It is unfortunate Tony Evers isn't expanding his lead against Scott Walker. Scott Walker clearly caters to cronies. He is owned by Koch industries and to that reality is the ugly campaign waged a few years ago whereby Koch was able to place their preferred candidates in a race in Iron County with the endorsement of Scott Walker.
March 21, 2014
By Steven Verburg
...Perhaps (click here) more surprised than anyone was one mine booster, labeled “radical,” who appeared aside Gov. Scott Walker at the state Capitol to tout the mine.
At stake is a 15-member County Board that could make monetary and other demands of Gogebic Taconite, which is already deep into a sometimes combative state permitting process over its proposal for a huge iron mine that promises jobs while inspiring worries about environmental degradation....
These people were not interested in the health of the community or the miners that would be hired to work in this enormous mine, so why was there an issue in the first place? Because Scott Walker didn't care either. They wanted the mine to be open and producing profits ASAP.
Do Wisconsin voters remember this level of corruption in their state? Just because it isn't in the backyard of their homes doesn't mean this can be swept under the carpet. There is no forgetting this intrusion into a town's governance. It was a take over by Koch Industries to begin their profiteering.
Wisconsin should have Tony Evers in the Governor's office to clean up whatever corruption accumulated under Scott Walker, who didn't care about BIDS for mines, but, simply assigned his cronies to their demands.
You'll excuse me but the people of Iron County never approached the topic of opening mines, never set standards for those that would operate the mines or were allowed BIDS to the extent of knowing the health and well being of workers, the amount of minerals extracted every year under A CONTRACT and to what percentage of the sales of the minerals would go to Iron County and the State. Walker never respected the citizens of Iron County to let them decide the future of their land nor did he complain when the Koch's brought dense corruption to their local election process.
This matters. Scot Walker forced the Koch's election blitz in 2014 down the throats of the Iron County voters. That is unheard of in most states in the country. That is corruption and about as nasty as it comes.
In so many of his pictures he looks like a kid himself.
By Tom McCarthy
Madison — As required by state statute (click here) on or by Oct. 15 of each year, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has provided the certified amount each public school district will receive from the $4.656 billion appropriated for general state aid for the 2018-19 school year. This amounts to a $72.75 million (1.6 percent) increase in state general aids compared to last year.
General aid is made up of equalization aid also known as the school aid formula, integration aid also known as Chapter 220 aid, and special adjustment aid also known as hold harmless aid. Fifty-three districts met the aid formula’s hold harmless provision, meaning their aid reduction is generally limited to 15 percent of the prior year’s amount....
Equality for Tony Evers has no exceptions. He is a champion for all minorities in the State of Wisconsin.
By Ianthe Metzger
...“HRC is proud to endorse Tony Evers for Governor of Wisconsin,” (click here) said HRC (Human Rights Campaign) Wisconsin State Director Wendy Strout. “After seven years of Scott Walker’s attacks on our community, it’s more important than ever we elect a pro-equality governor who will fight day in and day out to uphold the Wisconsin values of fairness, justice and equality. Superintendent Evers has been a tireless ally for LGBTQ Wisconsinites, and he will be a vital voice for the community and all Wisconsinites in the Governor’s mansion. We look forward to mobilizing Wisconsin’s 560,000 Equality Voters this November and working with him to move equality forward across the Badger State.”
“As a longtime champion of LGBTQ equality, I am proud to accept the endorsement of the Human Rights Campaign,” said Evers. “Here in Wisconsin, we've watched the LGBTQ community come under attack for the last seven years, and seen all the progress we've made toward equality threatened. I promise to continue to be a strong ally and advocate for LGBTQ rights as Governor, and will make sure that we protect the gains we've made for the LGBTQ community In Wisconsin and push to secure full equality for everyone in our state.”...
Hatred of "the other" is not allowed in Wisconsin anymore. Scott Walker sees no end to discrimination of any minority in the state. He is strongly anti-LGBTQ. Why? Hatred. Simply, pure hatred. It could be about imposing religious beliefs ahead of the USA Constitution, but, that is so inappropriate it has no place in conversation.
There are transgender children all across the USA that need the same education of those that don't face the challenges these children face. Tony Evers founded equality in education in Wisconsin and as a Governor he will be able to do so much more for any minority voter in the state.
Tony Evers is an accomplished administrator in one of the most demanding jobs in the country and that is education. Wisconsin needs him as Governor.
Last, but, not least Wisconsin voters know Scott Walker has been cheating on his budget. The job growth in Wisconsin since Walker took office is abysmal. I guess depriving job seekers a good paying job is one way to defeat unions.
Scott Walker owned this mess. It was only when legislators like Melissa Sargent went to work on building hope in growing jobs that the Walker downward curve changed.
...As I reflect on heart-to-heart conversations (click here) I have had with the people of our neighborhoods, as well as the thousands of letters and e-mails that I have received, it is clear that as Wisconsinites we value health care for all, quality public education at all levels, protecting our natural resources, and a fair and balanced tax system. These values are what makes Wisconsin great and our community thrive. Not only does this budget fail our progressive values, it is so extreme that it received bipartisan opposition in part because there is an increases our property taxes, and it also creates a half billion dollar structural deficit.
I am more resolved than ever to travel through the 48 Assembly District, and across Wisconsin, to discuss what the real values are of the people of Wisconsin
and how we move our great state forward. If there is anything you would like to have included in future updates, please do not hesitate to contact my office.
In the last two months, Wisconsin's unemployment rate had inched up and places like Janesville is wondering why.
Moody's Wisconsin Ratings (click here) Wisconsin does not have a Moody's Aaa rating. It just doesn't. There are cities going into debt across Wisconsin and their ratings are dropped to Aa3.
Previous administrations in Wisconsin maintained a AA credit rating. Under Wisconsin the rating fell to Aa1 and fluctuates between that and Aa2 with some cities seeing Aa3 ratings. The Aa1 ratings are usually assigned to specific bond issues, while the Aa2 rating is held for Wisconsin's general budget. That might explain why Wisconsin is paying high debt costs on it's infrastructure.
June 11, 2018
By Tom Kertscher
...Roys: (click here) I think we’re seeing the effects of putting things on the credit card when it comes to our roads. Now we’re spending twice as much on debt service for just basic road repair and maintenance --
Walters: -- 22 or 23 percent.
Roys: Right. And I think when he (Walker) came in, it was something like 10 or 11 percent....
...To look at what’s happened during Walker’s tenure, we use as a base the 2010-’11 state fiscal year -- the second year of the final state budget under under his Doyle:
State budget year
|
Amount of transportation debt payments
|
Debt payments as a percentage of transportation revenue
|
|---|---|---|
2010-’11: Final budget year under Doyle
|
$197.2 million
|
11.5%
|
*2017-’18: Current budget year
|
$380.2 million
|
20%
|
*2018-’19: Starts July 1, 2018
|
$398.4 million
|
20.9%
|
Doubling would be 23 percent, so 20.9 percent is pretty close.
But it’s worth noting that the figures for 2017-18 and 2018-’19 are estimates, though they are based on the 2017-’19 state budget and are not expected to change much....
