Scott Walker Immigration/Dairy Farmers/Cheese/Tariff War contradictions catch up to him...

For the first time in a long time, the actual media picked on a major subtly and contradiction Scott Walker has been successfully using for years. It was right there in the first two paragraphs of a Wisconsin State Journal article by Matthew DeFour:

Gov. Scott Walker has refused twice in as many weeks to comment on President Donald Trump’s recent immigration pronouncements, saying both times they are a federal issue.

In plenty of other cases the governor has commented on national matters, including Monday when he took issue with Trump on tariffs and in April when he praised Trump’s border policies.

It also looks like Walker really had no plans to help Wisconsin's huge dairy industry now suffering from tariffs and immigrant labor shortages. Even this might wake a few Walker supporters up:

“Obviously, tariffs we just talked about are a federal issue, but they directly impact the businesses in the state of Wisconsin,” Walker said.

When it was pointed out that immigrant labor has a major impact on the state’s dairy industry and Walker’s own re-election campaign has used the deployment of Wisconsin National Guard troops to the border in online ads, Walker continued to resist taking a position on immigration.

“I’ve got my hands full with things here in Wisconsin,” Walker said. “I could comment on every single thing in the federal government and it might be good for the media for stories, but that’s not what I’m elected to do.”

Check out this story about the 2nd Annual Wisconsin Cheese day event featuring Scott Walker, who again, can't or won't connect the dots between immigration, dairy, and cheese:



How over-the-line is Walker on immigration?

Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan tweeted last week after ordering four Maryland National Guard members and their helicopter away from the border: “Immigration enforcement efforts should focus on criminals, not separating innocent children from their families.”

Scott Walker missed the whole moral compass thing when he became a "career politician," plowing ahead relentlessly instituting strick ideologically driven political theory while never understanding complicated common sense real-world solutions. It was an ends-justify-the-means divide and conquer strategy that worked, playing off resentment, envy, freeloading, and race. His political infestation continues with his taxpayer raised sons who have also learned how to freeload off our political system.

Walker targets workers in Chicago and elsewhere, bypassing hard hit Milwaukee, Racine and rest of State.

Scott Walker has washed his hands of every out of work Wisconsinite, giving up on them (too much work I guess) while seeking an outside labor force from Illinois. Wow, what an idea; take the easy way out after trashing public education, without ever lifting a figure to train, retrain, or coordinate employers with schools to encourage apprenticeship programs statewide. Oh, and with low unemployment, we're going to need an Illinois Foxconn workforce that bypasses the struggling Milwaukee/Racine jobless. 

Gov. Scott Walker’s announcement of a $6.8 million marketing and advertising campaign aimed at Midwestern millennials, returning military veterans and alumni of the state’s public and private colleges … promote the state’s industry mix, recreation, education, arts, health care.

Walker has had only one agenda; push a manufacturing renaissance and not an “industry mix.” Just as bad, he's defunded state parks and deregulated hunting (“recreation”), cut “education” especially the “arts,” and opposes a right to “health care.”

Big Corporate Special Interest Panics Walker: Oops, it'll be interesting to see how Walker spins his concentrated jobs effort in southeastern Wisconsin to all those resentful "forgotten" rural Republican voters who appear to have drawn the short straw again:

"Walker says German candy-maker Haribo was concerned about its ability to find workers for its planned Wisconsin gummy bear factory that will employ 400 people in Pleasant Prairie after news broke that Foxconn Technology Group was building a massive facility nearby. Walker met with company officials to calm their fears. Foxconn plans to employ between 3,000 and 13,000 workers 13 miles away in Mount Pleasant."

"Cheesy Image of State Needs an Update?" In the paper edition of the Wisconsin State Journal, this brutally honest headline (changed and softened online) exposes the Republicans unabashedly elitist view that the states major nationally known industries are an embarrassment that we need to run from:

Remember, our corporate whiny elitist snobs want to change our state license plate logo from Americas Dairyland to something generic or perhaps Walker's latest tourist roadside attraction:

After changing the online headline from an insult to "Fighting misperceptions about Wisconsin in the hunt for workers," right-wing business columnist and "wordsmith" Tom Still failed miserably to frame the GOP's distaste for Wisconsin image of cheese and farmers. Sounding whiny, petty and outright elitist...:  

It’s no secret that Wisconsin is a secret when it comes to most things other than cheese, farms and the Green Bay Packers. That branding dilemma…Job diversity means choosing between careers in curds, Colby or Cheddar.

The combination of a looming worker deficit and the impending arrival of high-tech manufacturers such as Foxconn has created a moment in which Wisconsin must finally get serious about attracting more people and selling itself as a well-rounded place to live, work and play.

