Like North Carolina, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, Wisconsin was a state where, following a lengthy period of Democrat rule, Republicans took control of all levers of state government in the 2010 midterm elections. Confronting a more than $3 billion budget deficit upon taking office in 2011, Gov. Scott Walker and Republican legislators responded with Act 10, also referred to as the Budget Repair Act, which helped put Wisconsin’s finances in order by doing the following:
• Limits collective bargaining to wage negotiations, and requires annual union recertification.
• Requires government worker pay increases in excess of the rate of inflation be subject to voter approval.
• Ends automatic deduction of union dues, requiring union bosses to make the case to workers why they should join and financially support a union.
• Requires government workers to start contributing something toward their health insurance and retirement savings.
According to a recent report by the MacIver Institute, a free market think tank based in Madison, Act 10 has saved Wisconsin taxpayers over $5 billion.
The MacIver Institute illustrates what these savings mean for taxpayers:
“$5.24 billion in savings works out to $910 in savings for every man, woman and child in Wisconsin, or $2,291 for every household in Wisconsin. The DOT could build 2,912 more roundabouts. The savings could fund over 68,000 four-year degrees at UW-Madison, or install 42 separate Milwaukee-style streetcar systems throughout the entire state. Thankfully, however, Walker and the legislature have used the Act 10 savings to provide more than $2 billion in direct tax relief for Wisconsinites.”
What really stands out in the MacIver Institute report is how Act 10 brought savings to government entities of all sizes, from small towns to large state departments, with nearly 500 units of government each achieving over $1 million in savings. To commemorate the tremendous savings that Act 10 has generated for Wisconsin taxpayers, the MacIver Institute is celebrating this month as Wisconsin Taxpayer Appreciation Month.
Thursday, September 1, 2016
"Five Years Later, Scott Walker's Reforms Have Saved Taxpayers Billions"
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58 comments:
Walker could have been a very effective voice in the primaries, but he let his consultants do his thinking.
Trump said that Walker was a failure.
Trump said that Walker was a failure.
And this matters to you how?
He was as a candidate. You can be the most effective manager in the history of the world but if you can't get elected it means nothing.
$2291 is the cost of a 7-day cruise. Nice that individual families in Wisconsin finally get to a break.
Using an unrelated post to spin Trump is par for the course. It is just part of saying one negative thing about Trump in every thread every single day to help Hillary.
You see it all over the Internet. Places like Legal Insurrection and Powerline and HotAir have it just like here. There seems to be an organized concerted effort. Much more so than ever before.
Now was that really all that hard? Simple basic math combined with accountability and making government employees and unions justify themselves and their benefits, and it's just a small start to what could be done nationwide where at least 50% could be cut out of the taxpayers bill.
Getting elected means nothing if you don't have the right ideas, discipline, and competence. I saw some of that in Trump yesterday for the first time. This wouldn't be close and we'd be bathing in a blowout of Hillary right now if he did that from the start. The reason he finally got there was simple: he was bumping his head against an electorate that was not satisfied with the low standard it took win over his uncritical followers. He was told flat out to do better or lose. He rose to the challenge yesterday. You're welcome.
Trump smeared Walker from the left. Trump supporters would still throw Walker or anyone else overboard for their Cheeto Jesus. Even in the face of such positive news regarding Walker.
Trump is only in this to create a media empire.
Once again the only arrow in your quiver is to attack Trump in a thread unrelated to him. To use the peepers words you want Trump to suck Walker's dick. Or something. Because Trump never ever does anything right. After a great trip to Mexico and a great immigration speech all you got is that he shouldn't have attacked somebody he was running against. What a bunch of bullshit spin as it were.
Walker had everything in front of him. He was the one I was supporting when this all started. I thought he was a tough guy who would stand up for America and Americans. Instead he was the typical Republican cuck who gave over his money to the crooked consultants of the crony class and got raped by people like Rick Wilson. He couldn't handle the big leagues. Just like Rick Perry and Bobby Jindal and a bunch of other effective governors.
You want somebody who does what everyone else did and lost. Well you don't have that in Trump. He is going his own way. Win or lose it is preferable to another tool of the duopoly.
To qoute the peeper everything doesn't have to be about Trump. Why not celebrate the great strides that Walker has made and leave it at that.
