Letter from a Republican: Wisconsin cannot afford Scott Walker (or Scott Fitzgerald)

The following open letter was written by Gary Olson, a Republican who has been corresponding with both Governor Scott Walker and his state senator, Scott Fitzgerald, for the past year.  Gary takes issue with the lack of transparency in the current administration, as well as its false claims of fiscal responsibility. In this letter, he lays out his case and explains how Walker and Fitzgerald are kicking the can down the road by more than doubling our debt-to-revenue ratio, despite their claims otherwise.

Letter from a Republican:

Wisconsin Cannot Afford Scott Walker (or Scott Fitzgerald)

by Gary Olson

Governor Walker openly claims that his administration balanced the state budget that required closing a $3.6 billion deficit. My Senator (Scott Fitzgerald) frequently touts that the GOP led budget created a surplus, while not raising taxes. As a tax payer, much of this sounds rather appealing until I started putting pen to paper on the figures. So much of this just does not seem to add up when you look at the funds that were cut versus the level of spending that was approved in the 2011-2013 state budget. How exactly did we close a $3.6 billion deficit, generate a $306 million surplus, and increase the overall budget spending by $1.1 billion while being completely broke and not raising taxes?

I believe that the 2011-2013 budget pushed a lot of debt into the future by delaying debt service payments until 2013 and well beyond. Debt structuring through the sale of bonds and other means of borrowing into the future are not limited to Scott Walker or the Republicans, it is a practice used by both parties. It was bad enough that Governor Doyle did this as much as he did; now we have a governor who campaigned against doing those things, only to be demonstrating otherwise. On top of that, Governor Walker is talking about covering the $143.2 million deficit (that was supposed to be a $306 million surplus) by borrowing even more money so that we do not have to raise taxes or issue another Emergency Budget Repair Bill for the budget that we are only nine months into. What impact will this move have on our state’s existing long term debt service and our ability to keep up with the payments?

The state standard for debt-to-revenue ratio is no greater than 4%, with a target debt ratio of 3-3.5% of General Program Revenue. When Governor Walker took office, Wisconsin’s debt ratio stood at 2.28%. That is not a plug for the former governor or a jab at the current governor, they are simply the numbers according to the June 14^th 2011 LFB memo from the state. Under the 2011-2013 state budget, our debt ratio is expected to grow to almost 5% next year. In 2013-2014, it will grow to over 5%, and it could easily be much higher if we do not see a generous 4% growth in revenue.  Forget about asking how close we are to 4% growth because currently our revenue is actually declining according to recent LFB figures.

I do not believe that Wisconsin has ever seen a debt-to-revenue ratio of 5%, much less higher? Furthermore, I do not feel confident that we will see a 4% growth in revenue anytime soon, but I will be very happy to be wrong about that. As a taxpayer, I am deeply concerned about the amount of debt that we took on and the delayed interest that we will be paying on over the next ten years so that we can say that we have a balanced budget today.

Yes, I am a Republican but that does not mean that I have to buy into everything that my Governor or my Senator are doing, especially when it comes to the handling of my tax dollars. My confidence in the two of them has been shaken and I am deeply worried about our financial future as a state if we continue balancing budgets in this manner.

Sincerely,

Gary Olson, Lake Mills 

 Gary Olson on why he is standing up and speaking out against Scott Fitzgerald, after voting for him many times.  Think Fitz will take him up on his challenge to a debate?  I wish he would.

The Republican Case Against Walker by Dee Ives

Dee Ives posted the following note on facebook on 9 Jan. 2012. Reposted here with permission.

I Recall by 

WI Progressive Naught TEA Republicans

I was born the same year that Collective Bargaining became Law in WI, became a Veteran serving under both Carter & Reagan, and I still remember when being a Reagan Republican was cool not for the policies he enacted, but for the sense of Patriotism and the sense of American Destiny he envoked. I remember President Reagan raising taxes on everyone (including Corporations) 12 times while in office, that is why I will help recall TEA Party Walker who cannot comprehend there was more to this Presidency than just busting the Air Traffic Controllers Union for an illegal strike.Paying taxes to provide government services is also required to be a burden shared by Corporations and millionaires if you are really a patriotic American! The Sacrifice is shared, not just placed on working families while giving millions in Corporate tax breaks.

I remember when being a Republican, the party born in Ripon WI, the party of Lincoln meant that Labor of the average citizen was of more value than the tricks of Commerce...as Lincoln put it best, "Any man who tells you he loves America, but hates Labor is a liar; Any man who tells you he trusts America yet fears Labor is a Fool!". When the Grand Old Party stood with family farmers and small business owners after "Fighting Bob" LaFollette beat the robber barons that our Grandparents told us with pride. Gov Walker and his TEA Party are not Republicans, they passed Act 10 to strip workers of our bargaining rights simply for political gain, and violating the open meetings law WI has enacted to protect our citizens from these new Political Robber Barons the Koch Brothers and their ALEC friends have bought...that is why we real WI Republicans will recall them. As a Union Veteran, like so many others, we used our educational benefits to obtain jobs serving our communities and protect our fellow citizens as Firefighters, police, Nurses & Teachers only to have the TEA Party call us "Union Thugs". We veterans swore to defend our Flag and the Constitution it represents against ALL enemies, both Foriegn & Domestic, and any politician who violates the Constitutional Right of Free Speech and to join a trades union like the TEA Party has under Gov Walker's direction is an enemy of WI Democracy,as much a dictatoras Hitler or Hussien, that is why we will recall him.Voter ID threatens to disenfranchise our elderly veterans from the very right to vote this year, the right to participate in the Democracy they served to protect, that is why we will recall Walker to regain our heroes'  voices .

I remember when the Democrats and Republicans under Gov Tommy Thompson were able to enact BadgerCare for our WI citizens, a program that Romney & Obama copied, but added the mandates to, now the TEA Party attacks Tommy as a Liberal as they threaten to underfund the healthcare program we all support...another reason we will recall him. But, the idea that it was okay to hire theives in Milwaukee County to positions where they embezzled charity funds from Operation Freedom, some of which were used to pay for Walker websites when running for Governor is the most compelling reason of all to recall this Governor as NO REPUBLICAN would ever think it ok to steal from our vets!