions, Walker’s claim held up.
    Among those 12 states, Wisconsin’s 3.33 percent income growth led the way, topping Ohio (3.12 percent) and Illinois (3.08 percent.) Minnesota and Iowa were toward the low end at 1.6 percent and 1.13 percent, respectively.

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