Or is there a quota for Trump bashing like the cops have with parking tickets. Jeeez.
You gotta win big to beat a Democrat - real big.
"Trump cited a figure that Walker led the state to a $2.2 billion budget deficit. That claim, though, has drawn criticism from state Republicans and Politifact."
Trump hit Walker from the Left. Using bogus numbers. All if forgiven, Cheeeto Buddha.
Obfuscate. Divert. Spin.
Don't celebrate the accomplishments of someone you supposedly admire and think should be President even though he failed pitifully in running a lack luster flaccid campaign.
Because the real goal is to shit on the Republican Candidate to get Hillary elected. Spite pure and simple.
It is both transparent and silly. There is a life long Republican on every blog peddling the same spin. They hate Hillary. But they just hate Trump a little bit more.
"Getting elected means nothing if you don't have the right ideas, discipline, and competence"
Getting elected means nothing? That is just about the stupidest thing I have ever heard.
Nothing matters if you don't get elected. That's why you make deals. You make compromises. You have your rock solid principles but you also adapt to the situation. If you want to get elected and have any chance to do anything. Period.
April's point is that Trump has been like a broken clock attacking everyone and often lying to do it. Sometimes he's right and sometimes he's left, and sometimes he just lying for the irresistible need to attack. It's an ugly proclivity that many of his supporters also practice. It there some kind of quota for Trump worshiping? It's clearly somewhere north of 99.9% in here. No exceptions. Very beta.
Bags how do you win? By playing nicey nice? Is that what is important? Is it more important to be a gentlemen like Mitt Romney and Jeb and lose to Hillary?
I don't want you to worship Trump. Despite your continued propaganda I don't worship Trump. Nobody makes more fun of him than I do. I realize he is a very flawed candidate. I have said it again and again.
I just think it is a New York thing. Sometimes you need an asshole. Giuliani is an asshole. He saved New York. Trump is an even bigger asshole. We need him because we have even bigger problems. I understand because I am an asshole. It takes one to know one. He is not going to play California laid back nice or Colorado pot head mellow. He is going to push us onto that packed fucking subway car and get us to where we got to go.
So don't expect me to back down and accept the trolling lying down. Sorry. You are entitled to your opinions and I hope you come and express them often. I just think you are absolutely wrong. Period.
If my goal were to get Hillary elected- is it working? Anyone here actually voting for the wretched witch? NO?
yeah - I didn't think so. Tired arguments. I refuse to worship Trump (even though I'm votigfor him) and I will point out his lies. Can't handle it? Need a safe space?
eh.
I think Walker is fantastic. It's your Cheeto Allah who lies (and has lied) about Walker.
I point out the facts.
"Getting elected means nothing? That is just about the stupidest thing I have ever heard."
I thought that was your whole raison d'etre - that electing a cuckservative was worse than losing. You are so lost in worship that you can't see yourself, or even see those who disagree on any point as being anything other than the enemy. What are you so frightened of that makes you lash out into the darkness at any strange sound beyond the purring in your nest?
Obama won too, that didn't even work out for the people who voted for him. What matters is what wins, not just the thrill of winning.
There would be zero chance to stop or at least thwart the globalists without Trump. I'm with him hook. line and sinker. Or as that skinny foodie guy would say, "No Reservations!"
Aren't you the one who always says stop talking about the primary April? Or is that only important if it helps you attacking Trump?
Walker is entitled to take his bows. Good for him. I think he deserves our praise. What more do you want? Trump beat him fair and square and offered him a chance to speak at the convention. As he did with Rubio, Cruz and Kasich. They all showed what they are made of by how they responded to his olive branch. Politics ain't bean bag. You take your hits and you move on. Maybe this will help Walker in his next campaign.
I like Scott Walker. I think he's a goober, but I like him. However, he doesn't have the personal presence to be on a national stage. I saw that almost immediately. He's just humdrum and bland. If Trump were so inclined, he should see if he could bring Walker into the fold Sec. of Commerce.
As has been pointed out here often - everyone here is voting for Trump, so what is the point of attacking anybody who criticizes him? It's like someone is criticising your child. It's just not healthy. It sounds like fear and weakness. He's a grown man running for political office - a job serving us. Grow a pair.
