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Thursday, February 13, 2014

Scott Walker, Paul Ryan, Dumb Ron Johnson put "health of state" over "well-being of people." It's that simple, and wrong.

If you’re like me, the purely ideological obsession to “balance the budget” and cut government down to size, no matter what, never sounded right.

What makes cutting Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps and other safety net programs created to solve societal problems suddenly okay, when the problems still persist?  

It just didn't seem right.

The following may be that ah-ha moment for you. It was for me.  
The American Spectator ran an article called “Wisconsin Thrives Under Scott Walker“ … the state is boasting a $911 million surplus, credited to “good stewardship of the taxpayers’ money.” I find these articles revealing because they show how the Tea Party mindset has affected the definition of success in Republican circles generally. Why has Scott Walker been a success in their view?

Because Wisconsin’s state government is financially healthy.

The actual people of Wisconsin take a back seat to that. A friend of mine in Indiana summed up the mindset when she noted that many people today equate the financial health of government with the well-being of the people in the state. This I think is the Tea Party mindset writ large.

As I’ve noted before, under Tea Party influence, Republicans have come to see government as purely a fiscal machine in which nearly the entirety of good policy consists in reducing the amount of money flowing through it. This is rooted in a single factor determinism view of economics. The fiscal health of government is no doubt important. But to determine if Wisconsin is actually “thriving” you need to look at statistics that actually affect people. So let’s do that. Scott Walker took office in January 2011. So above is the percentage change in jobs in Midwest states between December 2010 and December 2013 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 
I actually support many of Scott Walker’s reforms. What I object to is declaring victory when the budget is balanced. Big deal. You’re supposed to balance the budget. That’s just doing your job. 

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2 comments:

  1. Grung_e_GeneFebruary 13, 2014 at 6:45 PM

    It would be great to put to rest the lie that Republicans want smaller government. Rand Paul, Ron Johnson, Bob Corker and other Republicans have no problem with State Governments having a tyrannical hold on people and using the power of the State to oppress Americans.

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  2. netminnowFebruary 25, 2014 at 6:07 AM

    We can put to rest the lie Tea Party Republicans want smaller, less intrusive government by a single issue. State sanctioned rape has become legal in Wisconsin because Scott Walker did not veto the act that requires a medically unnecessary ultra-sound procedure before the Constitutionally protected right to receive medical care from a physician;treatment known as an elective abortion.

    Anybody that supports that is not about less government but is ALL about a twisted, sick desire for power at all costs. Our semi-retirement plan now consists of one thought: GTFOO this state. Our college-degreed children have left or plan on moving elsewhere upon graduation. In the meantime, we're here under duress. People with options are leaving the state in droves. That's part of what's driving the alleged skills shortage. It's not that the people with skillsets don't exist, it's that they've left for better pay,social and work conditions in other states, like Minnesota.

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