Saturday, April 25, 2015

No, Walker is not "pushing for higher wages for American workers"

An academic and think tank scholar has written an op-ed in The Washington Post that credits Walker with supporting new barriers to legal immigration and thereby "pushing for higher wages for American workers."

And while Walker's creation of a pro-worker campaign plank might be bogus, the author also adds:

When was the last time you heard a GOP presidential nominee talk about raising the incomes of American workers in a way that did not mention tax cuts?
Oh, brother. I could see this coming a few days ago.

I think the op-ed writer wanted to write something provocative that tied together reflexive Republicans' trickle-down tax policies with their everyday, anti-immigration xenophobia, but ignoring Walker's known anti-worker track record undermines the op-ed's premise and ends up giving Walker way too much credit-by-omission.

The record shows that Walker is no friend of labor, nor is he some kind of stealth GOP populist.


Remember that little game Walker played when he went to Washington, DC shortly after his election and claimed to be a "progressive?"

Some progressive. Unmasked by then-Cong. Dennis Kucinich.


Walker has reduced corporate and high-earners' taxes, fed huge loans, grants and tax credits to favored businesses through a flawed new state development corporation and cut public workers take-home pay while capping their future raises at 1% annually through Act 10 which he dropped on workers without warning.

Walker does not believe in the minimum wage, so has steadfastly blocked any increase above Wisconsin's bottom-of-the-barrel $7.25/hr. rate, just signed a 'right-to-work' wage-depressing law covering all private sector unionized workers, and is all but certain to sign an emerging bill that will throw out Wisconsin's "prevailing wage" law and the family supporting pay it provides for workers on major projects.

Nor did the op-ed  mention that virtually all the jobs created during Walker's first-term - - 100,000 fewer than promised - - have been concentrated in low-wage categories, data show, and that Wisconsin's job-creation now ranks 40th among the states.


Bottom line: Walker has done nothing to push for higher wages for workers.

He's trying in this case to be the ultra-rightist on immigration among the GOP presidential hopefuls while posing to gullible voters as a blue-collar Republican.

People need to see Walker and his manipulations for what they are.


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not only has he not pushed for higher wages, he has cut public employee wages by up to 10%, taking $1.5 billion per year in spending power out of Wisconsin's economy and putting it into the hands of corporations. These corporations in turn contribute to his campaign fund. He is engaging in money laundering and no one is holding him accountable.

Jake formerly of the LP said...

Not only 40th in job growth, but 42nd in wage growth. And that's before they passed (right-to) work-for-less legislation.


If there's one constant in Walker's career, it's that he favors things which suppress wages for everyone other than his campaign donators. The cynicism that it takes to say he now wants to "protect" wages is breathtaking, and a sign of how dumb the average right-winger must be if they're buying this absurd take

Anonymous said...

WashPo publishing pro-Walker propaganda?!?!?! I'm just SHOCKED!

At this moment, jsonline features FIVE pro-Walker propaganda pieces prominently on their web:

Walker says path to presidency ‘comes through Midwest

Taxpayers won't pay for Walker security detail travel costs

VIDEO: The importance of Walker's faith

In Iowa, Scott Walker raps John Doe-connected raids

What WashPo publishes should be the least of our concerns. The Mighty Wurlitzer in Wisconsin is the inspiration for all other pro-Walker propaganda published across America now and no one more shamelessly promotes Scott Walker and his many failures than Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Anonymous said...

The only folks doin' "pushing" are his media stenographers lead by jsonline. Unbelievably, even by the low bar they set for pro-Walker propaganda, THEY HAVE 5 DISHONEST STORIES PROMOTING WALKER AT THE TOP OF THEIR WEBSITE RIGHT NOW!

Walker says path to presidency ‘comes through Midwest’

In Iowa, Walker raps John Doe-connected raids on supporters

On campaign trail, Walker sheds light on influence of faith

Taxpayers won't pay for Walker security detail travel costs

VIDEO: The importance of Walker's faith

Propaganda works, the media catapulted Walker into the Governor's office and can/will fraudulently hoist him into the White House in 2016.