"I thought that was your whole raison d'etre - that electing a cuckservative was worse than losing"
You know what bags you made me stop and think. I was wrong and you are right. Electing a cuckservative is far worse than losing. So I retract what I said. What you said wasn't the stupidest thing I ever heard. I was wrong.
Once again I am not lost in worship. You are lost in your elitist world view. Trump has a lot of problems. He is a very flawed vessel. But he is far preferable to what we had to work with. If he loses it would be a tragedy. But it might lay the ground work for the next candidate who will put America first. The next populist, nationalist, xenophobe who will fight for our people instead of the globalists that you worship. As I said I think Trump is John the Bapist. I don't think he is Jesus no matter how hard you try to sell it.
"As has been pointed out here often - everyone here is voting for Trump, so what is the point of attacking anybody who criticizes him?"
I simply don't believe that everyone here is voting for Trump. It is that simple. It is part of the continuing "Life Long Republican" ploy that you see all over the internet. It is not "fear or weakness." It is push back to the non stop spin of anti[-Trump bullshit. Once again this thread became about Trump when it should have just celebrated Walker.
You have to expect push back.
@ Troop
You are lost in your elitist world view.
LOL. What the frick does that mean? If we don't worship Trump we are elitist? That doesn't even begin to make sense. You DO worship Trump as you are so easily offended when anyone dare to point out an obnoxious fact about the guy.
I thought he was your douchebag?
I'm as far from an elitist as is humanly possible, but the rest I can accept.
You have no idea of how big an asshole Giuliani was in New York. I do because I lived it.
Just as a quick example he went to Wall Street and arrested a bunch of people and took them out in bracelets. He lost most of those cases. He did it for effect. It worked even if it wasn't the way things were supposed to be done.
When he ran against Dinkins he had a rally with the cops and told some hard truths. Just the way Trump did with his speech last night. The media shit a hemorrhage. But the people heard it and elected him to clean up the mess that his ultra-liberal predecessor made of the city he loved. Just as Trump will have to do the country he loves.
I simply don't believe that everyone here is voting for Trump.
Again - LOLZ.
I hate Trump. I'm voting for him. Take it to the bank.
I hate Hillary more. I'd crawl over hot coals to vote for a burning bag of poo before I'd vote for the Clinton Crime Family. I'm voting for him. That's not saying much about the likelihood of him actually winning. You think I'm alone? You might want to consider that all sorts of people hate the guy, but hate Hillary more, and that is his only hope. that's also called - swinging by a thread.
Troop- that doesn't make Guiliani an asshole. That makes him freaking awesome.
Once again April all you ever do is spin against Trump. Fair enough. Everybody has a job to do on the internet I guess. You continually mis-characterize what I have to say about Trump. I say he is a very flawed candidate. I often say he has made mistakes. I indeed say he is a douchebag and an asshole. I make fun of him and his family all the time.
But he is for Americans. The elitism comes in the desire to play by the medias rules and be all nicey nice with the Democrats and the people you are running against. That and the class argument is the essence of most of the opposition to Trump. If you listened to his speech last night I am sure that you and bags would agree with almost everything he said. But you ignore that to pick at the scabs about what he said about Scott Walker. It is just ridiculous.
I'm allowed to despise the guy I'm voting for... & I know it doesn't compute because I'm supposed to drool over him like Ann Coulter, and then trash everyone who ever stood in his gold plated way. You'll just have to learn to deal with it.
Or - find a safe space with a puppy film loop.
;)
Aw, I like puppies. Kittehs, too.
Considering The Donald is wiping the floor with what some misguided apparition calls "his old pal" - even though there's damned little evidence to substantiate it, except for some old, stale Cruzzer propaganda - I'd say what we're hearing is a fart in the wind.
He attacked Walker, one candidate to another, direction (which is nonsense) is irrelevant. The object is win. If they can't beat Trump, how do they beat Frumpty? Someone is mad because her little foam boy is reduced to running for his old Senate seat - if he can get that back.
Considering The Donald is looking and sounding more Presidential that all of his erstwhile competitors combined, the line, "There will be no amnesty", must have been a killer. Here are his points from last night. Anybody else in the R field offer anything remotely as good? Certainly not the Mambo Kings.
