Leon D. Young
This week the State Assembly began deliberations on Scott Walker’s 2011-13 biennial budget. A document that is so draconian and horrendous in its content that it’s almost impossible to quantify the full magnitude of its severity — especially for Milwaukee.
As we are well aware, once the governor introduces his 2-year budget plan to the Legislature, the Joint Committee on Finance has the “first kick at the cat,” in terms of modifying the governor’s recommendations before it is reported out to the respective Houses (Senate and Assembly). Generally speaking, the Joint Finance version of the budget will usually make substantial changes that actually improve the bill. However, this was not the case in this instance and, in many respects, the committee further exacerbated an already dire budget scenario.
United in the mantra that “the state is broke,” the Republican- controlled Finance Committee (12 Republican, 4 Democrats) set about its business of taking Milwaukee , and a large portion of the state, to the proverbial woodshed. Some of the major “lowlights” advanced by the committee include: Cut funding for public schools by $1.6 billion statewide; the lion share coming from MPS.
- Cut $500 million from Medicaid programs (BadgerCare and Family Care).
- Cut funding for the Earned Income tax Credit program by $56.2 million for low-wage workers with children.
- Reduces state aid by $250 million over the biennium to UW System schools.
- Reduces funding to local governments by $76.8 million that will force local communities to cut services.
- Cut funding for road aids to local governments by $48 million.
- Increases property taxes on seniors and working families by $14 million by reducing the Homestead Tax Credit affecting 247,000 homeowners and renters. Naturally, voter opposition and dissatisfaction with this budget continues to grow. In fact, a sizeable number of taxpayers have literally pitched tents on the sidewalks across the streets that surround the State Capitol. This growing encampment has been mockingly dubbed “Walkerville.”
This time around Walker and his band of goons plan to be prepared for the impending budget fallout. Capitol access continues to be restricted to just two entrances for the general public. Moreover, the ranks of law enforcement (Capitol Police, State Troopers and DNA Rangers) patrolling the Capitol continues to swell – as the Capitol, once again, takes on the appearance of a police enclave.
This is the new face of “democracy” under Scott Walker.