Walker and his GOP legislative allies continue to politically batter and budgetarily squeeze Milwaukee with right-wing policies and full-on partisan retribution for Mayor Barrett's two gubernatorial challenges and big anti-Walker votes in city wards.
An anti-Milwaukee agenda weakens Wisconsin statewide, but plays well in the GOP's suburban and out-state strongholds - - so helps keeps gerrymandered Republicans embedded in their safe seats.
Leaving Walker and anti-urban legislators free to interfere in the Milwaukee economy and local landscape through city worker residency rule manipulations, a strangled bus system, derailed local, commuter and regional train initiatives along with their lost development potential, local spending limits made worse by drastically-cut public school budgets.
It's a coordinated attack on Milwaukee and local control with elections, partisan payback and punishment in mind - - gleefully predicted by righty WISN-AM talker Mark Belling on November 3rd, 2010 a day after Walker was elected in Governor and the GOP took control of the Legislature.
The warning was so succinct and ominous that I'd posted it:
"They can do whatever they want."
I'm saving every dime I make and when the time is right, leaving Wisconsin. Wingnuts are in full control of the state. From every media outlet to all facets of government. Passing on rail will hurt this state for a generation. Walker is increasing debt substantially. I'm moving as close as possible to Vancouver as Canada's economy is miles ahead of Americas for middle class people. Obamacare is not even close to what we need to stop the hemorrhaging. Single payer was our only hope for relief and because wingnuts are completely deranged, squandered the opportunity. ANyone who thinks things are going to get better for the middle class is in complete denial. The owner class is rising and will step on all our necks. Eat right and stay out of the hospital.
ReplyDeleteIt reiterates my belief that if you had the 262 area code secede and become the Republic(an) of Fitzwalkerstan, everybody in the current-day Wisconsin would be happier and better off. They even can give away the cities of Racine and Kenosha if it makes them feel better (those places are a bit too diverse...ERRRR>...dirty for Fitzwalkerstan).
ReplyDeleteThe suburb boys can have their no-tax, no-service economy, and don't have to pay anything to the big cities with their minorities and liberals. And the rest of Wisconsin could return to the high level of services and high quality of life place it was before 2011, and Milwaukee would get the transit its citizens want, now that they don't have a bunch of suburban legislators sticking their nose into their business. Win-win all around.
And the 262 would be on its knees pleading to come back within 5 years as everyone with talent would get the hell out of a soulless, Confederate cesspool like Fitzwalkerstan.
Democrats have been doing whatever they want to Milwaukee for how many years? How's that local control working out for them? Why feel such self pity, this isn't the Republicans fault...you Democrats are doing this to yourselves.
ReplyDeleteRiiight. White flight racism and de-industrialization have NOTHING AT ALL to do with it. It's just Dems and their high-service mentality.
DeleteGive me a freaking break. 262 Republicans have spent the last few decades demonizing Milwaukee and cutting shared revenues and other aids to it. At the same time, they refuse to allow Milwaukee the freedom to do the things it chooses to do.
Why don't you just back off, allow Milwaukee the ability to tax itself and its visitors (tourists spend more dollars in Milwaukee County than any other county in Wisconsin), and both of you will get by.
But if you mess with Milwaukee, you're just slitting your own mediocre throats, since no one will want to move to a declining city OR ITS SUBURBS. Especially one with a reputation for racism and backwards, oligarch-driven policies.
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ReplyDeleteDemocrats have been doing whatever they want to Milwaukee for how many years?"
No, they haven't. Interference from the GOP in Madison has prevented that. And kept Milwaukee from being part of the urban renaissance the rest of the country has witnessed.