1. Build the wall.
2. End catch and release policy for undocumented immigrants and instead return them to their country of origin.
3. Have zero tolerance for undocumented immigrants who have committed a crime. He will deport them.
4. Triple number of deportation officers at the department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
5. Repeal President Obama’s executive orders that temporarily protected undocumented immigrants from deportation and authorized them to receive work permit.
6. Stop issuing visas to any country where “adequate screening cannot occur” that might endanger national security.
7. Ensure foreign countries take back deported immigrants from the United States: Mr. Trump said 23 countries refuse to do so.
8. Complete a biometric entry and exit visa tracking system under development. “It will be on land, it will be on sea, it will be in the air,” he said.
Bago said: As has been pointed out here often - everyone here is voting for Trump, so what is the point of attacking anybody who criticizes him?
What is the point of constantly criticizing Trump, all the time, everywhere, especially on a post that has nothing to do with Trump and everything to do with the successful policies of Walker. What Walker did in his State is a great thing and every other State in the union (especially California) should take a lesson.
I understand that there are various levels of Trump support: from pom poms and cheers to the oh well, shrug shoulders, at least he isn't as bad as Hillary. I get that and people are entitled to their well established opinions. WE. GET. IT already!!!!
It just gets tedious, repetitive and as annoying as your three year old whining and crying and saying "not faaaaaair" when faced with a choice he doesn't want. NO!!! you can't have the cookie until after dinner. YES!!!!! you will take a nap. G-damnit!!!
Not only tedious but boring when every thread turns into the same people trashing Trump and with the same complaints about Trump no matter what the topic. WE GET IT.
You're delusional Troop. I'm not nicey-nice with the democrats. Ever.
Trump is. When you attack someone using bogus leftwing math-lies, that makes you nicey-nice with democrats.
DBQ - Every thread?
I've been keeping my mouth shut lately. If you want me to point out Trump's hypocrisy in every thread - I'm certainly capable. The information is readily available. I'm your gal!
Just pointing out that once upon a time, not very long ago, Trump pissed all over Walker regarding the subject at hand. That's all.
If you want me to say something positive about Trump. mmmmm Probably won't
happen until I really see some ass kicking on his part.
Still waiting.
To bring it back in line, despite the leftwinger lies about Walker and a bogus 2.2 billion budget deficit - Walker, in reality, has been an effective and responsible governor deserving of praise.
@ April. I wasn't aiming (directly) at you but at the general tenor of the discussions which lately seem to devolve into name calling (yeah Spinelli I'm lookin' at you) and back and forth about Trump. Geez I'm surprised that we don't all go Trump arguing on Chip's lovely posts about food, bread, hieroglyphics and sign language.
You could have pointed out Walker and Trump's fluff up in a more constructive manner, relevant to the post and perhaps made a citation for us to look at and verify. I really don't remember that point or instance and would have been interested in knowing the facts about it.
The issue is that this topic, which is really quite important, is about Walker, about his policies, about the unions, about the success in his State.
I would dearly love to see those policies enacted in California where we have billions upon billions in unfunded pension liabilities and where the public unions are literally strangling the taxpayers and the economy of the State, Counties and Cities. THAT would be a wonderful thing.
DBQ - I did link above.
(@ 1:03)
@ DBQ - I would dearly love to see those policies enacted in California where we have billions upon billions in unfunded pension liabilities and where the public unions are literally strangling the taxpayers and the economy of the State, Counties and Cities. THAT would be a wonderful thing.
We would all be lucky to have Walker as governor. Even though he's a boring dude, he is competent and probably more competent that anyone, actually.
Sadly, we want a bombastic pyramid scheme infomercial with a shiny candy wrapper.
oopsy, the problem is, for some people, their dislike for Trump as a person justifies any kind of propaganda, no matter how ridiculous.
Or, it's just a form of self-aggrandizement.
As an example, Coulter was less than thrilled when Ms Conway's trial balloon went up, but, according to some, she's always been a rah-rah for The Donald.
Walker did a good job for WI. Along with Jindal, he was the first I wanted to see get the nod (which I said often enough here). He didn't have the smarts (sad to say) or the fortitude to stand up to criticism at that level, some people's foolish definition of nicey-nice notwithstanding.
