Politics of Resentment: Republican Lessons on How-to-do-Nothing for educations and Gun deaths!!!

Wait a minute, Republicans are now outrage that school proficiency is down statewide? But they were in control of public education for the last 8 years, and tried to take power away from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction? 

They do know this was all under their watch, right? 

I once suggested here that the best Democratic strategy against Republicans would be to ignore them completely and do their own thing like the GOP didn't exist. Yea, it's still good advice, but there's one more thing...

...don't take them seriously either, and make that perfectly clear in public statements.

Public education in the state has a lot to brag about:

Carolyn Stanford Taylor

State Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor “While we have some of the highest graduation rates, ACT scores and advanced placement participation in the country, we have yet to fully reconcile that success with the deep, persistent gaps in achievement, access and opportunity that exist for far too many of Wisconsin’s children.”

We're talking about areas of high poverty. Republicans never cared much for poverty, so instead of tackling that problem, they brag about low unemployment and huge tax cuts till our ears bleed.

Republicans apparently want to continue ignoring economically depressed areas affecting student outcomes, solving teacher retention in urban and rural areas, rural school closings, rural long distance busing to nearby schools, funding that doesn't have to rely on referendums, updating or replacing crumbling schools, legislative political meddling in curriculum, and sending money to choice schools with half the proficiency of the public schools they're now outraged about.  

Education Scores Down as Expected, Republicans are now giving up! Not Kidding: Yesterdays amazing comments were telling; Republicans are also telling us we have to wait until we find a magical solution first before they will do anything:

Some Republican lawmakers criticized the decline in proficiency in light of increased funding for schools in recent state budgets.“With the repeated increases in funding for K-12 education, taxpayers deserve to know why we’re not seeing better results,” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said.

Uh, funding cuts for 7 years? So throw it all out, do nothing, ignore massive poverty, and wait for a magical solution:

Thiesfeldt

Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt, R-Fond du Lac, (said) “This is proof of what we already know — more money is not always the best solution and it’s rarely the only solution. We need to re-evaluate our approach and abandon failed methods, particularly in reading instruction.”

Note: The only people saying "money is the only solution" are Republicans. It's an old ploy that makes doing nothing seem like a solution.

How we got here...?

1. Scott Walker's Republican legacy includes the second biggest cuts to public education in the U.S. and the vilification of teachers through Act 10, so...

2. ...it came as no surprise that experienced teachers retired en mass and the profession continues to see a teacher exodus, which brought about...

3. ...Walker's last ditch effort to save his job with a little back-fill of dollars in public funding, but by then the damage was done. 

Guns, Guns, Guns: Isn't it time conservative voters say "enough is enough?"  Obviously our system of arming citizens is fatally flawed. Will such simpleton statements from the party's legislative leaders really get a pass from frustrated voters overwhelmingly supporting gun measures that poll through the roof?

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, said in a joint statement they "believe this legislation poses threats to due process and the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens."

Nope, they're lying, playing up to the myth Democrats want to repeal the 2nd Amendment. Does this sound like "due process" is being threatened since the legal system and judicial branch is involved?

Under the “red flag” bill, a family member, household member or police officer could petition the court to prevent an individual from possessing a gun. The court could then issue a temporary restraining order and injunction if it’s found the person is likely to injure themselves or someone else. That injunction would be effective for up to one year.

One more word on doing away with the 2nd Amendment. Of course that would be impossible to do...unless someone (Scott Walker) opens that door by calling for a Constitutional Congress, and Democrats are able to institute a rewrite with a safer and more up-to-date version. Ironically, Walker is doing just that. He assumes all the right-wings proposed changes would find a super majority support by the states. Bring it on Scotty.