Wisconsinites Moving Out: Never mind that Republicans have trashed the liberal out-of-touch science tech jobs leader Dane County and those elitist tech researchers at the University of Wisconsin. With no increase in the minimum wage and right-to-make-less labor laws...

WSJ: Despite a new report showing Wisconsin has the fastest-shrinking middle class in the U.S., the Gov. Scott Walker administration says the state is headed in the right direction.

March 24, 2015: Wisconsin ranks worst among the 50 states in terms of a shrinking middle class, with real median household incomes here falling 14.7 percent since 2000, according to a new report. The Pew Charitable Trust report showed Wisconsin with the largest decline in the percentage of families considered "middle class."

A declining population, particularly when residents are moving out of state, often can be traced to a lack of job opportunities or a low quality of life. Between 2010 and 2015, 14,210 more people moved out of the state than moved in, equivalent to a net population loss of 0.2% over that time. Wisconsin is one of just 14 states with a net negative migration over the last five years.

Even more incredible, after Walker just appeared in a campaign ad supporting Ill. Gov. Rauner's reelection effort, our backstabbing governor is begging Chicagoans to move to Wisconsin. No really, this is nuts: 

Reach out to Millennials in Chicago and nearby on the theory that they’re reaching an age in which starting a family and leading a more balanced life is better than living in a tiny apartment and fighting rush-hour traffic. 

For example, multimedia ads would pose illustrated choices such as:

1. “An hour in traffic … or an hour with friends?”

2. “One-hour commute … or one-hour bike ride?” (MY GOD, Walker passed a "provision that prohibits local jurisdictions and the state DOT from condemning property to 'establish or extend' recreational trails, bicycle commuter paths, bike lanes or sidewalks.")

3. “Shoebox on the third floor … or loft in the Third Ward?”

Of course, Tom Still couldn't help but bash the state's reputation one more time, while ignoring Walker's admitted "divide and conquer" agenda where he once praised the statewide partisan anger pitting neighbor against neighbor as a healthy debate:

A point yet to be addressed is how to overcome a belief, which surfaced in the 2015 perception survey, that Wisconsin isn’t very tolerant. Part of persuading people to relocate is assuring them they won’t become strangers in a new land ... maybe this time the state will recognize it must cut a big block of cheese if it hopes to attract and retain tomorrow’s workers.

Republicans try to take “Cheddar” off Dairy State Tables!

Republican Rep. Rob Brooks has apparently never shopped for cheddar cheese. I have, and it's clear he's clueless. He would know that “sharp” cheddar cheese IS the real thing, and the most flavorful authentic choice for the smart shopper. He would also know that many times, “sharp” isn't always that sharp, despite its label. But it beats out the buttery mild and medium cheddar options. 

So Brooks is really gutting the true flavor and essence of our state symbol for a 20 to 30 cents per pound savings in FoodShare.

Brooks' bill is as bad as Republican State Rep. Dale Kooyenga’s brilliant bill to repeal the law that guarantees butter on every restaurant table in the dairy state. Yes, he really did attack Wisconsin butter. 

Farmers and dairy industry supporters of the GOP were also appalled at this nanny state madness from our Big Government Republicans. Let’s face it, the tired old “stop abuse” “restore integrity” and “get back to the original purpose” excuses just don't cut it anymore.

Just as bad, Brooks is basing his bill on hearsay and anecdotal tales from the checkout line. Those tired old mythical stories where the extravagant poor buy “crab, lobster, shrimp or any other variety of shellfish.” Cap Times:

Rep. Rob Brooks, R-Saukville, cited "anecdotal and perceived abuses," adding that his bill is designed to target abuse, not fraud. "My intent is not to stigmatize, not to shame anyone."

Not fooling anyone, Democrats pointed out the absurdity of this bill:

Rep. Evan Goyke, D-Milwaukee, held a platter of four Wisconsin cheeses. All four were cheddar. One was shredded and three were in block form. Three displayed flags that said "GOP Prohibited." One flag said "GOP Approved." The approved cheese was a block of mild cheddar. Two sharp cheddars — one shredded and one block — were not approved. One mild cheddar was not approved because it was too large, Goyke said.

Rep. Mark Spreitzer, D-Beloit, couldn't help but point out the obvious:

"When you look at something like this cheese plate, there's no evidence of sharp cheddar fraud. People are not buying sharp cheddar in order to defraud FoodShare, and there's no nutritional difference. So if those are the stated goals, the bill is not accomplishing either."

Republicans were also quick to turn on their deep pocketed business supporters to stoke fear and envy in low information conservative votes:

A memo to lawmakers from groups including the Wisconsin Cheesemakers Association, Wisconsin Agri-Business Association, Grocery Manufacturers Association, Kwik Trip, Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers and Wisconsin State Cranberry Association says the bill would harm their businesses, "dramatically increase government power" and place checkout clerks in a difficult position.

