Walker raises taxes on the poor

It's bad enough that our intransigent, uncompassionate gov wants to give the state away to corporations that funded his political career. It's bad enough that in a time of great financial pain for Wisconsin families he is lowering taxes on the wealthy and on corporations doing business in our state. It's bad enough that he gives these guys tax breaks, supports lowering wage scales by busting unions, handing a cheaper labor force and more of our natural resources to those same corporate backers.

But now he wants to help balance these giveaways by raising taxes on poor families. He tries to do this by stealth and denial, but even his fan base at the Journal Sentinel called him out on this one. You can read about it here.

Doesn't get much more cynical than this - or unjust, even immoral. Remember, this is the guy who says he has 'walked to Christ' and I am left wondering if there is some other Gospel besides the four I know where Jesus says, blessed are you rich, I shall take from the poor so that you can become wealthier.

Really, at least say what you're about without distorting the message of Jesus Christ, okay? without using him in a cynical fashion to try to justify your intransigent political agenda that is clearly hurting those 'blessed' and preferred by the guy you call savior, the guy who had a few things to say about the rich and powerful in his own day.

I'm saddened today - because I see what is happening in my state (I mean, put together this revelation on taxes with Walker today signing the bill that will disenfranchise many of these same people after last night's abhorrent scene in the Senate - see previous post) and I know that it means more pain and suffering for good struggling families, farmers, urban poor, etc. seemingly without striking the consciences of those creating this hurtful unjust budget. 

I see injustice deepening in my state. It is indeed a sad, sad period in Wisconsin's history. And sad, too, because we are a long way from the kind of broad solidarity among our people that can reverse this terrible anti-democratic, plutocratic momentum.

Repubs about to suppress voting rights, but approve dirty water

Good job, Senate Repubs!  Sometime this week you will approve a law to make it more difficult for poor people, the elderly, and students to vote - and for this you will spend millions of dollars.  Meanwhile, you just voted to overturn a DNR regulation requiring communities to disinfect their water because you do not want to create 'hardship' for local budgets. Presumably, the cost of getting sick from water contaminated with bacteria will only be paid by the one who gets sick.

Less access to voting rights; dirtier water. Sounds about right for these guys.

Me, too!

Paper this morning says the new Voter I.D. law will cost more than $7 million, much of that to cover costs of free state I.D.s for those without drivers' licenses. This measure was included because Repubs are trying to avoid a court challenge - making people pay for an I.D. in order to vote would indeed amount to a poll tax and would therefore be unconstitutional.

So they are willing to pay for this measure which will make it harder for some groups of folks to vote, but they are not willing to make communities pay to disinfect drinking water to stave off bacterial illnesses.

The priorities of these Repubs get clearer. From the JS article linked above:

"What you really want to do is suppress the vote of people who don't think like you or look like you," Sen. Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) told Republicans.

Yes. They know it; we know it. The underlying racism here is not all that hard to see. Repubs have wanted this law for a long time, but it was blocked by a Democratic governor. But the overwhelming support in this state for Barack Obama back in 2008 filled them with alarm. That support was bouyed by two groups whose access to the polls has just been made more difficult - urban African-Americans, especially the poor and unemployed, and students. The Repub victory of 2010 giving them control of both legislative houses gave them the opportunity at last to fulfill this great longing to suppress the voter turnout of those most likely to vote against them. These guys know exactly what they're doing.

Meanwhile, the fraud these Repubs are so bent on avoiding? Doesn't exist.

The measure could prevent people from voting in another's name, but not the most common form of voter fraud - felons voting while on state supervision.

The state Department of Justice and Milwaukee County district attorney's office have prosecuted 20 cases of voter fraud from the November 2008 election. None involves people voting in someone else's name at the polls.

I await the outcry from this state. I await the boisterous movement that challenges this legislation. I await the pushback, the fervent impassioned defense of the broadest possible voting rights which is the rock bottom core of our democracy.

I don't see it yet.