Wednesday, July 8, 2015

GOP frequent flyers ground the WI public's business

[Updated] Nice Mary Spicuzza item at jsonline.com explaining that State Senate scheduling maneuvers on the $72+ billion budget document that I think is the state's most expensive and controversial such package,were tied to a family vacation in Mexico that GOP State Sen. Frank Lasee would not reschedule.

(If there were bigger budgets, please correct me, but either way, how do WI GOP fiscal conservatives and alleged Big Government haters justify that?)

The Senate passed the budget yesterday with a one-vote margin.

Of course, the Walker budget's long-drawn out approval in the Senate and its month-long+ stall in the GOP-controlled Joint Finance Committee had more to do with all the "crap" Walker loaded into it as did also his party's last-minute and deeply controversial Motion 999 trickery, the prevailing-wage servitude to the WMC which slowed things down, the GOP's inability to approve Walker's plan for a new NBA arena, a battle over how much new debt to take on to build more highway lanes rather than fix the state's deteriorating roads, and other self-inflicted delays.

The next out-of-state itinerary which will ripple back through state political agendas, and public business priorities and needs in Wisconsin, is Walker's upcoming six-day, four-state presidential announcement tour, ending with a three-day excursion across Iowa after his July 13th declaration in Waukesha - - where else - - to let every corn stalk there know he's running for President and away from Wisconsin.

What's he leaving behind, besides a clear statement of responsibility and regret for pushing the Open Records law destruction?

Only the broad fallout from his budget in cities, smaller communities, on campuses and beyond.

And gun violence in Milwaukee, the incomplete arena deal, Waukesha's proposed diversion of Great Lakes water, the plight of thousands of low-income residents without the federally-funded Medicaid coverages he rejected, and the everyday obligations of a state's chief executive.

His absences from the state could have elevated GOP Assembly Speaker Robin Vos's influence and profile, but his self-inflicted wound-by-association with his party's scheme to blow up the Open Records law will leave an indelible taint.


3 comments:

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

(If there were bigger budgets, please correct me, but either way, how do WI GOP fiscal conservatives and alleged Big Government haters justify that?)

same way as always: IOKIYAR.

Anonymous said...

I wonder who paid for that trip?

Anonymous said...

Scott Walker is a grifter. He is the smarter version of Sarah Palin. He duped the conservatives in this state to carry his water. His self serving agenda becomes more clear every day. He trashes Wisconsin to make points with the base. He has gone hard right and is "all in" on Iowa. If he wins, more grifting and the money keeps coming. he loses, oh well we are stuck with his lies and corruption as long as he want to be Governor. Sad. No wonder people are leaving the state in droves.