Job killing legislation? No, really?

"Though well-intentioned, Assembly Bill 177 is a threat to both job creation in our state and our right to decide for ourselves what to put in our grocery carts," the memo reads. "…the unintended consequences of the proposal will do far more harm than good."

Republicans had no explanation for their lunacy:

"Why in the world would you bar someone from buying shredded cheese vs. a block of cheese?" Goyke asked. "Don't blame the federal government. You wrote a bill that makes a difference between shredded and non-shredded cheese, and then you come to Madison and say, 'Let's let common sense prevail.' How in the world does that make sense?"

This is all symbolic clap trap anyway, but it is a reminder why "block grants," with no federal strings, is on the republican agenda. This is what they want to do on state-by-state level:

No state has received such a waiver … to impose restrictions on food purchases.

I thought this post summed it up well at the Political Environment:

About new WI GOP rules for food stamp recipients: Let's have legislators be drug-tested before they can receive their $44-$88 tax-free daily meal, lodging and housing payments and make sure they are only buying healthy meals with public, entitlement payments.

I put together just a few pages of the complicated upside down nanny state regulations no one in their right mind could keep track of. I mean really, no ketchup?

Wisconsin Cheese gets Democratic Action from Baldwin and Kind, but nothing from Republican Congressmen Ryan, Duffy, Sensenbrenner, Ribble, and Petri!!!

A farmers best friend? Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin and Rep. Ron Kind.

In yet another example of getting stiffed by the GOP. Farmers who typically vote Republican aren't getting any help from their rural lawmakers in D.C. over the future of aged cheeses in their state and from around the world. It’s no surprise though, since my conservative friend in Milwaukee is absolutely beside himself over the imperial presidency, Benghazi, Bergdahl and ObamaCare. Those are real issues Americans are more concerned with.

Cheese Aged on Wood needs defending. And missing in action is Dumb Ron Johnson, Rep. Ryan, Ribble, Sensenbrenner, Duffy, and Petri. What do rural farmers see in these farm bill delaying freeloaders?

The Cheese/Wood FDA Threat, WSJ: 

Wooden boards, which have been an integral part of aging cheeses, were called unsanitary by an FDA official. The future of many cheese operations in Wisconsin and elsewhere and the unique tastes of popular cheeses like aged cheddar and Parmesan are hanging in the balance.

One problem; "Cheese-making is a long and involved process that makes use of bacteria, enzymes and naturally formed acids to solidify milk proteins and fat and preserve ..."

Dangerous?

Marianne Smukowski of the UW-Madison Center of Dairy Research. “And none have been traced back to aging cheese on wood boards.” 

Baldwin and Kind: Democrats continue to pay attention to the job of governing and problem solving: 

According to John Umhoefer, the executive director of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association. “This is not a fad. This is the way that it’s done,” he said. He added that U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, R-La Crosse, already has contacted him to express his concern and support for the cheese producers. Umhoefer said cheese producers from around the world are concerned because the FDA ruling also will limit all cheese imported into the United States.

Chris Roelli, owner of the Roelli Cheese Haus in Shullsburg said that representatives from the office of Sen. Tammy Baldwin contacted him ... (he) uses wooden boards to age 85 percent of its cheeses. Roelli said. “The political powers should get behind us because it’s so important to the state’s dairy industry, which is a very powerful industry in this state with the jobs and the economic impact it has. This is very serious stuff.”

State Republicans wage War on Wisconsin Identity, Expensive Junk Food!!!

Remember when Republican State Rep. Dale Kooyenga wanted to clean up state statutes by removing the requirement that dairy state restaurants always provide butter with or without a serving of margarine. What's that all about?

Republican state Rep. Dale Kooyenga, a 32-year-old accountant from Brookfield wants to undo law he calls silly, antiquated and anti-free market. Kooyenga argues that changing the law would save the state money since margarine is typically a third of the cost of butter.

Brilliant stuff. Another Republican, Rep. Dean Kaufert is trying to ban junk food from the food stamp program...a ban that includes a few other important dairy state products. Doh!

Members of the state affairs committee are approving a bill that limits the amount of junk food that can be purchased with food stamp benefits.

The big butt....

WMTV: "This bill does not allow for Wisconsinites who are utilizing the FoodShare program to purchase sharp cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, shredded cheese or reduced sodium cheeses," said State Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa, D-Milwaukee. "And I just want to indicate again how that hurts not just those individuals, those Wisconsinites using the FoodShare program.....but it hurts our dairy farmers."

The committee passed the bill 7-2, so it'll be heading to the full Assembly for consideration in May.

I don't know why farmers typically vote conservative when in fact, Republicans have shown time and time again that they'll stab their constituents in the back in the blink of an eye.