Much like several others, if you can't stand up to Donald Trump, how do you stand up to the various crime families of La Cosa Lefti?
PS For those interested, there are a number of good links that tell the somewhat convoluted story of the WI budget.
Walker is legally obligated to balance the budget. That said, the claim of a deficit is based on the fact WI uses a 2 year budget cycle. What he did was balance in one cycle, because he expected a bigger tax cut windfall, but the current cycle still has a deficit, so both sides can claim they are on the side of good and right and truth.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/09/18/scott-walkers-claims-about-wisconsin-budget-deficit-and-tax-cuts-fact-checker-biography/
http://www.cato.org/blog/scott-walkers-fiscal-record
http://www.wpr.org/using-standardized-accounting-principles-state-budget-picture-worsened-last-year
https://ballotpedia.org/Wisconsin_state_budget_and_finances
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/presidential-campaign/247539-a-closer-look-at-wisconsins-economy-under-gov-scott
This Link is the most current information on the State of Wisconsin. Thanks Lem! Most blue states run by democrat governors (like CO) have cemented union power and union graft. Walker has made great strides in showing the path out.
Will other states follow?
WV went right to work this year, making the country majority right to work.
5 other states are considering right to work laws - Kentucky, Illinois,
Missouri, New Mexico, and Montana.
CO has its right to work law stymied by the voters, not the governor.
You will never get a Walker type Gov in California. You can't even get a liberal Hillary supporting CEO elected Governor.
You know why? Immigration. So, woulda/coulda/shoulda its never going to happen.
California reached the tipping point a long time ago. Helped of course, by all the broad minded, pragmatic, Republicans who didn't want to be "racist". Hugh Hewitt is a perfect example. This asshole ran around calling anyone who supported Prop 187 a racist. Now, he sheds crocodile tears over the fact that no Republican has been elected Senator since 1992 or that the Dems rule Sacramento.
The USA is just California writ large. Unless we stop Amnesty, and stop importing millions of Democrat voters, we'll reach the tipping point.
The liberal democrats are very open about this. They're cheering the death of "White (republican) America" through Demographic change.
Except for Trump, all the other Repubs seem to be cool with it. Just like a lot of republicans in California in the 90s were cool with illegal immigration.
DBQ, You have lost credibility. You made baseless accusations about me on another thread. When challenged, you hid. Now, on a thread I have not even made a comment, you call me out. Get your cowardly ass over to the thread{Trump Lands in Mexico} and point out where I was negative about Trump. Find, on the record in that thread, something to back up your scurrilous accusation. Then make me a sandwich.
Meth, We have discussed Walker and are on the same page. He's a good AA player and will probably never be a Big League player.
Regarding taxes in Wisconsin. All I can tell you is I paid MORE property taxes each of the last 3 years and still get nailed on income and sales tax! We're looking for houses in MN, no tax heaven by any means, and the property taxes for homes we are looking at, the same price as our home in WI, are HALF of what we pay in Wisconsin. These alleged tax savings are being passed on to me!!
Savings are NOT being passed on to me.
The ONE good thing Walker did, and it was VERY good, was sticking it to govt. workers. A bit of history is in order. The governor who appeased and strengthened govt. workers in Wisconsin was the buffoonish Tommy Thompson. Remember him? He was W's HHS Secretary who screwed the pooch on the anthrax scare, getting shitcanned afterward. Thompson was a 4 term governor and just bent over and gave govt. workers anything they wanted so they would not be strident in opposing him. That's how he kept getting reelected. I think some here would call him a "cuckservative."
Walker got CCW through as well. That's two good things.
Nick, i thought you were retired and your wife was an author. Why live in a high tax state at all?
Nevada is pretty low tax.
Well. concealed carry. You know what I mean, dammit!
rc, Good question. I'm 90% retired. Still carry my license and work a few cases now and then. We're moving to MN to be closer to our daughter and granddaughter. We're up here now house hunting. Had a very pleasant afternoon. My son-in-law's old man is a retired lifer Marine gunnery sgt. He served in Vietnam. He and some other Viet vets worked hard to get the Traveling Vietnam Wall to his hometown of Faribault, MN. They had the opening ceremony today. Small town America is so much more grounded than city folk. The ceremony was inspiring and tearful.
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