On June 5, 2012, Scott Walker retained his seat as governor of Wisconsin, leading me to the conclusion that the majority of Wis. voters do not value public employees. And so a year ago today, we were in the midst of negotiating a rental agreement with friends because in the current market we cannot afford sell our home. We were also planning for a new job in another state where our values more closely align with those of public policy.
Clearly, Governor Walker has an agenda that does not include doing what's best for his constituents. Public employees are the foundation of a healthy, thriving society. Yet those are the exact people Governor Walker has been targeting. First, he illegally busted public unions. According to U.S. District Judge William Conley, “Walker’s anti-union legislation contains parts that are discriminatory and therefore, illegal.” All along, Walker has claimed that he's simply trying to balance the state budget. But is he really? After all, he rejected the Obamacare Medicaid Expansion that would have brought in a large sum of money in order to help Wisconsin citizens.
Let's take a moment to think about a strong and healthy society. In a healthy society, people's basic needs met are met with little difficulty. In addition, most people in a healthy society earn a little extra, so they can give back to their community, thereby keeping the whole strong. That is all made possible by ensuring a middle class filled with a mix of public and private employees who are typically not overworked or overstressed. In a strong society, public employees provide beneficial services such as police officers, firefighters, and public health officials, the type of people who keep communities safe. Furthermore, a Democracy relies on educated citizens which means putting a high priority on public schools. Finally, institutions such as public libraries and parks departments provide everyone with clean and beautiful places to go for recreation. What do all of these things have in common? They benefit everyone, rich or poor, old or young. And they should not be privatized.
When businesses become privatized, what usually happens is that only the healthy are cared for, only the strongest thrive, and only those who do not reduce the bottom line are valued. The flaw with the argument that it's better to privatize is that people aren't merchandise, people aren't things. People are, well, people. As a group, we are stronger with diversity, we are healthier overall because of our differences. If Governor Scott Walker and his supporters can learn to value everyone, they may be surprised to see that the bottom line will flourish.
Sadly, I don't believe that's going to happen. Here is some news you may or may not know coming from the state of Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker Signs Bill Requiring Ultrasounds for Women Seeking Abortions
Wisconsin Governor Signs Sick Leave Bill
Governor Walker Rejects Obamacare Medicaid Expansion in Wisconsin
Governor Signs Abstinence Sex Education Bill
Walker's Colossal Giveaway to Mining Co. in Wisconsin
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker Signs Three Anti-Abortion and Anti-Contraception Bills into Law
Scott Walker Proposes Expanding Voucher School Program
It's been over a year now since my family and I knew we would be moving away from our hometown, away from family and friends, away from a community we will always love. I'll be straightforward about this: the Wisconsin I knew is gone, and I greatly fear for the future of the state. Pulling taxpayer funding away from the public sector means that everyone will be supporting private interests. As much as I miss living in Wisconsin, at this time I can honestly say that I do not regret our decision to leave. And I know for a fact, that I am not alone.
S.L. Wallace is the author of the Reliance on Citizens trilogy and Retrospection.
Judging by the policies you show that Gov. Walker has signed into law, he and I would be at loggerheads too. What surprises men therefore is why so many people voted for him. Is this the South where women's rights aren't equal, where they have no choice about their own bodies? Is this really a place where the voters don't like public services? I'm not a fan of unions but even I recognise their right to exist and that they do serve a purpose.
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to feel that the U.S. is reverting back in time and not to a good time either.Fiscal restraint is good but I don't see how these policies achieve it.I hope you settle well wherever you choose to go.
Thank you, David. Financially, it's been difficult, but finances aren't the end-all, be-all to life. In the midst of the union-busting chaos of 2011, I literally heard people saying things like, "The public workers will complain, but in the end, they'll get over it." That's just not true. Many people who I actually know took early retirement, switched careers, moved away, and even ran for public office to try to change things for the better. https://www.facebook.com/RepMandyWright Although there is outrage, it is a quiet and secret type of outrage much of the time. I don't understand why. Nobody is threatening us in an attempt to keep us quiet. And standing up for one's ideals is nothing to be ashamed of, so why don't more people know about those who've left? I know of a number of educators who left, many were in pretty high positions and had been teaching for a long time. Even so, when I go back to visit, I bump into people all the time who had no idea that I'd moved away. Something else that is happening, is that college students are being advised not to go into teaching. How do I know this? My nephew is in college right now, and he wants to be a history teacher. The advice he's being given by his professors unfortunately doesn't make the evening news.
ReplyDeleteUK and US politics seem to have in common that the public re elect people who aren't carrying out their wishes!
ReplyDeleteAnd here's another article to add to the list. Peaceful assembly is unconstitutional at the Wisconsin state capitol. http://tinyurl.com/muejtwm
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