Live In Wisconsin? Think Scott Walker’s Budget Repair Won’t Effect You?

The scary thing is that a lot of people in Wisconsin assume that Scott Walker’s Budget Repair bill (you know, the one that is trying to bust unions) won’t effect them.  However, the bill as it reads now will effect every resident in Wisconsin.  Here are some highlights:

• Allows the State to take out an additional 200 million in loans,putting the State farther in debt Page 30, Section 63
• Cuts off all State aid to municipalities. Page 135 – 136 Section 9211, Page 58, Section 148
• Cuts off all State aid to Public k- 12 Schools. “About 900 million dollars total”Page 135 – 136 Section 9211, page 58 Section 148
• Cuts off all State aid to University Wisconsin Schools “This will cause the tuition at UW’s to go up 26% over the next two years” Page 135 – 136 Section 9211
• The state will lose 46 million in Federal Grants to Public Transit. “The federal government requires that public transit workers have collective bargaining.”Page 63 – 109 Sections 163- 314
• Allows the State to take 28 million from Employee Trust Fund, “This is the State Employee’s Pension Fund, they will use the money to pay the States portion of State Employee’s Medical and Pension contributions until 2013” Page 125, Section 9115
• In 2013 the State will no longer pay anything towards State Employee’s Medical and Pension Fund, State Employee’s will be required to pay the entire cost of Medical and Pension. “Roughly about $1500 per month for each State Employee.Page 58 Section 62.623
• Limits the right to collectively bargain for all employees who are not public safety employees (general employees) to the subject of base wages. Page 63 – 109 Sections 163- 314

My first question is how is this balancing Wisconsin’s budget.  My second question is why would anybody want to work for the State of Wisconsin after this.  Unfortunately with unemployment so high, many people will have no other choice and that is what Scott Walker is counting on.  The schools are already bareboned — Maybe that’s why the United States scores so poorly on tests.  We don’t invest any money into our schools.  Instead, we keep taking more and more away.

This budget repair bill is definitely an interesting read especially when you see it for what it is — union busting and rewarding your contributors.  You’d think that would be against some ethics law somewhere.