Open Thread: Wisconsin Prospers With Government Reform
You've probably already heard about how reforming Wisconsin governor Scott Walker managed to get more votes than his top two Democratic challengers in that state's primary. What you may not know is the reason why: The state is booming contrary to the dire predictions of the union bosses who swore that Walker's reforms would destroy the Badger State. Walker's choice to reform and cut the budget instead of raise taxes has proved for a perfect contrast with neighboring Illinois which did the very opposite, with poor results:
Unemployment has dropped from 7.7 percent to 6.8 percent since Walker took office. Unemployment in neighboring Illinois, however, only dropped below 9 percent in March—the first time it has done so in two years.
Wisconsin property taxes have fallen for the first time in 12 years. The state’s adult debt per capita is roughly $687. Illinois’ is about $853.
The two states took divergent paths in 2010 in dealing with looming fiscal insolvency. While Walker pushed spending cuts and public sector reforms, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and the state legislature floated $7 billion in new taxes, including a 67 percent individual income tax increase and a 46 percent corporate tax increase.
“Quinn’s reasoning was that was going to turn Illinois around, pay its bills, and become fiscally solvent again,” Ted Dabrowski of the Illinois Policy Institute told the Free Beacon. “A year later, we have $9 billion in unpaid bills. We have the worst credit rating in the nation, downgraded below California. We have $2 billion in unpaid Medicaid bills, and our pension obligations are eating up funds that should be going to public safety and schools.”
More than $5 billion of the $7 billion raised by new taxes went to paying down pension obligations, said Christian Schneider, a senior fellow at the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute. [...]
There has been some good news for the Prairie State. Job-growth in Illinois has spiked in recent months. The state gained 32,000 jobs in the 12 months ending in February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Wisconsin lost 16,900.
Dabrowski said the job-growth numbers were encouraging but that it was likely what economists call a “dead cat bounce”—a brief rise after a severe decline.
- Matthew Sheffield's blog
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Comments
The people of Wisconsin see
Submitted by rbosque on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 10:35am.
The people of Wisconsin see through the union's B.S. Walker should continue to cut trim spending and lower taxes even more.
Disparate impacts
Submitted by CO2Maker on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 11:02am.
I've noticed that some states have a very low percentage of non-white residents while some states have very high percentage of non-white residents.
Isn't that in itself prima facie evidence of the disparate impact of states? Shouldn't the Federal government initiate a busing plan to bring the racial proportions of the different states into a more equitable balance? Wouldn't that be fair?
Whatcha think?
Keep that quiet
Submitted by KornKing on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 11:08am.
It'll be next
➚ Right, Carbon Man
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 11:09am.
Let's start with New Hampshire, 97.7% Black-Free (Ivory soap comes to mind).
"Live Free Or Die"?
Free of what? (or whom?)
I think that people will get themselves
Submitted by johnsonl on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 11:32am.
to wherever they prefer to live. If Kalifornia, Illinois, Wisconsin, New York, New Jersey, Michigan and Maryland are the best places to get a handout, that's where the freeloaders and illegal aliens will settle. If other states offer good schools, lower taxes and crime rates, that's where responsible, hard working citizens will live. Those same states will also support businesses through tax incentives, reduced regulation and "right to work" laws.
Here is the contrast
Submitted by c5then on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 11:11am.
The democrats/unions/liberals/socialists promise no work and flowers and vegetables will grow in the garden. What happens in reality is that the garden is over grown with weeds and crabgrass.
the republicans/conservatives promise hard work and continued effort and vegetables and flowers will grow in the garden. What happens in reality is that the garden has vegetables and flowers poking up through the ground and it looks like it's going to be a nice one, but there is still weeding and hard work to be done.
The people of Wisconsin should see EXACTLY who it is they can believe and who knows how reality works.
Madison and Jefferson and Franklin built a Republic - Roberts killed it!
don't pick on Illinois!
Submitted by MidAmerica on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 11:44am.
We are cutting too.... nursing homes, schools, medicaid, homes for the mentally handicapped, state parks, teacher retirement funding...
Just imagine if a Republican governor was doing this, the screams would be unbearable and nationwide. But since this is a democrat controlled (Chicago controlled) state the unions and the press are almost silent.
Want to see that it might be
Submitted by ricklail on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 12:18pm.
Want to see that it might be like the days right after the November elections fi Obama losses? Take at look at about any paper here in NC and read some to the letters to the editors. There is weeping and whaling and gnashing of teeth over the vote for Amendment One, the gay marriage law. The opponents of the law will just not shut up. I seem to recall Obama telling McCain to shut up because he had lost. Episocpal Bishops please shut the hell up. You lost!!!! This letter has ran in about every paper in the state. They had one Sunday slopping about how good gay marriage would be for NC
http://www.newbernsj.com/articles/amendment-106446-carolina-majority.html
I hope this doesn't happen......
Submitted by GregE on Sat, 05/12/2012 - 12:09am.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gCHS7CsjsE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P43WZd611WA&feature=related
But I guarantee you it would have in 2008. With all the Obama hype everywhere, had he lost, it most definitely would have happened.
➚ Where's Keyser
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 1:22pm.
I can't find a photoshop of Indian Princess, Elizabeth Warren.
