Capitol Report
By State Representative, Leon D. Young
Leon D. Young
There appears to be little doubt that Scott Walker is seriously considering a run for the White House.
At a recently held summit in Des Moines, Iowa, for GOP hopefuls, Walker began in earnest making the case for his party’s nomination.
Naturally, Walker was eager to stress his governing credentials, and cited the fact that he’s been successfully re-elected “three times in the last four years.”
(Clearly, this is something that he will repeatedly mention to voters, if he runs.)
Walker went on to gloat, “three times mind you in a state that hasn’t gone Republican for president since I was in high school more than 30 years ago, how about that?
I think that sends a powerful message to Republicans in Washington and around the country, if you are not afraid to go big and bold you can actually get results.”
But, what exactly are these big, bold results that Walker is alluding to? In 2011, Walker began his gubernatorial “reign of terror” by stripping away collective bargaining rights for state workers (Act 10).
This draconian shift in public policy nearly brought the state to a standstill, culminating in recall elections for the several state senators and Walker.
As Walker begins his second term, it appears that we can expect more of the same from this administration.
Rather than proposing ways to expand job creation, Walker is advancing measures to further victimize those in need. With federal approval in doubt, Walker is moving ahead with plans to halt drug users from receiving public health care, food stamp and unemployment benefits.
Meanwhile, the state is facing a massive budget deficit and wholesale spending cuts are inevitable. Where will these cuts ultimately come from, and who is likely to get the short end of the stick?
If Walker’s approach to
governance has taught us anything, those individuals most at-risk are in the greatest danger of falling through the cracks.
During his tenure in office, Walker has given one tax break after another to wealthy individuals and corporate cronies – which didn’t need them, much less deserve them. Now that the rubber is about to meet the road, in typical Walker fashion, the poor and working class are expected to foot the deficit bill.