Political Heat

Latest quarterly report the second slowest year of WI's recovery (even slower than Doyle's last year) The Department of Workforce Development has released details about the latest quarterly jobs report due to be released nationally in December. Since the time of Scott Walker’s recall, the DWD has released the quarterly reports a month early. The numbers for this report – which counts the number of jobs created between June 2013 and June 2014 – shows that more than 35,000 jobs were created during that yearlong period. The DWD is quick to paint a rosy picture about the numbers, with Department Sec. Reggie Newson stating, “The latest quarterly data further demonstrate Governor Walker's comprehensive strategies and targeted investments are creating jobs and growing Wisconsin's economy.” When compared to the previous year, in which less than 28,000 jobs were created, it does indeed seem like a stark improvement, worthy of praise that the DWD is handing out. When ...

Gov. Walker called agency requests a budget shortfall when it came from Doyle Is it fair to call the $2.2 billion in budget requests a “budget shortfall?” These are, after all, simply requests from the various agencies in state government. Department of Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch was quick to say so in his department’s report (PDF) detailing the requests, which states unequivocally that the “assumption that ALL agency budget requests will be funded” is “flawed.” Calling these new $2.2 billion budget requests a shortfall, then, is a bit of a stretch. But that doesn’t mean that these budget requests aren’t alarming. Indeed, alarmist behavior is how Gov. Scott Walker reacted when there were similar requests before he took office. As pointed out by WisPolitics.com , this “method” for these budget requests “was also the foundation for the $3.6 billion deficit” claim that Walker has consistently made on campaigns and other self-promotion tours across the country. To ch...

Governor confuses Chinese proverb and Christ's message of compassion Scott Walker opposes expanding Medicaid and BadgerCare because it contradicts his understanding of the Bible. “My reading of the Bible finds plenty of reminders that it’s better to teach someone to fish than to give them fish if they’re able. … Caring for the poor isn’t the same as taking money from the federal government to lock more people into Medicaid,” Walker said. Oddly enough, the quotation Walker references above never actually appears in the Bible. It's a Chinese proverb . If we want to be clear on Jesus's position on handing out fish to the poor, we can look to the book of Matthew for guidance, where He literally hands out fish to the poor : When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.  As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the ...

Political payback evident following tumultuous election year Robin Vos has essentially suggested that political blacklisting is back -- and acceptable -- in Wisconsin. Conjuring the spirit of Senator Joseph McCarthy, Vos, who was re-elected to serve as Assembly Speaker this week, suggested that the political ties of Milwaukee Bucks owners could influence the state's decision to help fund a new arena. Bucks co owner Marc Lasry greeted President Barack Obama when he came to campaign on behalf of Mary Burke. "If you are looking for people to support [the Bucks] you certainly don't want to poke people in the eye," Vos said on Sunday. Read another way, Vos is essentially saying, "Support our cause, stay out of our way, or suffer the consequences." We've seen pay-to-play and other forms of cronyism in the past four years from Wisconsin Republicans. Now we are seeing firsthand open political payback against those whose opinions differ fro...

A quick thought on the Assembly Speaker's reluctance to help the Bucks (based on the owners' liberalism)

Redistricting reform, blended proportional representation and a citizens veto would encourage greater democratic involvement In 2009 Time Magazine declared the Republican Party an endangered species . You’d never know it given last week’s midterm results, but pundits and political insiders were questioning, just as they are now with the Democrats, whether conservative lawmakers would ever be relevant again. The GOP suffered huge losses in 2008. But they had a game plan, a strategy to help them recover. They stuck to it, digging their heels in and eventually took back control both houses of Congress. Wisconsin, too, was a Democratic state in 2009. But now we’re under full Republican control as well. How can progressives come back? What will it take? The people of Wisconsin obviously want change . So Democrats should deliver, bringing about real change for the better. They should become the party of reform , coming to office on the platform of bringing stronger “small-d” democr...

Messaging (too much of it negative) was a big problem this election year Scott Walker shouldn't have won reelection . On the main issues, more Wisconsinites supported his opponent's policies over his own: A majority of Wisconsin citizens support raising the minimum wage . Walker does not. A majority support accepting federal Medicaid funds to expand BadgerCare . Walker said no to that. Most Wisconsinites want to increase funding to public schools . Walker cut funding and gave taxpayer dollars to private schools. So why did Mary Burke lose? The Walker campaign made Burke into a monster. They successfully convinced a majority in the state that she would be a terrible leader, through unsubstantiated rumors and innuendos. Burke did her best to combat that characterization, but it wasn't enough. The conversation, no matter how hard she tried, couldn't be steered a different way. That wasn't the only problem, however. The messaging in favor of Burk...