Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Let freedom ring. Also special interest Ka-ching!

Freedom's not just another word for nothing else to loose: it's the trope Republicans haul out these days when they are serving their favorite special interests, or selfish interests, or both.

Assembly Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature are doing their best imitation of the US House Freedom Caucus, as they have on their plate today at the State Capitol in Madison the permanent giveaway of public groundwater to various big businesses, and also announced Tuesday their preparation of a plan to perhaps raise some taxes but offset that potential heresy with cuts to non-transportation programs to finance even more highway funding than career big-highways' over-spender GOP Gov. Walker had proposed in his budget.

Which is all a) bad news for plenty of Wisconsinites because in these big plans schemed out by so-called small government devotees with the biggest jobs there, it's everyday people with the least political power and fewest spare dollars for campaign donations to the ruling party that always get the shaft... but b) good news for Big Ag and Big Dairy and especially the road-builders, another well-heeled group that GOP Assembly Speaker Robin Vos
will need when he's finally free to run for Governor.Picture of Representative Robin Vos

If it were up to the US House GOP Freedom caucus, you should be free from any requirement to participate in guvmint health insurance plan or contribute to its shared costs so we live in a healthier society - - and in that GOP world you'd also be free to fix your kid's broken leg or that abdominal hernia that's been bugging you with whatever power tools and duct tape you've got handy just those kinds of emergencies.

The Wisconsin Assembly version's will make sure people who live near big feedlots are free to pick whatever brand of bottled water they want to replace that brown stuff that comes out of their kitchen faucets, while their city friends are free to pick the walking shoes which suits their fancies after more 'transportation' dollars are rerouted away from already-starved bus systems.

Because, you know, you're always free to buy a car.

No comments: