MADISON- Following is the statement of Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate on Gov.-elect Scott Walker’s “Regulatory Reform” Proposals.
“During a holiday season marked by reports of Big Business boasting record profits, while more than one in ten Wisconsinites are living in poverty, Scott Walker today unveiled his gift for Wisconsin – a Corporate Welfare Wonderland.
In the name of deficit reduction, Walker is open to kicking families off BadgerCare, slashing wages and benefits for teachers and public safety employees, and stripping workers of their rights to negotiate in good faith. Yet, somehow, in a cash-strapped budget, the Republicans will find a way to dole out subsidies to corporations, paving the way for a return to the very same principles and approaches that brought us to the Great Recession in the first place: an effective shift of public money into private enterprise with no accountability, a guarantee of lower wages for workers and a callous disregard for advancements in environmental protection that ensure our water and air are clean.
Just as disturbing as Walker’s willingness to sell Wisconsin off to the highest bidder is his arrogance in granting himself the authority to be the ultimate rule-maker in every governmental agency. Walker’s tenure as Milwaukee County Executive is proof positive of his incapability to provide competent governance.
Under his command, Milwaukee County’s infrastructure literally crumbled, the Mental Health Complex was faced with deaths, sexual assaults and neglect, the public transit system required a federal bail-out to stay solvent due to inadequate management and funding, and the state was forced to take control of the county’s public assistance offices due to Walker’s inability to effectively provide services.
Walker’s so-called “regulatory reform” is nothing more than a payback to the special interest groups that put him into office, financed by the great sell-out of Wisconsin’s working families.”
