Posted by JM Ashby
Governor Scott Walker's claims that public employees need to contribute more to their pensions have already been debunked and union officials have already agreed to increases in healthcare premiums. Yet despite that, Walker insists he needs to end collective bargaining rights for the sake of "flexibility." Unfortunately for Walker, the facts aren't on his side.
I know, it's a shocker isn't it?
AP [...] Walker says his plan is needed to ease a deficit that is projected to hit $137 million by July and $3.6 billion by mid-2013.
The budget as it stands now is balanced, and Walker is under no legal obligation to make changes. But by mid-summer, the state could come up short on cash to pay its bills, largely because of a projected $169 million shortfall in its Medicaid program.
I'm sure passing business tax breaks immediately after taking office has nothing to do with that! Actually, it does. Walker's intent is to make up for these tax cuts in future budgets by passing it on to those who can least afford it.
Walker adamantly refuses to raise taxes, so someone has to pay for his masturbatory trickle-down economic policy. Might as well be people who need the money the most! And that's where busting the unions comes into play.
Walker argues the sweeping step is necessary to balance the budget not only over the next two years but into the future. School districts, cities, counties and other local governments need the flexibility, he says, to deal with more than $1 billion in state aid cuts Walker will announce Tuesday in his two-year budget plan.
The fact that these kinds of austerity measures have been tried and tested, and failed, leaves Scott Walker's motives bare for all to see. This isn't about fiscal discipline, it's about killing the middle class.