Cool....try googling the following:
Submitted by Blonde on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 2:32pm.
In "images"....Faux-ahontas, Hia-taxes, 1/32nd Indian Princess, etc.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Thanks, Blonde
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 8:42pm.
I ripped one off from ricklail that served my purposes nicely.
Caption: Never underestimate a liberal's willingness to abuse diversity.
This one just emailed to me from a colleague:
Submitted by drsamherman on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 8:46pm.
Elizabeth Warren is Princess Tellum Big Lie.
I live in Wisconsin
Submitted by fivestring_assassin on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 1:31pm.
and the business climate "appears" to be getting better, Wisconsin still has a net job loss for the previous 12 months
What the media "elite" fail to state is that the bulk of the job losses center in Milwaukee County . Milwaukee County is run by far left wing lunatics such as Michael Mayo and Lena Taylor whose anti-business positions are well documented.
Mayor Barrett (who wants to be Governor) is known as being not only anti-business, pro-tax, but also soft on crime. Milwaukee's demographics also help define the job loss situation. Crime is rampant, and business will not move to where crime is evident. Until the powers that be change their prospective on crime, business and taxes,,,Milwaukee will further tumble down the rabbit hole
that new underwear bomber
Submitted by jon_torlin on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 1:55pm.
I just heard about Whore-raldo(Geraldo for those who don't get it) complaining(was he really?) about getting his junk "junked" by the TSA and I got to thinking about the most recent incident of another underwear bomber.
When will people start realizing that the TSA serves no useful purpose, the only reason this underwear bomber got caught was because his partner who turned out to be an informant for the CIA alerted the authorities that this would-be-bomber had a nether surprise that would have been totally missed by the TSA.
Of course, that info shouldn't have been leaked to the public because that pretty much gives other terrorists the green light to start trying similar tactics now that they know that the TSA is incapable(as well as unwilling) of dealing with these things. Not that it's any big surprise, we already know this, the only thing the TSA is good for is making life difficult for everyone, causing cancer among themselves(by operating those scanners unshielded) or to the passengers(those who get exposed to the radiation will eventually come down with cancer), or stealing their personal items(as recently mentioned in the news as number of incidents continue to rise).
So now it's a matter of when the next incident(or incidents) will occur. Not if.
-Jon
TSA made a fatal error when they junked Rand Paul
Submitted by Blonde on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 2:34pm.
It's not NICE to rough up a sitting Senator. He's got legislation in the pipeline to get rid of TSA, and after November, we can all, hopefully, wave buh-bye to them.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
I saw that story about Geraldo too.
Submitted by drsamherman on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 8:48pm.
Must be the best action he's had in a while.
The Justice ministry was not available for comment.
Submitted by upcountrywater on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 2:13pm.
Activist Chen Guangcheng: China targets lawyers trying to help.
Chinese authorities have confiscated a lawyer's license and threatened to do the same to another after they volunteered to defend the nephew of blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng. The moves come as Mr. Chen, whose escape from house arrest last month sparked an international furor, said officials were "going crazy" with reprisals against his family in eastern Shandong Province.
This is a test, as to how quickly the MSM can bury a story of Freedom.
You Didn't Build That.
It's been a banner week, gaffe wise
Submitted by Blonde on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 2:36pm.
I've added five so far, and the day is still young....cool, huh?
And plagiarism boy has been amazingly silent, although he has "fixed" his many errors, as I pointed out to him....if you've not seen the update since the original incident on Saturday, do check it out, it's pretty funny. And again my thanks to my NB pals for the support.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Carroll Shelby has died at
Submitted by ricklail on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 4:41pm.
Carroll Shelby has died at 89.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-carroll-shelby-201...
Carroll Shelby RIP
Submitted by Dave. on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 5:09pm.
He was a true American original.
They broke the mold when they made him.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Incredible Man
Submitted by stratman on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 6:03pm.
Someone in my neighborhood has an AC Cobra. Only seen it from afar on the road, probably a 427 replica/kit car with a big "10" decal on the door, but it is beautiful.
Shelby was an original. The man knew his cars. RIP
One of our neurosurgeon colleagues (who else?!)
Submitted by drsamherman on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 8:50pm.
also has an original AC Shelby Cobra that he drives to/from the hospitals where we have privileges now and then.
He's the only practicing physician who could afford such a toy. Of course, it helps that he married into the family that helped found one of the big oil companies, but I digress.
RIP, Mr. Shelby.
I just read about this guy...William F. Gibbs
Submitted by upcountrywater on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 6:11pm.
Back in the Freedom days before the dark days of the State Church EPA, when men could dream and also build stuff.
William Francis Gibbs, America’s foremost naval architect, never even got a statue. Ironically, his greatest work endures, rusting at a Philadelphia pier, nearly as unloved and unknown as her maker.
The resulting SS United States is a masterpiece in every sense. The American ship was less opulent that her European competitors, but her design and technology exceeded theirs in every way. On her maiden voyage in July 1952, the “Big U” won the Blue Riband by the largest margin in history. Her top speeds have never since been equaled by a single-hulled vessel and, given the economics of shipping today, never will.
RIP Carroll Shelby,1965 Ford racing Shelby Cobra GT 350 GT 40
, A 289 real one, just the engine sounds, wow...
You Didn't Build That.