Friday, October 2, 2009

Walker's Budget Proposal: The Falsely Promised Land

One of the big hubbubs du jour is the part of Scott Walker's budget proposal where he wants to balance his false budget proposal, and his gubernatorial campaign on the backs of the county workers. This has opened the door for his unofficial gubernatorial campaign staff, aka CRG, to hold a election rally for him, on the pretense of supporting this phony budget.

The campaigning by CRG has alone caused a fervor. The same group that couldn't afford anything more than FunWorld during their second failed attempt to recall Governor Doyle, suddenly has enough money to buy tons of air time, make robocalls and send out tons of mailers.

In all of these advertisements, they echo Walker's false promises that this budget contains no tax levy increase. I have heard the robocall, and they also falsely claim that Walker decreases spending (he actually increases it to three years worth, thanks to the stimulus dollars he once despised and refused to go after).

Now, I haven't seen the mailers, but I have received a number of emails and phone calls from people who have. CRG is apparently trying to make Walker seem like the knight in shining armor for the downtrodden and the unemployed. If this is true, it would be hysterically ironic, since he is the region's largest cause for people to be downtrodden and unemployed.

What I do know is that every single caller and emailer wanted to know if someone is going to hold a counter-rally, and if so, when and where it would be. They told me that even though their not county workers or union members, they are finding CRG's approach to be so conniving, condescending and full of lies that they feel offended by it and want to protest Walker's budget because of it.

And, of course, Walker's budget is a lie. He is counting $42 million in savings on contract concessions, but he refuses to negotiate. If the Board doesn't hurry up and change its collective mind about it, or they fail to override the expected Walker veto, the union will probably just take this straight to arbitration. This will end up costing the County many dollars that they can't afford. Then there will have to be more lay offs, and the subsequent loss in services, or there will be higher taxes.

Another questionable piece is the money from the sale of the county grounds. It is looking increasingly doubtful that the sale will occur, or if it does, if it will be in time to help next year's budget.

The rest of it is like an illusionist's trick, where he is trying to hide what is really going on in his budget by trying to draw everyone's attention away with a few trinket.

But to answer the reader's questions, hell yeah, there will be a pro-Milwaukee County rally, held by AFSCME. From their flyer:

THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW!!

STAND UP AND BE COUNTED!

DON’T LET WALKER CONTINUE TO PLAY POLITICS WITH YOUR JOB AND THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE TO THE COMMUNITY!!

JOIN IN THE FIGHT BACK PROTEST!

OCTOBER 4, 2009

1:30 P.M.

SERB HALL

5101 W. OKLAHOMA AVE.

Oh, yeah, and some group called Milwaukee County First is also encouraging people to attend.

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